Cycling and Water Testing

[FreshwaterFishie]

I have added the full dose of Cycle, to help bacterial growth. I cannot find 100% Pure Ammonia anywhere!!! All the fish stores ask me why I need it. Maybe, they haven't heard of the Fishless Cycle? It is driving me nuts! Is there a way to cycle the tank without fish or ammonia? I'm not patient enough for the Nitrogen Cycle.
I testing my water with the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit, which contained PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate.
High range PH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0 (duh)
Nitrite: 0 (duh)
Nitrate: 0 (duh)

I think I need their Mini General & Carbonate Hardness Kit too. Is the PH OK or should it be a little lower and how do you lower it? I know why there is no Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate.

If I end up doing the regular cycle with fish only...is there anyway to REALLY, REALLY speed it up? I know of adding used gravel in a mesh bag into the filter behind the bio-bag, ect., adding a plant from an established aquarium. If I do those two things, I would get gravel from a healthy Platy tank...clean and a plant from a tank with one of my fish and also an algae eater...not much algae. Would these add disease to my tank?
Thanks for your patience while guided newbies through this!!!!!! I feel like this is not working while, cycling wise.
And the fish I was thinking of are: Zebra Danios/Zebrafish, Dwarf Corydoras Catfish, Mickey Mouse Platys, and Fancy Guppies, only male Guppies.

 

[Clairel]

If you really want to do a cycle with fish, and cant get Ammonia anywhere to do a fishless cycle, then i would leave your tank set up for around 2 weeks, then add 6 zebra danios, this is what i did with my 1st tank, and its been running for around 3 months now, and there still thriving...and growing lol..

Good Luck

Claire xx

 

[rdd1952]

You can use fish food instead of ammonia. It will decay and create ammonia much the same way fish waste does. I see that you are in the US so you can get pure ammonia at any Walmart (as much as it pains me to say that). Their brand is Sea Mist. You should be able to find it at most grocery stores. Just make sure the ingredients are ammonia and water (maybe a chelating agents, that's ok). You don't want anything that has surfactants or fragrances. If it doesn't have a ingredient label, shake the bottle. If it foams up, it won't work (a few air bubbles that immediately go aways is ok).

Also, the Cycle you added is useless. Don't waste your money on it.

 

[modernhamlet]

Pure ammonia should be readily available at most large grocery or hardware stores in the US in the cleaning supplies area.

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

I was adviced by my LFS that using ammonia in a house with children and dogs wouldn't be good. So I purchased 5 Zebra Danio. It was supposed to be 4...but, one must have swam in the bag. They ate Daphnia, so they must be pretty good and acclumated. There seems to be 3 females and 2 males. 3 of them have round bellies and are larger and 2 are slimmer and smaller. The smallest, male, swims alone sometimes and sometimes with the other male. The 3 females are always together. I also got a used live plant and gravel from the LFS's tank. I have the gravel in a filter bag in the tank...it is an ugly mix of colors. I got them at 5 and were in the bag floating at the top until 5:30. So it has been 3 and 1/2 hrs. and they are doing great! I have started adding NovAqua again too. Does Cycle do ANYthing else helpful? I also tested my tank for hardness and is still very hard. It turned yellow, from blue, with 14 drops! (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater/Saltwater Carbonate Hardness Test Kit (KH)) How can you lower it?
11°-22° (200-400 ppm)
° =drops

 

[SkiFletch]

I wouldnt worry about hardness, especially with zebra danio's. 90%+ of the time your LFS uses the same tapwater you do ... Being that as it may, most fish sold at most LFS are allready sold in hardwater. compound that with the fact that zebra danios are very hardy fish and you should be ok. since you have a testkit monitor your toxin levels and if they get too high dont be afraid to do larger water changes 30% plus.

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

Doing OK. Temp. went down to 75 F!!! I lost one of my Zebra Danio, VERY small. It must have been young.
One of them wedged itself in between the wall and the carven hide-away. I got him out and he swam away, fine.
Anyway, my fish are nipping at eachothers tails? They are all Zebras, is this normal?

 

[Misterfish]

Doing OK. Temp. went down to 75 F!!! I lost one of my Zebra Danio, VERY small. It must have been young.
One of them wedged itself in between the wall and the carven hide-away. I got him out and he swam away, fine.
Anyway, my fish are nipping at eachothers tails? They are all Zebras, is this normal?

I have 6 zebras that I used to cycle my new tank with. They're always chasing each other and looking like they're nipping at tails, but I think this is just how zebra danios behave ....usually totally manic! They also go bonkers at feeding time.....it's a wonder any other fish get any food!

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

Doing OK. Temp. went down to 75 F!!! I lost one of my Zebra Danio, VERY small. It must have been young.
One of them wedged itself in between the wall and the carven hide-away. I got him out and he swam away, fine.
Anyway, my fish are nipping at eachothers tails? They are all Zebras, is this normal?

I have 6 zebras that I used to cycle my new tank with. They're always chasing each other and looking like they're nipping at tails, but I think this is just how zebra danios behave ....usually totally manic! They also go bonkers at feeding time.....it's a wonder any other fish get any food!

They dart around eating the little Daphnia and are sooo fast. Maybe, I should think about sinking pellets for the Cory Cats? Who knows if the little stinker Danio will get it before it sinks...LOL! I only have the Danios right now though. They are pretty.

 

[Clairel]

I also cycled my 1st tank with 6 zebra danios (lfs advice) they are still going strong, and growing very much after 3 months !! I have 4 females, and 2 males.... They are great fish to watch, they have loads of character.....

C x