Advice needed for newbie!!

[xplosion]

Hey,

Just set up a 40G aquarium a couple of days ago, washed the substrate and am doing a fishless cycle but i can't seem to find pure ammonia anywhere!! so I've been adding fish food and so far, not ammonia is registering on the API test. Any idea how long for fish food to break down and what amounts are required for 5 PPM?

Also, on the first day of running the filter, I got a lot of white streaks on the glass, I just wiped it down with a cloth and a couple of days later they are reappearing slowly. I have a feeling it might be something to do with my gravel substrate?

All help and advice is greatly appreciated!!

[RDTigger]

there are other sources such as decaying shrimp, etc..

most people i see listed have gone to the hardware store

[xplosion]

thanks for that, even with fish food, any idea how long it would take for me to get readings? and any ideas on the white streaks on the glass?

[GEV83]

Can you take any pics of the white streaks on your glass???

[SubRosa]

First of all pure ammonia (98% ammonium hydroxide)is dangerous stuff that's not easy to come by. Common household ammonia is a dilute solution, something like 5% I think. If you look for the words "Clear Household Ammonia" you're on the right track. Just check the label to make sure there are no other ingredients such as surfactants.
You want to see nothing but ammonia and water. Dead shrimp will work as well.

[bradlgt21]

I dropped in a single cocktail shrimp in a old pantyhose. The pantyhose keeps it from being a mess. It sat in the tank maybe 3-4 days and the pantyhose was growing fuzz. It was so gross but it got my ammonia to spike good enough to kick start the cycle. Took the shrimp out and the rest followed as it should.

I also had a couple guppies though, but they were making it cycle way to slow.

[xplosion]

No worries, I also managed to get some Sera Nitrivec which i'll use once the ammonia registers!! I did make a bit of a newbie error today, bought a digital strip thermometer and placed it in the tank!! lol then was searching the net asto what the different colours mean when I saw that its meant to be on the outside!! but it seems to be working fine...

[msjinkzd]

Did you purchase a good test kit? I would recommend getting the API master kit, it will remove alot of frustrations with testing.

Good luck and good job deciding on a fishless cycle, your future inhabitants will thank you for it!

[xplosion]

Did you purchase a good test kit? I would recommend getting the API master kit, it will remove alot of frustrations with testing.

Good luck and good job deciding on a fishless cycle, your future inhabitants will thank you for it!

Hey,

yup, bought the API test kit, I only bought the heater for the tank today, and it was running at 20 degrees celcius prior so it might explain the delay in ammonia levels, so the strip thermo would be ok in the tank? I also have three live plants so I can get some bacteria on them to

[paperdragon]

Personally, I wouldn't trust the glue used in the thermometer strip to be safe for fish.

[bushwhacker]

i see people all the time saying i cant use this ammonia cause it has surfactants in it...your wrong guys.... surfactants are not soap! its various chemicals used to break the surface tension of water so the soap can do a better job of cleaning... as long as the ammonia does not contain detergents or fragrances the surfactants wont hurt a **** thing

[KarlTh]

However, surfactants are often toxic in their own right. Moreover, the dividing line between surfactants and detergents (as opposed to soap) is fuzzy; detergents are are a form of surfactant. I'd avoid anything with a surfactant in for that reason.

Moreover, I can't imagine that adding something which changes the physical properties of water is a particularly good idea.

[xplosion]

no worries, well its the 4th day that I've been adding flakes and still no ammonia showing up, also i'm worried about the glue for the thermometer now!! I took the thermo off but its left a bit of a glue residue?

Also, the PH of water coming out the tap is off the chart - 8.8 however after 2-3 days in the aquarium, it came down to 8.2 so dn't know what the crack is, probably need a GH and KH test kit?

[RDTigger]

Could you give us a list of all supplies that you have? It will help anyone offer advice to let you use what tools you already have on hand..

The tap is a high pH.. but there are ways to help better the water before putting it in the tank. Aeration is one and even just letting the water sit out can alter the pH..

[KarlTh]

Letting the water stand will cause pH to rise as CO2 is offgassed, not drop.

[RDTigger]

Letting the water stand will cause pH to rise as CO2 is offgassed, not drop.


by "standing" I meant with a simple air pump... I did not make myself very clear..a small amount of aeration will make a difference. Stagnant water is normally not a good idea.

[akg]

Regarding ammonia - fishless cycling can take a few weeks to complete from what I understand. If you know someone with an established tank that you could get some filter media from, that would speed things up a lot.

Also, what is your water source - town or well? If you have well water, is it being treated with a water softener? You should get a GH/KH test kit. If you have treated well water, you might consider testing the water right out of the well in addition to testing it after it's been treated. See what the KH is before you consider trying to alter the pH.

[xplosion]

No worries, water is coming from the town source, if the PH naturally drops over time, it doesn't really worry, its only if in the future I do water changes, the PH will change quick, which might stress the fish?

List of supplies:

- Water Conditioner
- API Test Kit
- A 150W heater
- Fish Flakes
- Sera Nitrivec - Waiting on ammonia to register before putting this in
- Air Pump which I have on for the majority of the time in the tank

I'm not keen on using any chemicals to alter the PH, rather use a natural method such as bogwood or driftwood in the tank. Also, the digital thermo is out and is replaced with a probe thermo but a bit of glue is left on the glass, I'll let it be as I have no fish in the tank at the minute and it should naturally come off over time,

do you think this is a good idea? All your help is much appreciated!! :-)