Is this Test kit ok?

[GBLShorty]

Hi is this fine for me to test my newly cycling Mbuna tank? i'm a bit short on funds moving into new house

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tetra-Te...421417&hash=item2354c78bf5:g:I1cAAOSwLVZVpOHP

Also what would you say is the best way to cycle? i dotn want to pay out for expensive chemicals? all my tanks i have had in the past were already cycled when i bought them and i want to do this by the book, i dont know anyone else with tanks to pinch media from.

Someone suggested to use a goldfish then rehome after cycle, any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Essjay]

Those test strips do not test for ammonia, and this is one of the two most important tests. If you can't afford a full set of liquid reagent testers at the moment, I would get ammonia and nitrite for now. You can often find the pH and hardness of your tap water on your water supplier's website. Since the link was for the UK Ebay, I assume you are in the UK? You'll find the pH in the water quality report as hydrogen ions.

All you need to cycle a tank with is testers for ammonia and nitrite and a bottle of ammonia which costs just a couple of £. Please do not use fish to cycle a tank - it is cruel to the fish involved. Just buy a bottle of ammonia and follow these instructions http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/ Since you want to keep Mbuna your water should be hard so that will help the cycle go faster.

 

[GBLShorty]

Yeh i have bought argonite sand so it will buffer it nicely, i bought those strips and i'm going to buy the ammonia kit when i get paid and hold off on the cycle, where can i get the right bottled ammonia? the stuff in the shop was like £10 a bottle.

 

[Essjay]

I bought Jeyes Kleen Off Household Ammonia from my town's local DIY shop (not B&Q, a small shop) which cost £2.50. It costs more from Ebay as they include postage in the price.
If you still have a branch near you, Homebase used to sell ammonia in the household cleaning section.

 

[GBLShorty]

is household ammonia perfectly fine to use then? does it not have added stuff in it?

 

[GBLShorty]

Also, am i better off with this test kit over the tetra ones? i cant really afford a api master kit now, i just moved into my new house on monday and spent thousands on flooring, new tank etc etc https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NT-Labs-...371002?hash=item2ccac3803a:g:0UMAAOSwXrdaHte0

 

[Essjay]

I know of several people who use that test kit. The reason it is cheaper than the API one is that it does fewer tests per bottle.


You have to be careful with household ammonia. Some brands do contain detergent so those can't be used for cycling. I know the Kleen Off one is fine because it didn't say on the bottle when I first bought a bottle so I emailed the company to ask and they said it was just a solution of ammonia in water, nothing else.
If a bottle does not give the ingredients, shake it. If it forms large bubbles which burst quickly (like water) it's OK. If it foams with lots of small bubbles which last for ages, it contains detergent. Detergent is often called surfactant on bottle labels, so check for both. And don't use any ammonia that contains perfume.

 

[GBLShorty]

i refunded the tetra test kit i ordered and i have bought the Api master test kit, i found it for £25

So if i order the ammonia you mentioned, i have no worrys? and is there enough in that bottle for the whole cycle process?

 

[Ch4rlie]

The API master test kit is far better value for money and does work well for the cycling procedures.

As for ammonia, essjay is quite correct in that Kleen Off is a ammonia product that works fine.

What you’re looking for in ammonia is 100% ammonium hydroxide which is just basically ammonia and water, that’s it.
No other ingredients should be listed such as anti mould or detergents etc

And yes, that Kleen Off should have more than enough to do at least several tanks cycling actually.

If you’re worried about the Kleen Off product, you could perhaps order instead Dr Tim’s ammonium chloride, a small bottle but is specifically for cycling tanks process.