Is This True?

[5teady_2012]

I was told by my LFS that using pure amonia is a bad idea and very rough stuff and he recomended a bottle of this stuff called CYCLE... and something else called easy start or summat..

He then went on to saying put flake food in and let it rot, this creates ammonia which seemed odd to me, i thought it had to be fish waste that created the amonia.

I am not starting a new tank or anything i was just curious as to what they would say compared to some things on this forum..

Now getting to a certain comment he made.....

He said some people urinate in thier tank to start a cycle off (is that true seriously)

 

[stiffler69]

Ive used cycle before buddy, it got my tank ready in 1-2 weeks not sure if its welcomed well on here though ive heard people say its useless

 

[5teady_2012]

The other stuff which i cant fully remeber its name, was said by practical fish keeping mag that 10-12 days and you could add fish.. il have to get the name tomorrow after visiting my LFS again.

 

[aluno]

cycle is junk in my oppinion, pure ammonia all the way, but urinating in a tank would start a cycle because urine has an ammonia content, however id rather pay £1.99 at homebase then have a tank of my own pee lol.

 

[rdd1952]

Cycle is pretty much useless as are the other similar products like Stress Zyme. It does not contain the proper bacteria. There is also no way that bacteria could survive the temperature extremes that those products are subjected to. As far as ammonia being bad for a tank, what does he think fish produce. There is ammonia present in every tank in trace amounts. He may be thinking that you are planning to add it in with the fish which obviously is bad. Adding flakes does the same as adding ammonia except it is hard to regulate how much you have added and flakes are a lot more expensive than ammonia. A bottle of ammonia costs about 50 cent here in the states and is enough to cycle numerous tanks. It would take a full box of flakes, Probably several dollars, to cycle a single tank.

The best product for cycling a tank is Bio Spira but it isn't available in the UK. I believe I read a thread earlier today that said Tetra Safestart was the UK equivalent.

As for urinating in the tank, Im sure it has been done. Urine is ammonia (and I believe is sterile too) so it would definitely work but I certainly wouldn't want to put my hands in the tank.

 

[spAcE mOnkEy]

In order to start the cycle, you need ammonia. The nitrogen cycle is basically ammonia being converted into nitrites by bacteria, then being converted into nitrates by another bacteria. What those special bottles, "Cycle" are providing, is supposed to be the beneficial bacteria produced at the end of the cycle from the nitrates. Some people swear by it, others feel the bacteria in a bottle does nothing.

Ammonia comes from waste, anything that decomposes. This means that the fish waste decomposing will form ammonia, fish flakes decomposing will form ammonia, dead fish, etc. By adding pure ammonia, you are skipping the decomposing process and adding it straight to the water. This in theory should work just as any other methods.

Personally, I prefer to do a natural cycle with hardy fish. Add a few hardy fish to the tank and wait for the spike from the ammonia, then nitrite, then once nitrates start to form you are good to go. The only way to remove nitrates from an aquarium are water changes, hence weekly water changes. Plants use nitrates as well, but you really need a vast amount in order for them to actually show an impact on nitrate levels.

 

[5teady_2012]

Some useful info there, but i wont be peeing in my tank ever lol...

I love to learn stuff like this and its good to have more info on these types of subjects, especially when there is diffrence in opinions..

When i setup another tank i think i would take the bottle of ammonia way, seems decent way to do it

I dont think i would ever cycle with fish, i read that even hardy fish that are used to cycle, still go through things like the gills burning etc, and thinking of that does not make me feel good..

Thanks for reply thoguh as well guys/glas

Some useful info there, but i wont be peeing in my tank ever lol...

I love to learn stuff like this and its good to have more info on these types of subjects, especially when there is diffrence in opinions..

When i setup another tank i think i would take the bottle of ammonia way, seems decent way to do it

I dont think i would ever cycle with fish, i read that even hardy fish that are used to cycle, still go through things like the gills burning etc, and thinking of that does not make me feel good..

Thanks for reply thoguh as well guys/glas

 

[backtotropical]

I dont think i would ever cycle with fish, i read that even hardy fish that are used to cycle, still go through things like the gills burning etc, and thinking of that does not make me feel good..

That's good to see, 5teady. IMO theres no excuse for anyone who knows what effect cycling has on fish to deliberately use them for cycling. Lets face it, if you want to subject fish to that kind of discomfort (and even death) then you should probably be questioning whether you should actually be keeping fish at all. That said, i do understand that circumstances may dictate a fish-in cycle must be done, and that there are lots of people who simply don't know any better.

 

[jeej]

Don't urinate in your fish tank. It doesn't just contain ammonia. You'd be putting all sorts in your tank.

Also, some LFS seem to baulk at the prospect of putting pure ammonia in your tank because in their head they just think fish + ammonia = death.

The fish food method does work, but it is hard to judge exactly what levels of ammonia you are putting in your tank.

Never use ammonia that has any additives, like surfactants because that extra stuff messes with your pH, lowers it below pH 6 and stalls the cycle completely, and can also leave a dusty residue laying under your gravel. I know this through experience when I used a product labeled as cloudy ammonia.

 

[The-Wolf]

He said some people urinate in thier tank to start a cycle off (is that true seriously)

yes it is true. I've even been told by a Rep for Sera
that when they started their new research plant in Germany every staff
member was asked to urinate in the new ponds (after a drugs test)
to help kick start the cycle.
also this seems to be a preferred method for Japanese koi farms too

 

[Miss Wiggle]

He said some people urinate in thier tank to start a cycle off (is that true seriously)

yes it is true. I've even been told by a Rep for Sera
that when they started their new research plant in Germany every staff
member was asked to urinate in the new ponds (after a drugs test)
to help kick start the cycle.
also this seems to be a preferred method for Japanese koi farms too

cheaper than bulk buying ammonia I'm sure!

 

[the biffster]

if you already have tanks set up why not use the squeezings from your filter sponges
thats just as good as puting bactetia in your tank and also a hand full of gravel this will all get
your cycle started


biff

 

[raptorrex]

I was told by my LFS that using pure amonia is a bad idea and very rough stuff and he recomended a bottle of this stuff called CYCLE... and something else called easy start or summat..

He then went on to saying put flake food in and let it rot, this creates ammonia which seemed odd to me, i thought it had to be fish waste that created the amonia.

I am not starting a new tank or anything i was just curious as to what they would say compared to some things on this forum..

Now getting to a certain comment he made.....

He said some people urinate in thier tank to start a cycle off (is that true seriously)

dont worry he's trying to get into your wallet. ignore him, you will very often find vastly better advice in a car radio shop, pertaining to fish, than from many LFS.

yep i can confirm piddling in the tank works a treat

cycle is junk in my oppinion, pure ammonia all the way, but urinating in a tank would start a cycle because urine has an ammonia content, however id rather pay £1.99 at homebase then have a tank of my own pee lol.

yet you put your hand in a tank that has had may fish crap and pee in it, seems like faulty logic to me.

Cycle is pretty much useless as are the other similar products like Stress Zyme. It does not contain the proper bacteria. There is also no way that bacteria could survive the temperature extremes that those products are subjected to. As far as ammonia being bad for a tank, what does he think fish produce. There is ammonia present in every tank in trace amounts. He may be thinking that you are planning to add it in with the fish which obviously is bad. Adding flakes does the same as adding ammonia except it is hard to regulate how much you have added and flakes are a lot more expensive than ammonia. A bottle of ammonia costs about 50 cent here in the states and is enough to cycle numerous tanks. It would take a full box of flakes, Probably several dollars, to cycle a single tank.

The best product for cycling a tank is Bio Spira but it isn't available in the UK. I believe I read a thread earlier today that said Tetra Safestart was the UK equivalent.

As for urinating in the tank, Im sure it has been done. Urine is ammonia (and I believe is sterile too) so it would definitely work but I certainly wouldn't want to put my hands in the tank.

nice comments

Don't urinate in your fish tank. It doesn't just contain ammonia. You'd be putting all sorts in your tank.

Also, some LFS seem to baulk at the prospect of putting pure ammonia in your tank because in their head they just think fish + ammonia = death.

the urea breaks down to ammonia very quickly, and as stated it is sterile, or as close as makes no difference. so no problem with putting your hand in. and yes you are putting allsorts in your tank, the allsorts you need to make a Fishless cycle, very much like a with fish cycle, and its fast too, but you do need to add a handful of good quality soil, that's where the start of your bacteria colony comes from.

lol an LFs that is worried about fish dying!!! where?

He said some people urinate in thier tank to start a cycle off (is that true seriously)

yes it is true. I've even been told by a Rep for Sera
that when they started their new research plant in Germany every staff
member was asked to urinate in the new ponds (after a drugs test)
to help kick start the cycle.
also this seems to be a preferred method for Japanese koi farms too

i am aware of the method, lol i have used it several time, i was unaware of the fact it was used in the koi world, guess it makes sense as i was told by an Australian. so could it actually be one of the oldest methods of cycling around?

 

[jeej]

You didn't read what I put. I never said there was no ammonia in urine. I think it might be wise for you to read someone's comments properly before mocking them in future.

 

[raptorrex]

oops double post sorry