How Do I Start The Cycle?

[fish nutter]

Put it inside, along with your other filter media.

-FHM

ok... will do when i go bak to school 2 morrow yay. well thanks heaps and will keep everyone posted what happens

 

[fatheadminnow]

Has anyone recommended ammo-lock yet? it detoxifies ammonia instead of removing it, thus letting the tank cycle without causing damage to the fish in the tank. The ammonia levels can still be read during tests but it minimized the possibility of fish death/damage. Of course this is along with frequent water changes.

The only reason I am against this is because there are different types out there that do different things. Some versions will actually hinder the cycling progress by turning ammonia into an un-usable food source.

This product is also hard to keep track up the cycling progress because it turns ammonia into ammonium, which is still toxic to fish, but in higher amounts.

I would not recommend this product unless in emergencies.

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

Has anyone recommended ammo-lock yet? it detoxifies ammonia instead of removing it, thus letting the tank cycle without causing damage to the fish in the tank. The ammonia levels can still be read during tests but it minimized the possibility of fish death/damage. Of course this is along with frequent water changes.

The only reason I am against this is because there are different types out there that do different things. Some versions will actually hinder the cycling progress by turning ammonia into an un-usable food source.

This product is also hard to keep track up the cycling progress because it turns ammonia into ammonium, which is still toxic to fish, but in higher amounts.

I would not recommend this product unless in emergencies.

-FHM

I will stick to fatheadminnow's idea because it means less things to think about and i will just stick to 30% once water change every fortnight with a regular ammonia and nitrite test to see if there is a rise in either... if there is i will do a 30% water change immediately. let me know if this is ok thanks

 

[fatheadminnow]

Has anyone recommended ammo-lock yet? it detoxifies ammonia instead of removing it, thus letting the tank cycle without causing damage to the fish in the tank. The ammonia levels can still be read during tests but it minimized the possibility of fish death/damage. Of course this is along with frequent water changes.

The only reason I am against this is because there are different types out there that do different things. Some versions will actually hinder the cycling progress by turning ammonia into an un-usable food source.

This product is also hard to keep track up the cycling progress because it turns ammonia into ammonium, which is still toxic to fish, but in higher amounts.

I would not recommend this product unless in emergencies.

-FHM

I will stick to fatheadminnow's idea because it means less things to think about and i will just stick to 30% once water change every fortnight with a regular ammonia and nitrite test to see if there is a rise in either... if there is i will do a 30% water change immediately. let me know if this is ok thanks

I would do a 30% weekly water change, regardless of water parameters.

Other than that, if you get more fish, you need to watch the water parameters for a couple days to make sure the ammonia does not rise, if it does, then do a water change. Keep watching the ammonia and nitrite levels until they go back down to 0 ppm and do water changes accordingly.

Personally, everything sounds good right now because you have plants; that is keeping the ammonia down at 0 ppm.

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

well yay for plants (i use some seachem flourish supplement for the plants weekly) and yes i will get more fish in about 3 days, hopefully the ammonia and nitrite won't spike

 

[fatheadminnow]

Just keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite.

Good luck!

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

Just keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite.

Good luck!

-FHM

yup thanks heaps

 

[fish nutter]

Just keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite.

Good luck!

-FHM

yup thanks heaps

 

[fatheadminnow]

Your welcome!

-FHM

 

[Inchworm]

Hi fish nutter

The way the bacteria works is that it will eliminate the same amount of fish wastes in your tank as it did in the tank it was removed from. For an example, if your teacher has a enough media to support 20 guppies and gives you 1/2 of it, you can immediately keep 10 guppies or about the same amount (size-wise) of other small fish. If he gives you 1/4 of it, it will enable you to safely keep 5 of them or the equivalent. Be sure to get it into your tank as quickly as possible.

It would probably be safest to tell him what you have and ask him to estimate how many fish whatever he gives you should support. Then you will know a rough estimate of what to expect. It would be better to start slow and wait to add more fish until you are sure your tank is cycled fully with what you have. Then the bacteria will be able to reproduce quickly when you do add new fish.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yup, agreed, get some mature filter media in your filter, that way you will ensure you have are off to a good start with a cycled tank.

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

Hi fish nutter

The way the bacteria works is that it will eliminate the same amount of fish wastes in your tank as it did in the tank it was removed from. For an example, if your teacher has a enough media to support 20 guppies and gives you 1/2 of it, you can immediately keep 10 guppies or about the same amount (size-wise) of other small fish. If he gives you 1/4 of it, it will enable you to safely keep 5 of them or the equivalent. Be sure to get it into your tank as quickly as possible.

It would probably be safest to tell him what you have and ask him to estimate how many fish whatever he gives you should support. Then you will know a rough estimate of what to expect. It would be better to start slow and wait to add more fish until you are sure your tank is cycled fully with what you have. Then the bacteria will be able to reproduce quickly when you do add new fish.

hi,

So i wait until the bacteria has cycled with the fish i have at the moment... then i add more fish... then i add the bacteria. otherwise won't there be too much bacteria and it will just die off because of the lack of ammonia in the tank for it to feed on?

 

[fatheadminnow]

Since you have plants, plants will try to get the ammonia before the bacteria do, and the plants are really good at this. So, since you have a reading of 0 ppm in your tank, adding bacteria to your tank with your current fish is not really going to be useful.

Instead, get a couple more fish, and then get the bacteria and put it in the filter. This will start to cycle your tank.

You have a couple options at hand, but I think, adding a couple more fish and then adding the bacteria is the best way to go about it right now.

-FHM

 

[fish nutter]

Since you have plants, plants will try to get the ammonia before the bacteria do, and the plants are really good at this. So, since you have a reading of 0 ppm in your tank, adding bacteria to your tank with your current fish is not really going to be useful.

Instead, get a couple more fish, and then get the bacteria and put it in the filter. This will start to cycle your tank.

You have a couple options at hand, but I think, adding a couple more fish and then adding the bacteria is the best way to go about it right now.

-FHM

yup... what i was thinking. if the bacteria do happen to not get enough ammonia with the extra fish in the tank, do i need to worry about the bacteria dying?

 

[fatheadminnow]

The bacteria will die off/colonize in relation to the amount of ammonia available.

But once the bacteria are established in your filter, adding new fish(which will cause a slight ammonia increase); the bacteria will be able to colonize/adapt rather quickly to the new "bio-load" (ammonia).

-FHM