Help Fishless Cycle What Tests?

[marieukxx]

I'm new to this. My tank is 6 months old the filter has been used for 6 months I got it second hand.

For a fishless cycle:

What test kit do I get? How often do I test? What should the levels be? And what do you actually do if the levels are wrong?

Also do I need to get amonia? I thought I just had to put that conditioner stuff in the tap water and that was it.

Thanks for any advice

 

[Malawakiwhite]

Hi I'm fairly new to this but - Is the filter in use at the moment or are you starting from scratch? If from scratch you need ammonia - boots sell the stuff you need assuming you in the U.K?? you need a PH, AMMONIA, NITRITES AND NITRATES tests.I use the Nutrafin kit but a lot use API Master test kits I think. It would be best to research the fishless cycling, there are plenty of good articles on the internet. Basically to add the required drops of ammonia every day and test daily. You'll see an ammonia spike then a Nitrite spike and Nitrates will go up too. Only when AMM drops to 0 and Nitrites drop to 0 for a week and done a major water change to reduce nitrates is it ok to add fish. It can take several weeks. I'm 2 weeks in. Good luck.

 

[marieukxx]

Ok so what about:

1 red Sword Fish max 8cm
6 Dwarf Neon Rainbow Fish
1 white Micky Mouse Platy
2 Sunset Platy
Shrimp - how many can I have of these?

Are my choices ok? Is this the right amount for my tank?

Rest assured I am cycling first I am just one of those that likes to set out what I'm gonna do step by step lol. I like to have my plan of action

 

[BigbruiserAl]

I'm new to this. My tank is 6 months old the filter has been used for 6 months I got it second hand.

For a fishless cycle:

What test kit do I get? How often do I test? What should the levels be? And what do you actually do if the levels are wrong?

Also do I need to get amonia? I thought I just had to put that conditioner stuff in the tap water and that was it.

Thanks for any advice

How big is your tank, when you say its 2nd hand has it been left empty for a any peroid or is the filter been running and therfore mature?
API master kit is what i use, the ammonia from boots, take a look at the fishless cycle logs they will answer almost everyhting

 

[marieukxx]

I'm new to this. My tank is 6 months old the filter has been used for 6 months I got it second hand.

For a fishless cycle:

What test kit do I get? How often do I test? What should the levels be? And what do you actually do if the levels are wrong?

Also do I need to get amonia? I thought I just had to put that conditioner stuff in the tap water and that was it.

Thanks for any advice

How big is your tank, when you say its 2nd hand has it been left empty for a any peroid or is the filter been running and therfore mature?
API master kit is what i use, the ammonia from boots, take a look at the fishless cycle logs they will answer almost everyhting

I'll start fresh cycling I think.

 

[waterdrop]

I think BBA was just trying to question you about whether you still had any prior used filter media that had been kept wet. If any of the beneficial bacteria were still alive in it then it could save you weeks of waiting!

Building up to full-sized colonies of the two species of bacteria we need from just the few random cells that will be in the tap water can take between a month and 2.5 months. The two main starting tools, as mentioned, are a good liquid test kit like the API Freshwater Master Test Kit and a bottle of the right household simple ammonia like the Boots ammonia if you're in the UK. The base working article by RDD is in the Beginners Resource Center and GVG has a good article out there in another thread.

~~waterdrop~~