Five day wait please clarify

[ketyana]

I am dealing with and employee of Pets at Home in the UK and I would like to show him this site, to help me with my case please look at the following website
On the http/www.petsathome.co.uk/ under Guide to Setting Up A New Aquarium where it says

9. Switch on the heater, air pump and filter and let the aquarium run for at least a week.

Please I need as many people as possible to help me clarify for him exactly what will develop it a tank with no fish, no ammonia added or no fish food added if you leave it for a week....or even a month
I need every one who is here and has had collectively hundreds of years of experience with fish and the nitrite cycle to make the point of this clear

Thanks all for your help

 

[The-Wolf]

absolutly nothing!

 

[SirMinion]

Leave it long enough and you might get some midge lavae, then it's nitrate cycle, here we go!

 

[David]

Yup. With no source of ammonia, you're getting nowhere.

 

[clutterydrawer]

The justification I was given for this advice is that the week's waiting period is to check all your equipment is actually functioning, and then to cycle with fish.

So obviously it would be much better to cycle fishless first. They could at least provide a link or something to one of the excellent sets of instructions for fishless cycling that are on the wev.

 

[willywonka099]

Maybe buy some nice feeder commets to cycle it ???

 

[fishdudein]

Agreed- there needs to be some source of ammonia present for the nitrogen cycle to begin.

Having read the rest of the passage, consider these as potential blunders too:
-the part about floating the bag containing the new fish in the aquarium prior to releasing it. Ideally, of course, you would quarantine all new arrivals. Overlooking that, the proper acclimation technique would be to place the fish and the water from the bag into a small bucket and either 1)start a reduced flow syphon so there is a very slow trickle of water from the aquarium into the bucket or 2) add a small cup of water from the aquarium to the bucket every 5 min. or so. After the fish have become slowly acclimated to the new aquarium water, net them from the bucket and put them into the aquarium, throw away the water in the bucket.
-the part about doing water changes (good advice to see), does not mention anything about gravel vacuuming though. A totally green "newbie" may read your info as just syphon water out of the top of the tank and replace it, which, granted, is better than nothing, but if you're giving advice you might as well give thorough advice.

 

[SirMinion]

add a small cup of water from the aquarium to the bucket every 5 min. or so.

To be fair, the information printed on the side of the fish bags says to do this, but to float the open bag and to add tank water rather than use a bucket.

 

[Tan]

I agree, it does absolutey nothing

But while we are on the subject, what is the white clouding my fish shop told me was bacteria bloom then?

 

[cation]

Maybe buy some nice feeder commets to cycle it ???

1. Fishless cycle is the kinder, gentler way, when possible.
2.Goldfish are coldwater fish and not appropriate for cycling a tropical tank, as their health will be affected not only by the effects of cycling, but by the inappropriate temperature.

 

[clutterydrawer]

3 - they also grow pretty big so you'd have no room left for the fish you actually wanted..presuming you kept them (and if you didn't...hmm)

 

[Tan]

what is the 'bloom'?

Please anyone?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

5 words:

What a load of crap.

 

[ketyana]

So yeah! What is the white cloudy water that the fishshop call a bloom?

 

[fishdudein]

"Bloom" is the term used for what causes the water in your tank to get cloudy. It is normally caused by overfeeding, overstocking, killing-off of the "good" bacteria, or some other traumatic event. Green cloudy water is usually called an algae bloom, whitish cloudy water is usually a bacterial bloom. Either one is a serious condition and is a sign that your tank needs immediate attention, this is potential for you to lose your entire tank.