Hmmmmmmmm?

[adamgaskin]

does ne1 think putting fish straight into a new tank is a good idea? my lfs said it was one of the best things rather than a fishless cycle. i thought it was a bit harsh on the fish and tended to end in disaster

 

[rdd1952]

You should ask this in the Chit CHat section but I will tell you what the answer will be: definitely no. A fishless cycle is by far the best way to go. If you do a good fishless cycle, you can have yout full stock of fish in about 3 or 4 weeks. If you start by adding fish at the beginning, you will have maybe 4 or 5 fish and will be doing daily water changes for the first 3 weeks to keep the ammonia levels in a safe range. So after 3 weeks you will still only have about 5 fish whereas the other way you can be fully stocked.

 

[adamgaskin]

you see thats what i thought. i'd heard that my lfs has been known for giving bad advice but thought id check it anyway. where is the best sort of place to find ammonia?

 

[SkiFletch]

Grocery stores or any places that sell cleaning supplies. Ammonia is a popular household cleaner. The trick is to make sure you get one whose only ingredients are ammonia and water. Some of the cleaners come with soaps or surfactants in them which you dont want. Its very often the real cheap varieties of ammonia that are the pure ones (soap costs more money ). The real test is to shake the bottle and see if it foams up at the top like dishsoap. If it doesnt get all foamy you're set.

 

[adamgaskin]

wicked