Had Enough.........goodbye My New Friends.... :cry:

[Ginge]

Cheffi i just had a little chat wiht CFC and you could so a water change to help and also are you still adding ammonia??? If so reduse the amount your are adding so you add it up to about 1 or 2ppm.

 

[Mertus]

IMO the best thing to do when starting a new tank is a get a small school of zebra danios. Works wonders.

 

[Cheffi]

Cheffi i just had a little chat wiht CFC and you could so a water change to help and also are you still adding ammonia??? If so reduse the amount your are adding so you add it up to about 1 or 2ppm.

Yes I add ammonia daily up to 2ppm, it goes down to 0 within 12 hrs. I will do a water change later today.

You can get degree's in fish... tell me more.. NOW!! I've just dropped-out of College but if I found out there is a university in England that offers degrees in fish.. i'll re-join!! Tell me now! lol!

and back to your problem.. I would just stick with it.. one of my tanks took 8 and a half weeks! I know it's frustrating, but stick with it!

Take a look at his website it says on there what he qualified in ; www.aqualifeleasing.co.uk

A shame he could just spare a bit of the actual media that would definitely go a long way to helping the process.

Yes I agree with you unfortunately he used internal spongey looking filters in his fish house so that wasn't an option.

IMO the best thing to do when starting a new tank is a get a small school of zebra danios. Works wonders.

No way am I changing over now, I'll give it another week then I'll give up.

 

[Neal]

This is the exact reason why I clone my tanks, I managed to clone a 2 gallon into a 13 gallon, and a 13 gallon into a 20 gallon, now I just need to seed my filter for my new 15 gallon.

Neal

 

[The Fish Importer]

Forgive me if im wrong here, but all the help being offered to you Cheffi you are basically throwing back in peoples faces and saying its not a option.
What people are telling you will really help and if you really want halp then try some of the things suggested. No ones goingto wave a magic wand over your tank and put it right.
Personally right now, I would do a 50% waterchange then add 8-10 neons slowly increasing number over a week and all will be good.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Are you sure your test kit isn't out of whack? Other than that, go back to the guy who gave you filter sqeezings, or a friendly lfs, and ask if you can fun either your filter or a small sponge filter in one of their tanks for a week... Pretty much the same as cloning but they loose no media.

 

[k.o.d]

So far all the good advice you have been given has been turned down.

The people here have given better advice than the person who has the degree in 'fishes', who has, in all honesty, given you crap advice if he has told you to add squeezed filter water, nitrifying bacteria colonise solid objects such as filter media, rocks even the side of the glass but very little will be in water, bacteria double their colony every 12 hours dependent on their food source and from the sound of it your food source ( nitrites ) is plentiful.
You wont get filter media ( or even 3 or 4 pieces of gravel ) from an LFS but you would buy fish from them??

If it was me I would
1. Do a 50% water change to dilute the system
2. Stop putting ammonia in altogether for the moment as you are adding to the problem
3. Ask a reputable LFS if you can have a small amount of filter media to add to your filter. What filtration are you running?
4. Be prepared to listen to people other than ones who have an 'ology in fishes

From a purely personal point of view, its your tank and you can do what you like with it, but when several people have all said the same thing, then maybe it is advice worth listening to

Steve

 

[Cheffi]

So far all the good advice you have been given has been turned down.

The people here have given better advice than the person who has the degree in 'fishes', who has, in all honesty, given you crap advice if he has told you to add squeezed filter water, nitrifying bacteria colonise solid objects such as filter media, rocks even the side of the glass but very little will be in water, bacteria double their colony every 12 hours dependent on their food source and from the sound of it your food source ( nitrites ) is plentiful.
You wont get filter media ( or even 3 or 4 pieces of gravel ) from an LFS but you would buy fish from them??

If it was me I would
1. Do a 50% water change to dilute the system
2. Stop putting ammonia in altogether for the moment as you are adding to the problem
3. Ask a reputable LFS if you can have a small amount of filter media to add to your filter. What filtration are you running?
4. Be prepared to listen to people other than ones who have an 'ology in fishes

From a purely personal point of view, its your tank and you can do what you like with it, but when several people have all said the same thing, then maybe it is advice worth listening to

Steve

That is absolute nonsense, I've not turned down any help. Right from the beginning I went with the majority of people on this forum and went with fishless cycling. I've asked for help previously and taken the advice. Before there were any suggestions of disease from a lfs even before I even had my tank delivered I asked my lfs for some help with bacteria and they declined, hence I no longer visit there. The guy I got the squeezings from runs a business of which I am not a client and from his kindness he gave me those squeezings, I'm afraid I don't have the afront to go back and ask him for further help as I don't know him well enough for one thing.
I've already said that I will do the water change and at this stage of the cycling it would be stupid to start putting a few measley fish into a 300L tank.
Your comment about the ology in fishes is not worth mentioning as it wasn't him that told me to get the squeezings it was someone on here, he himself was not that hopeful, and why did you feel it necessary to repeat all the info that bloo had given me. It was taken on board the first time I read it.
My test kit is not out of whack. I had a discussion on here regarding test kits re their sell by dates and expirey dates. I'm using an API master kit batch no's all around Nov 2005, I even bought a 2nd nitrite test kit and they all give the same results.
This will eventually be a malawi tank so I don't want to put neons in thanks fishimporter.
Neal thats great you can clone your tanks and if this one ever cycles and I add more tanks I'll be able to do the same so thats not much help atm.
To those of you who have refrained from your sarcastic comments and been helpful, thank you, advice taken and being put into action. For the rest of you maybe you should take more time to read the posts before adding your 'help' which in point of fact is no help whatsoever.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Cheffi, I sympathise so much with you- and feel a certain amount of survivor's guilt as my fishless cycles have gone so much more smoothly. These things do seem unfair, particularly as you've put so much work into it.
At the same time, if I was planning a hobby that might involve 10 years' commitment to an animal (not sure how longlived malawis are), I don't think I would let 8 or 9 weeks put me off. Do hang on in there- whether you do it with or without fish. It is SO worth it! I had to wait 5 months before I could even get water into my tank (due to one thing or another)- but I just forget about that waiting period now I finally see it up and running. You've had different suggestions from other members, go with one of them, but don't give up on your tank, you will regret it!

 

[Qays]

when i set my tank up, i plonked some White cloud mountain minnows in it, to cycle it. After a few weeks, i took them out, and put mystocking list in. Worked well and i havnt had any problems with the fish.

The best thing about white clouds is that they are cold water, and are hardier than zebra danios.

Once cycled, give them to someone who has a pond, they can have them in their pond, or pass them on to someone else.

My white clouds were not affected by any spikes in ammonia etc, which i worried about. But they seemed to be having fun in the tank, and i liked them alot!

 

[k.o.d]

It doesnt bother me what you do or dont do, but seem to have such a limited patience quotient for allowing the cycle ( read your own header for this post ) to work itself out.

Gently does it, allow a few fish to build up the cycle and then it wont be a total shock to the system and you will be posting why are your fish dead. A few fish in a 300l tank is much better than no fish in a 300l tank.

Patience is a virtue that is in short supply

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

Forgive me if im wrong here, but all the help being offered to you Cheffi you are basically throwing back in peoples faces and saying its not a option.
What people are telling you will really help and if you really want halp then try some of the things suggested. No ones goingto wave a magic wand over your tank and put it right.
Personally right now, I would do a 50% waterchange then add 8-10 neons slowly increasing number over a week and all will be good.

neons... no no no neons are really sensitive and need a mature tank that has been running a while with fish ad has stabalised i found this out the hard way make sure you dont do the same

 

[Cheffi]

Cheffi, I sympathise so much with you- and feel a certain amount of survivor's guilt as my fishless cycles have gone so much more smoothly. These things do seem unfair, particularly as you've put so much work into it.
At the same time, if I was planning a hobby that might involve 10 years' commitment to an animal (not sure how longlived malawis are), I don't think I would let 8 or 9 weeks put me off. Do hang on in there- whether you do it with or without fish. It is SO worth it! I had to wait 5 months before I could even get water into my tank (due to one thing or another)- but I just forget about that waiting period now I finally see it up and running. You've had different suggestions from other members, go with one of them, but don't give up on your tank, you will regret it!

Thanks for that. I think fishless cycling should have a health warning attached

when i set my tank up, i plonked some White cloud mountain minnows in it, to cycle it. After a few weeks, i took them out, and put mystocking list in. Worked well and i havnt had any problems with the fish.

The best thing about white clouds is that they are cold water, and are hardier than zebra danios.

Once cycled, give them to someone who has a pond, they can have them in their pond, or pass them on to someone else.

My white clouds were not affected by any spikes in ammonia etc, which i worried about. But they seemed to be having fun in the tank, and i liked them alot!

Also a helpful bit of info and tbh I wish I had done a cycle with fish now. Thanks.

It doesnt bother me what you do or dont do, but seem to have such a limited patience quotient for allowing the cycle ( read your own header for this post ) to work itself out.

Gently does it, allow a few fish to build up the cycle and then it wont be a total shock to the system and you will be posting why are your fish dead. A few fish in a 300l tank is much better than no fish in a 300l tank.

Patience is a virtue that is in short supply

To be honest I'm not in the slightest bit interested in what you have to say. I'm nearly 8 weeks into a fishless cycle so I'm not going to start all over again so save your breath.

Forgive me if im wrong here, but all the help being offered to you Cheffi you are basically throwing back in peoples faces and saying its not a option.
What people are telling you will really help and if you really want halp then try some of the things suggested. No ones goingto wave a magic wand over your tank and put it right.
Personally right now, I would do a 50% waterchange then add 8-10 neons slowly increasing number over a week and all will be good.

neons... no no no neons are really sensitive and need a mature tank that has been running a while with fish ad has stabalised i found this out the hard way make sure you dont do the same

LOL here we go again, a conflict of information. It's ok don't worry I'm not going to put any in

 

[Qays]

Hi smurfy. I Added my neons right after cycling, and they were fine with it. Theyre doing well and i wouldnt consider them as weak fish.

Cheffi, i guess i was late in telling you, but go through with the cycle, since you might as-well wait.

The only problem with cycling with fish, is - where to put the fish in the end. I guess its ok with WCMM's as they can be put in a pond.

 

[GoinNuts]

I'm a newbie, so I'm asking out of simple curiosity, but why would putting a few danios or wc minnows in the tank in order to success up the cycling be paramount to starting over?

Sorry your fishless cycling is giving you such a hard time, Cheffi. I hope it works itself out soon.

Lisa