First Aquarium: My Details

[Neoburner]

Did a small test today, not added any ammo or anything since the turn on, i bought the tablet kit so i thought i would give it a go, tested the 2 main at the moment, your right about a liquid kit, as the tablet takes ages to do the test!

Tank Stats:

3rd December 2009 @ 11.30am

pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0.1

So something is happening! Looks as if my local pH is not too bad either!

Ben

 

[waterdrop]

A pH of 8.2 is right in the range (pH = 8.0 to 8.4) to help create the perfect "bacterial growing soup" which is the major goal during fishless cycling -- so you've got a naturally very good thing right at the start.. congrats! The ammonia reading (if it happens to be right, which would be hit or miss with the interpet test) would probably be indicating that either the water naturally has some ammonia in it as it comes out of the tap OR that your water authority uses chloramines (as opposed to chlorine) to protect citizens from bacteria in the water supply and you have treated the water with a conditioner which has broken the chlorine to ammonia bond in the chloramines and left some ammonia from that reaction.

I do think UK members have reported finding low prices for the API Freshwater Master Test Kit on the UK ebay if I remember correctly. The other priority for you is to begin the search for the right type of pure houshold ammonia. That also seems easier for the UK folks a bit as they often go to homebase or boots (I forget which is preferred) and a few other places. The ammonia needs to be free of dyes, fragrances, surfactants or soaps. If you can see in the bottle, a good test is to shake it - the bubbles should go away quickly, 2 or 3 seconds as if it were water (actually, it IS water mostly) ... it should not foam, as that would indicate surfactants or soaps. It can still be a small adventure finding it!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Neoburner]

thanks water, i am going to goto boots today, they have the 9.5% bottles in there, was reading a thread on it and i think thats the one to go for! Then ill come back, have another read of the fishless cycle guide (for the 7th time lol) and start, altho im not sure to start unless i have the testing kit hmmm...

Ben

 

[bushbrother]

thanks water, i am going to goto boots today, they have the 9.5% bottles in there, was reading a thread on it and i think thats the one to go for! Then ill come back, have another read of the fishless cycle guide (for the 7th time lol) and start, altho im not sure to start unless i have the testing kit hmmm...

Ben

Hi there, I recently completed my cycle and I used the Ammonia from Boots. It works perfectly. As far as the API test kit is concerned, EBay is the cheapest place, about £18 delivered.

Good luck!

 

[waterdrop]

What I would do if you get the ammonia before the kit is this: Assuming the ammonia concentration is marked as 9.5%, or of course whatever number it is, then put that number along with your tank volume into the appropriate places in the calculator on our web page here and it will give you an amount to squirt into the tank to hopefully bring it close to 4 or 5ppm concentration in the tank. What I would do is back off of whatever it gives you by a tiny amount so that you are just a little be lower than what it says. When starting out it doesn't matter if you are low on ammonia but it -does- matter if you are higher, specifically you don't want to be up at 8ppm as this encourages the wrong species of bacteria. But also don't feel you need to be so accurate that you should wait, because you don't need to wait, its better to just go ahead and get started since it could take 2 months.

Once you get the liquid test kit just test your tank water right away and do a bit of a water change if you seem to be too high on ammonia.. but that's unlikely of course.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Ryandsimmons]

http/www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/catalog/freshwater-master-test-p-1091.html

I bought the kit from here, it was the cheapest I could find by about £5

 

[bushbrother]

http/www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/catalog/freshwater-master-test-p-1091.html

I bought the kit from here, it was the cheapest I could find by about £5

Ebay definately cheaper ... £17.95 delivered

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/API-FRESHWATER-MASTER-TEST-KIT-NEW-800-TESTS_W0QQitemZ320455295098QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item4a9c9fc07a#ht_1079wt_754

 

[Curiosity101]

Ebay normally has it for £18 including postage. But that's a fair price for one

Doesn't look quite like my API test kit though...maybe they've changed.

 

[Ryandsimmons]

http/www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/catalog/freshwater-master-test-p-1091.html

I bought the kit from here, it was the cheapest I could find by about £5

Ebay definately cheaper ... £17.95 delivered

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/API-FRESHWATER-MASTER-TEST-KIT-NEW-800-TESTS_W0QQitemZ320455295098QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item4a9c9fc07a#ht_1079wt_754

Dagnabbit!! That's the downside of ebay being blocked from access at work.

 

[Neoburner]

Thanks guys ill go for the ebay one... quite bad i paid £12.99 for just 6 tests and that one does 800?? lol

Ben

 

[Neoburner]

Guys just a quick one... Im out to get my Ammo today from boots... ive ordered my testing kit but it wont be here for a good 4 - 5 days. The water is still a little cloudy as im guessing its from the tap safe from the start. Is it ok to start the cycle while its still cloudy, as i saw it can muck it up? Or is that just when i goto read the levels?

Thanks

Ben

 

[Neoburner]

Ok i took the plundge and added my first dose of ammo to the water, 2.52ml as per the calc

Will give it a couple days and take a reading!

Ben

 

[waterdrop]

Ebay normally has it for £18 including postage. But that's a fair price for one

Doesn't look quite like my API test kit though...maybe they've changed.

I agree Curiosity, its odd, the bottles etc. look right but the holder is different even from the picture currently on the API website itself:

API home website pic

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Neoburner]

Quick test this morning to test the ammo is in there!

4th December 2009 @ 10.30am

Ammonia: 4.0

So will give it a week (by that time my api liquid would have shown up) then test her again, hopefully it will go down!

Ben

 

[Neoburner]

5th December 2009 @ 10.30am

Thought i would to a Nitrite (NO2) test for the fun of it! Some seem to be producing, which is a good start!

Cloud still present in the water but as previous posts state im guessing bacterial bloom is there!

Ammonia: 3.9 mg/l (Ever so slightly lighter than the previous test!)
Nitrite: 0.1 mg/l