Fishless Cycling

Don't listen to the LFS guy, H2O...he's just there to sell you fish. It'll take the same amount of time to cycle with or without fish but in the former case, you'll have to do daily water changes to save the fish from being poisoned by toxic levels of ammonia or nitrite. The API liquid test kits are the best to use so if you can get those for the nitrite and nitrate, it would be preferable.

You need to test by trial and error, as to how much ammonia is required to get a daily reading of 4ppm.

H2O wrote:

Diana wrote:

Can I just clarify what you are doing?

You should be adding enough ammonia to bring the test reading up to
4-5ppm. Is this what you are doing?

You then test the water every day, adding more ammonia to keep it at
that level.

When your nitrite shoots up, you then reduce the amount of ammonia you
are adding so that you maintain an ammonia level of 2.

You then keep checking your water every day, topping it up as necessary
with ammonia to keep it at that level, until you get a reading of zero
for both ammonia and nitrite.

Is this what you have done?

You say it's been 3 weeks but on 24th March you said you hadnt added any ammonia because you didnt have a testing kit so I am not sure what you are doing.

You and me both Diana!

I'm keeping going with the ammonia but the test kit I got for the nitrate and nitrite is v difficult to read. At the moment the ammonia level is 0.25 and that is with an Api test kit. The readings for nitrite are 0.5 and nitrate 20 and that's with an Api test kit. The ammonia test kit involves a test tube and 8 drops of this and 8 drops of that and is quite clear to read. The nitrite/nitrate test kit is little sticks with square pads on and I find them really difficult to read.

I was talking to the guy in the fish shop today and he said I should just get some zebra danios and do a cycle with fish. As the tank has been running for weeks and the plants he sold me will have done something to help. He said I can come in at any time and he would talk me through it but I feel such a numpty!

To say I am confused would be an understatement!

I'm happy to keep going with the ammonia but I'm really getting cheesed off as I'm not sure what I'm doing and my wee lad really, really wants fish!

Appreciate any help!

Ok, forst of all ignore the lfs fellow - he is trying to sell you fish, not do the best thing for getting ready for fish.

You say your ammonia is 0.25. Add more ammonia liquid into the tank a little at a time, and keep retesting until you get a reading of 4-5ppm. Leave it for 24hrs and then do the same again.

You need to keep 'feeding' the bacteria you are trying to build up in your filter for them to grow, this is why you keep adding ammonia to the tank.

You dont need to worry too much at the early stages of the cycle about nitrite or nitrate, but it is interesting to keep an eye on those readings too. The main nitrite reading you are looking for is when it really shoots up to a high reading - that might be easier for you to see on the stick

When you can, get a liquid test kit for nitrite too just to make it easier for yourself.

For now though just top up your ammonia and wait for 24hrs and then see what it is like

I did it!

Meant to come back on and tell you.

great mate well done - now the pleasure of choosing your fish



dekker

H2O wrote:

I did it!

Quote :

Meant to come back on and tell you.

But you were to bizzy sparking cans of beer at the Leith Gala............

Went to the Leith Gala years ago and it was rubbish! The funfair is still there. Hate funfairs. Bah, humbug!

Do you two know each other then? Suunds like you're neighbours