Help!

[jord123]

Hi, i have just set up my first tank all i have in it at the minute are plants, rocks and water. I decided to have a good read of anything i could before i started and after looking through this site i have decided that the only way forward is fishless cycling. I finally managed to find some ammonia yesterday and although i have seen alot of articles on the subject i still have a few questions just so i can be 100% sure before i begin, so if anyone could help it would be much appreciated!

1) The ammonia i have bought states that it is household ammonia contains ammonia solution and below it says 9.5% W/W i have no idea what this means but it is clear and there does not appear to be anything else in there, is this safe to use?

2) After taking the lid of the ammonia last night (it nearly took my head off!!!) i noted that it is very strong, how much would you put in to start with? The tank is 88 litres by the way.

3) Do i need some of the good bacteria in there before i put ammonia in or is it better to just let it develop?

I hope someone can help as my lfs is totally ignorant to the idea of fishless cycling and keeps telling me to just use 'starter fish' but i really don't want to do that.

 

[Amunet]

I'm using ammonia on my 10gallon right now. I've been adding 5 drops to it every day.
So 5 drops for every 10gallons, every day.
Then when you start getting nitrite readings, reduce to about 3 drops per every 10 gal a day.

I got this info from another website so *shrugs*
I dunno if all of that works, but that's what I plan on doing rofl

I know I've read comments from people who have done their cycling with ammonia and they say it cycles very quickly.
*crosses fingers*

 

[Irf]

1) The ammonia i have bought states that it is household ammonia contains ammonia solution and below it says 9.5% W/W i have no idea what this means but it is clear and there does not appear to be anything else in there, is this safe to use?

2) After taking the lid of the ammonia last night (it nearly took my head off!!!) i noted that it is very strong, how much would you put in to start with? The tank is 88 litres by the way.

3) Do i need some of the good bacteria in there before i put ammonia in or is it better to just let it develop?

I hope someone can help as my lfs is totally ignorant to the idea of fishless cycling and keeps telling me to just use 'starter fish' but i really don't want to do that.

That ammonia sounds like it's the correct stuff. Basically there should be no perfumes in it or stuff that make it frothy.

You should really get an ammonia test kit, and add the ammonia according to the fishless cycling article such that you end up with 5ppm in the tank (I think that is the correct figure). You'll need the ammonia test kit throughut the cycling process anyway.

If you have some way of transplanting some bacteria into there from a cycled tank, then it could speed matters up. Most people accelerate their cycling by getting some filter media from elsewhere.

Finally, if you have decided to go fishless cycling, then forget about the LFS and do a lot of reading. You'll find everything you need on the topic right here.

Regards,

Irf.

 

[jord123]

Thanks for the replies i know my questions are really basic but it helps that people know what there talking about i get the feeling the guys in my lfs are after just one thing money! I am going to get test kits tomorrow is there one that does ammonia, nitrite and nitrate or will i need seperate ones?

Also irf you say 5ppm (guessing thats the measure on the test kit) what happens if i add too much ammonia is there a maximum i should put in first and then how long should i wait before testing the water? so a 20 gal. tank like mine 10 drops a day and read it every? and when do i stop adding? sorry guys and girls i just don't want to screw the wole process up!

I appreciate all the help as with so many thredas for cycling my head is spinning!

 

[mark.w.jones]

Thanks for the replies i know my questions are really basic but it helps that people know what there talking about i get the feeling the guys in my lfs are after just one thing money! I am going to get test kits tomorrow is there one that does ammonia, nitrite and nitrate or will i need seperate ones?

Also irf you say 5ppm (guessing thats the measure on the test kit) what happens if i add too much ammonia is there a maximum i should put in first and then how long should i wait before testing the water? so a 20 gal. tank like mine 10 drops a day and read it every? and when do i stop adding? sorry guys and girls i just don't want to screw the wole process up!

I appreciate all the help as with so many thredas for cycling my head is spinning!

5ppm is 5 parts per million and is the standard measure on most test kits. Go for the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit as this has all liquid tests you will need during fishless cycling. It also comes recommended by most members on here. Don't raise your ammonia to above 5ppm in you tank as this often has the adverse effect of preventing bacterial growth.

To get the correct number of drops to add to your tank the easiest way is probably to add a couple of drops of it to your tank water then test it for ammonia. Repeat this, testing every few drops, until you reach 5ppm. Follow the add & wait method from the fishless ccling link in my signature as I feel that it is the simplest and best written of the lot.

 

[vinylman]

Thanks for the replies i know my questions are really basic but it helps that people know what there talking about i get the feeling the guys in my lfs are after just one thing money!

At least you've spotted their little game early on!!!.

 

[Irf]

Exactly as joneseyUK said - follow the article he's pointed to. That's what I used for my 2nd tank, and it worked perfectly.

I could be wrong, but I don't think that adding too much ammonia will actually stop the cycling process. However it may slow it down.

I can also recommend the API Fresh Water Master test kit - not particularly cheap, but it contains pretty much everything you need for cycling and beyond with no unnecessary extras.

Best of luck....

Irf.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah just to say i agree with JonesyUK and irf

the API test kits are great and it's a bit trial and error at first to get the right amount of ammonia, but as you've no fish in there's no danger with it so don't panic. you'll soon get the measure of how much ammonia you need.