quick cycle

[foti]

well said lornek8
and just so you know tener ds for a full cycle its not just the filter that needs to be established but also your tank for example substrate glass and whateva else you have in there this is the main reason why from what iv learnt and been advised why it is important to wait the total period .

but aslong as you understand the theory you can manage it your own way for everyone has there ways of cycling new set ups

if you use a heater which i do hope you do make sure its on from now!

 

[Tener ds]

well said lornek8
and just so you know tener ds for a full cycle its not just the filter that needs to be established but also your tank for example substrate glass and whateva else you have in there this is the main reason why from what iv learnt and been advised why it is important to wait the total period .

but aslong as you understand the theory you can manage it your own way for everyone has there ways of cycling new set ups

if you use a heater which i do hope you do make sure its on from now!

Yep,heater has been on from day 1.just read a bit posted
on this site by princes x, about fishless cycling.very interesting
will try and get some ammonia tomorrow.I tell u
wot, it wernt this hard to keep fish 25years ago,the last time I kept fish.

 

[foti]

lol i bet they were gold fish or you lost heaps !
17 years ago when i was 10 i use to keep gold fish never did water changes and only cleaned the tank when the water was brown lol
i use to take out the fish put them in a buket then empty all the water wash the hole tank and substrate with dish washing liqued then feel it up with cold tape water and drop the fish back in one by one
lol you think your bad hahahahaha i had no idea but 50lter at 10 years old i kept it going for over a year or 2 till it started to leak !
they would of been so happy they got re home'd

 

[Tener ds]

lol i bet they were gold fish or you lost heaps !
17 years ago when i was 10 i use to keep gold fish never did water changes and only cleaned the tank when the water was brown lol
i use to take out the fish put them in a buket then empty all the water wash the hole tank and substrate with dish washing liqued then feel it up with cold tape water and drop the fish back in one by one
lol you think your bad hahahahaha i had no idea but 50lter at 10 years old i kept it going for over a year or 2 till it started to leak !
they would of been so happy they got re home'd

lol,they were tropical.we did lose some,we had a red tail black shark from the begining.
he was the last fish we had,he just kept going.sold him to the pet shop when we got
rid of the tank.

 

[Tener ds]

just been emailed, by the guys who are sending me my plants,that there is a delay
cos off the iceland ash cloud.so i won,t have my plants for another 2 weeks..
that will give the tank more time,which is a good thing.ive had no luck in gettin the
ammonia tho.
ive done some readin and some use dead shrimp and even fish flake food to feed the
bacteria,instead of ammonia.

 

[GrubbyGirl]

The advantage of using ammonia is the fact that it's easier to control and get the high levels of ammonia you need and it's completely clean so no having to clean out the tank of rotting food.

 

[Jo Crane]

Patience are a virtue as the old saying goes and in cycling a tank it is very true, take a look at the article I have submitted http://plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?p=43749#post43749

 

[Tener ds]

Patience are a virtue as the old saying goes and in cycling a tank it is very true, take a look at the article I have submitted http://plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?p=43749#post43749

thats a good read.ill print it and read it again at work.
a bit off topic ,but close,ive just done a water test on my edge:
ph = 7.2
nitrate = 0
nitrite = 0
ammonia = 5
if i,m right,i think i am, it means the edge is gettin better?
the water looks clean,and i suck up the poo,every day.
my apple snail must love i tho,hes got very big.

 

[scatz]

your results show that there is absolutely no bacteria in your filter yet, if you follow the fishless cycle properly, you will soon see that along with the ammonia reading, you'll start to get nitrite readings, and eventually nitrates, then you are getting somewhere.
at the mo, your water is toxic to fish, but the fact that you have an ammonia reading is good as this will feed the nitrifying bacteria, the whole basis of your filter.
try again to get some ammonia, fish food etc will create a bit, but it needs to rot down before producing ammonia so will drag the whole process on by a few more weeks still

 

[Tener ds]

your results show that there is absolutely no bacteria in your filter yet, if you follow the fishless cycle properly, you will soon see that along with the ammonia reading, you'll start to get nitrite readings, and eventually nitrates, then you are getting somewhere.
at the mo, your water is toxic to fish, but the fact that you have an ammonia reading is good as this will feed the nitrifying bacteria, the whole basis of your filter.
try again to get some ammonia, fish food etc will create a bit, but it needs to rot down before producing ammonia so will drag the whole process on by a few more weeks still

ok,will retest tomorrow.just looked at the first test i did,the readings were better then than they are now..:dk:

 

[GrubbyGirl]

Scatz, the edge is his "old" tank which has had all the problems not the new one he's cycling. The edge has the fish in.

a bit off topic ,but close,ive just done a water test on my edge:
ph = 7.2
nitrate = 0
nitrite = 0
ammonia = 5
if i,m right,i think i am, it means the edge is gettin better?
the water looks clean,and i suck up the poo,every day.
my apple snail must love i tho,hes got very big.

have you written those results down right? Any ammonia reading is bad for your fish and that reading is very high. If it's right you need to do a big water change straight away, but I am wondering if you have got your ammonia and nitrate readings mixed up

 

[Tener ds]

Scatz, the edge is his "old" tank which has had all the problems not the new one he's cycling. The edge has the fish in.



have you written those results down right? Any ammonia reading is bad for your fish and that reading is very high. If it's right you need to do a big water change straight away, but I am wondering if you have got your ammonia and nitrate readings mixed up

Yes your right,ammonia should be 0.5 not 5, sorry.in that case
this Reading is better than the first. First one was20,I think

 

[Tener ds]

Right scrub out those readings,I've mixed em up. Called the misses
see if she can tell me the readings but they don't match
with wot I've got,and she's not sure wot I'm on about.
I'll retest tomorrow when I get home.

 

[Tener ds]

ok.new test as from 1pm today:
PH = 7.5
NITRATE = 10
AMMONIA = 0
NITRITE = 0
goin on wot ive read this is good,yes?
ill do a water test every 3 days.
this is for the edge ,not the new tank.

the missis just called,she found someone at work who has a fully set up and running tank.
he said he wil pop round tonight with some off his filter media for my new tank.
ill be at work when he comes but he seams to know wot hes doin.
he said hes started tanks usein just filter media before and has had no problems.

 

[Joby]

Looks good to me for a cycled tank :clap:

 

[GrubbyGirl]

Does look good..........don't add anything new though your tank already has enough. You can go back to weekly water changes now

 

[Tener ds]

Does look good..........don't add anything new though your tank already has enough. You can go back to weekly water changes now

i,m glad its ok now :woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:.no more fish will be goin in the edge,the L134 and BN will go
in the new one when its planted up.i take it its still ok to suck up the poo every day?

 

[GrubbyGirl]

sure, always good to keep the pleco's nice and clean. I vaccum my zebra tank every day so they get a smalle water change each day, keeps the water good

 

[RobHarrison]

Ive always been out and bought some goldfish to put into a tank to cycle it few goldfish at 50p each then in a few weeks take them back lfs are more than happy to take in fish usually and its a safe way to set up your new tank

 

[Steve C]

Ive always been out and bought some goldfish to put into a tank to cycle it few goldfish at 50p each then in a few weeks take them back lfs are more than happy to take in fish usually and its a safe way to set up your new tank

Safe for who, definitely not the goldfish!

For any new or potential fishkeepers this is not the way a tank should be cycled!!!!!!