FISHLESS CYCLE

[lorax311420]

I just started a fishless cycle on my 10 gal hex tank today. I used clear ammonia from shoprite. I used 2 tsp. of ammonia and did a test a few minutes later and got a reading of between 4-6 ppm. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until I lookd in the tank and noticed about a million (mild overstatement) white hair looking things floating around in the water. Is this normal? and if not does anyone have any ideas as to what it may be.

 

[rdd1952]

It shouldn't be anything from the ammonia but could have come from the gravel/sand if it wasn't clean. Is there anything else in the tank like plants, either live or fake, rocks or other decorations?

 

[lorax311420]

The tank is fully decorated with a few live plants and some decorations. I was also using some food to cycle but it was taking so long that i decided to use the amonia route. The wierd thing is that it doesnt look like any dirt or waste. alomost looks like tiny white worms

 

[rdd1952]

That sounds like what tubliflex worms look like. I quit using those to feed because I hated the way they looked in the water and the fish didn't seem to like them very well either. I guess it could possibly be something off the plants but if it didn't show up until you added the ammonia, I don't know. How long had the tank had water in it with the filter running before you added the ammonia?

 

[lorax311420]

the tank was running for about a week before i started the amonia process. There were no fish in the atank and before I added the amonia I was using food peelts to try and cycle the tank. The water is now clear and there is nothing floating around in the tank now, but Im not sure if whatever it was is gone or not.

 

[keane]

sounds to me like a simple bacterial bloom following an ammonia spike .

You will probably find that the same happens again when your nitrite spikes.

steve