Starter Kit

[FishyWishie]

Now that my tank is selected thanks guys btw

Im compiling my list of must haves so i can order everything i need in 1 go to get started with my fishless cycle. Now the tank ive chosen comes with 100ml Nutrafin Aqua Plus water conditioner and a 100ml Nutrafin Cycle

I know i definately need pure ammonia and a test kit (should this be nitrate ammonia & PH capable)

Im undecided on my base have 2 themes in mind 1 would be better with sand 1 with gravel but i think if i read correctly gravel would be better for achieving nice tank conditions? Anything else i must have in order to begin cycling once tank arrives ?

I also have a seperate question

I go on holiday in 5 weeks for a fortnight will taking a month to cycle the tank then leaving it while im on holiday be ok ?


I know im an absolute newbie at this but im reading everything i can on this site and more to try and get a reasonable level of understanding.

 

[mattlee]

it depends on what your stocking plans are as to what substrate you go for really. if you want bottom feeders like corys, loaches etc then sand is ideal as gravel can damage their barbels and cause infections.

for your holiday if there is no source of ammonia then your filter will uncycle itself pretty fast as without the pure ammonia or fish waste etc then there is nothing for the bacteria you have gained to feed on and it will die off. after 5 weeks there will be nothing left im affraid.

 

[FishyWishie]

Thanks for the reply the holiday is In 5 weeks not for 5 weeks ;p im away for 14 days but not till 13th of next month.

Something to think about though may be unwise to cycle pre holiday in that case.

 

[mattlee]

Thanks for the reply the holiday is In 5 weeks not for 5 weeks ;p im away for 14 days but not till 13th of next month.

Something to think about though may be unwise to cycle pre holiday in that case.

oh sorry must have read it wrong even within 14 days the filter will die off without an ammonia source.

do you know anyone else with a tank? if so can you stick your media into their filter? this way it will stay cycled, even if you can put half in it will give you a big kick start when you get back from your hols

 

[FishyWishie]

oh sorry must have read it wrong even within 14 days the filter will die off without an ammonia source.

do you know anyone else with a tank? if so can you stick your media into their filter? this way it will stay cycled, even if you can put half in it will give you a big kick start when you get back from your hols

I can try asking around not overly hopeful but you never know. I do have people who can feed things would adding fish after the months cycle in the week before the holiday work in the event no other tanks are available do you think or would that be unwise ? Im cursing myself over the holiday timing altho the ashcloud may still put paid to it

Just had another thought if tank was fully cycled could they be left to add ammonia to a cycled tank ?

 

[mattlee]

oh sorry must have read it wrong even within 14 days the filter will die off without an ammonia source.

do you know anyone else with a tank? if so can you stick your media into their filter? this way it will stay cycled, even if you can put half in it will give you a big kick start when you get back from your hols

I can try asking around not overly hopeful but you never know. I do have people who can feed things would adding fish after the months cycle in the week before the holiday work in the event no other tanks are available do you think or would that be unwise ? Im cursing myself over the holiday timing altho the ashcloud may still put paid to it

a newly cycled tank after adding fish needs to be monitored carefully incase of any ammonia/nitrite spikes that may occur and unless the people that came to feed the fish were willing to test the water and do water changes if needed then i think it could be a recipe for disaster...

a tank may not be fully cycled in a month it sometimes takes longer/shorter and for obvious reasons you dont want to add fish to an unatended uncycled tank.

if it is fully cycled before you go away then adding a small amount of fish that arent big waste producers would keep the tank cycled but only for the bioload of the fish in the tank so when adding more fish do it very slowly and cautiously. this would work if your mates could feed the fish for you but just make sure they dont overfeed otherwise the water will quickly turn bad especially without any water changes for 2 weeks...

or fingers crossed the ash keeps on comin.....

 

[FishyWishie]

Argh ill need to have a good hard think about what to do then I trust the neighbours to feed them but water changes etc I don't think they would cope with

Only ideas i have atm are Cycle the tank and if its ready go with a few fish as you mentioned or and i don't know if this is feasable maybe you could advise is getting them to add ammonia so the tank keeps filtering would this work ? and if so what kind of dosage would we be looking at and how often.

Only reason for my q's is the tank and stand is on its way and im hellish at being patient tho i would follow the cycle i can say that much

 

[waterdrop]

This seems a no-brainer to me. To me it seems only a lucky small percentage that fully get through the fishless cycle in 5 weeks, whereas a larger majority have little problems or make little mistakes and have to go longer than that, sometimes considerably longer. This could easily put you still fishless cycling at vacation time and having someone look in on a fishless cycling tank is considerably easier and less risk prone than having them look in on a new fish situation.

The ammonia additions can be spaced out over a few days just to maintain reasonable bacteria levels, the dosing doesn't have to be as intense as when you're doing it yourself. And even if the tank has fully cycled and passed its "qualification week" it still absolutely no different to simply add ammonia and "vamp" as the jazz piano players would say, just keep adding some ammonia in the same old (or a reduced) routine. The bacteria will do just fine and will even continue to mature and further structure their biofilm colonies during such a "vamping" period!

The result then would be an even more solid "Biofilter." Don't forget, a biofilter continues to mature throughout the whole first year of its existance. It gets more and more robust and better and better able to bounce back from the addition of fish or from a problem of any sort. A new biofilter at only 2 or 3 months existance is still a fragile thing, even though we anxious hobbyists are dying to load it down with pretty fish!

~~waterdrop~~