Tell Me If Im Wrong

[snake007]

my friend bought this fish tank - fresh brand new with new media.

The lfs told him to cycle it for a week then add all the fish he wants, i told him the cycle wont be completed and he has to wait and cycle it properly doing the fishless cycle, he then tells me that The fish shop is professionals and they know what there doing (which should be true) but not if there giving me info like this.
Why dont people listen?

 

[Dieses Madchen]

my friend bought this fish tank - fresh brand new with new media.

The lfs told him to cycle it for a week then add all the fish he wants, i told him the cycle wont be completed and he has to wait and cycle it properly doing the fishless cycle, he then tells me that The fish shop is professionals and they know what there doing (which should be true) but not if there giving me info like this.
Why dont people listen?

I think that a lot of new hobbyist do not have the patience to do it right. Pull up some instructions on fishless cycling and pass it on to your friend. Hopefully he will take them into consideration. But then again he may not.

As cruel as it sounds, as the fish will be affected and likely die, he will learn in the end that he should have listened to someone who knows.

 

[Wills]

Its the usual thing you go to a place and expect the people working there to know the best but with fish they just dont... they are not really professionals either, its not a professional career - its retail and in about 70% of the cases thats all it is working in a shop for people. They are given old advice that is redundant and just dont accept new ways of thinking.

Also if a shop told you, you had to leave your tank empty for 6 weeks while you add a putrid smelling chemical would you have bought a fish tank in the first place?

If your in a situation to do so maybe give him some media so his tank wont get off to a bad start.

Wills

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Its the usual thing you go to a place and expect the people working there to know the best but with fish they just dont... they are not really professionals either, its not a professional career - its retail and in about 70% of the cases thats all it is working in a shop for people. They are given old advice that is redundant and just dont accept new ways of thinking.

Also if a shop told you, you had to leave your tank empty for 6 weeks while you add a putrid smelling chemical would you have bought a fish tank in the first place?

If your in a situation to do so maybe give him some media so his tank wont get off to a bad start.

Wills

I didn't even think of that Good advice.

And you are right, most chain stores don't really hire people that specialize in fish. They rotate sections. While they may work in the rodent section one day, they will switch to fish the next.

I find that locally run, non chain pet stores usually have what I would classify as a pforessional aquarist, as the people that run these small stores are caring for the fish themselves and do not have the fancy equipment the chains do. I have a locally run store near my home that I go to, and they give out correct advice, and also tell people about fishless cycling.

 

[mike455555]

he should cycle it for 4 weeks at least, but if he doesn't and his fish die.. you have the glee of telling him you told him so...poor fish try to persuade him to stock it with 1 or 2 fish...that way they will have more chance while its cycling

i know fish in cycles arint the best but better than killing all there fish?

he'll learn like we all did

first 4 fish i got off a fair were gold fish... stuck them in a 16L tank no filter. 2 died in a week, read up on the net about it a little went to my LFS (who are good at advice IMO) got a filter and away i went. 1 of the 4 goldfish is living happily in my pond now =D

 

[BigbruiserAl]

he should cycle it for 4 weeks at least, but if he doesn't and his fish die.. you have the glee of telling him you told him so...poor fish try to persuade him to stock it with 1 or 2 fish...that way they will have more chance while its cycling

i know fish in cycles arint the best but better than killing all there fish?

he'll learn like we all did

first 4 fish i got off a fair were gold fish... stuck them in a 16L tank no filter. 2 died in a week, read up on the net about it a little went to my LFS (who are good at advice IMO) got a filter and away i went. 1 of the 4 goldfish is living happily in my pond now =D

cycling the tank for 4 weeks is pointes, you should always cycle a tank untill its complete regarless if takes 20 days or 2 months

 

[mike455555]

true but the average time is 4 weeks (well apparently according to my LFS), my cycles have always been 4weeks or less as well (3 tanks)

i agree it should be done to completion but 4 weeks is better than a week IMO

 

[Dieses Madchen]

If Snake gives his friend some mature media, it should complete in 4 weeks or so, depending on what the bioload of the media is.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Cycles have so many factors we are still not aware of, i have cycled a tank by seeding it in 21 days my 1st tank took over 48 days. after 4 weeks i still had (if memory serves 3ppm ammonia and 4ppm nitrite) which is more then enough to kill livestock so adding fish day 1 or day 28 would have been just and dangerous so ill reinforce the statment always finish a cycle dont go by the average we say to newcomers it just a guide

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Cycles have so many factors we are still not aware of, i have cycled a tank by seeding it in 21 days my 1st tank took over 48 days. after 4 weeks i still had (if memory serves 3ppm ammonia and 4ppm nitrite) which is more then enough to kill livestock so adding fish day 1 or day 28 would have been just and dangerous so ill reinforce the statment always finish a cycle dont go by the average we say to newcomers it just a guide

Understood. I know with mature media it took 3.5 weeks on my 40g, but 3 months on my 10 lol. There is no method to that madness!

 

[snake007]

I tried to give my friend some mature media but hes a right stubborn sod.
He wont accept it because he thinks his one is better, I tried explaining to him the reasons why he should take it but he wont listen, Im fuming because he set up the tank today and went out and bought 2 male bettas

He done this, regardless of what i told him and his lfs.

He will learn the hard way.

 

[mike455555]

bye bye 1 betta r.i.p

when he's shedding out loads of money on bettas and they all die i'll learn...

get him todo dayley water changes . try to save one of them

how big is his tank?

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Did he put them both in the same tankDid he at least use a divider?? I have two males in a 10g but its split down the middle with a divider!

 

[mike455555]

oops i assumed he dident put a divider...if he did.. good betta? in away

 

[Dieses Madchen]

oops i assumed he dident put a divider...if he did.. good betta? in away

If he unwilling to accept mature media, I highly doubt he had sense for a divider