Doing this right??

I never thought i would be asking newbie type questions about the fishless cycle, but here goes!

OK, i took the foam out of my old tanks filter, washed them in a bit of old tank water to remove a decent bit of muck, and poured all that into the filter of my new tank to help it cycle.

I added Ammonia into the new tank 2 days ago, tested the water and made sure it was 4 and waited. Nothing has happened!

I thought that with the filter having some muck poured in it that the Ammonia level would have been going down by now or does it take a while anyway?

sorry F.F never done a cycle this way so i can't help you, only from fresh start.
sorry mate.



dekker

i don't think you should have added any amonia
the filter out of your old tank and some muck scrapings from the bottom (gravel)
should have been enough i think.!!!!!!!!

but someone will be here soon with better knoledge than me.

I thought I wuld have to add ammonia to see if it went to 0 or not? How else do you know if you have enough bacteria to deal with your fish?

Confused now:dunno:

where are you rich help us out mate.


dekker

RICHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

when i swopped E into the 4ft from the 3ft i just used his water
although nothing in it... but already heated and treated with aqua safe
set up the other tank squeezed in the old media out of mucky filter
then put filter media in new tank, (its still there)
put in E when temp was right.........

Not Rich, sorry, but maybe I can help a bit lol

FF, you need to carry on as if you are doing the fishless cycle. Although you have added some bacteria into your filter, there might not be enough to convert the Ammonia to Nitrite, and then the Nitrite to Nitrate. You have to wait for those numbers to increase, and while you do that you need to 'feed' the bacteria with liquid ammonia.

The process of the cycle should be shorter, because you have already added some bacteria and aren't starting from scratch, but you are still waiting for the Ammonia to go to 0, and Nitrate to go to 0.

Hope that helps

I Take it theres no fish in tank F.F
Sorry i thought you had already done this and added fish.....
or am i having a blonde day... or better still lost the plot.lol

No, it's a brand new empty tank chez - hence the thread elsewhere asking what fish he should get lol!!

Basically - as said - you aint got enough bugs so your effectively fishless cycling now - also - you may well have nuked a number of bacteria with the volume of ammonia - give ot time - treat it as a fishless cycle

It ought to take about 10-14 days to complete

Thanks everyone, still no movement with the amonia although it is maybe a slightly different colour, just not much.

Dont mind waiting as I still dont know what fish I am going after

Get a couple of Oscars - they sound fun according to those in the know

trips to lfs always a great treat shall i have them -shall i have those,

decisions- decisions, good luck F.F dont forget pics mate.


dekker