going on vacation, want to set up new tank, questions

[jujubee]

I just got a new 46 gallon tank and I want to set it up and start a fishless cycle. However I will be leaving sunday to go on vacation for a week. I was wondering if it would be ok to set up the tank now and start the cycle. My mom will be home while I am gone and she could add a little bit of ammonia every day for me. The problem is she doesn't know how to test the water or anything, and wouldn't want to do water changes or anything. Would this work to help get the cycle going? In this article ( http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycling.html ) it says to just add 4-5 drops per 10 gallons of ammonia per day until you see ammonia levels drop. Please help, I really want to get this tank up and running.

[JSchmidt]

If you're starting totally from scratch (i.e., no seed bacteria from an existing tank), you can dose your tank before you leave, and you probably won't need to have anything done to it while you're gone. The first stage bacteria could easily take a week or more to develop, so it's unlikely they'd consume all the ammonia from the original dosing.

How much ammonia to use? Commercially sold ammonia seems to be available in varying concentrations, so it's hard to say how much you should add. Generally, you want to measure your tank concentration with an ammonia test kit. If you could dose your tank to 4-6 ppm before you leave, it should be fine when you get back.

Jim

[jujubee]

I will have seed bacteria from an existing tank. My neighbor has several established tanks and she said she could give me some of her gravel. In this case, dosing before I leave probably won't be enough correct? If that is the case if my mom just added a little bit of ammonia every day (4-5 drops per 10 gallons) as that article suggests would that work? Thanks a bunch for the help.

[happychem]

See if you can get an old filter sponge from her instead, then you'd be even better off.

Best case scenario is that you come home and your tank's well into the cycling process. Worst case scenario, you have to start fresh, so there's really no downside, right?

Start it off dosing enough to get between 4-6ppm. If you've got a few days, see how many drops you need to add to keep it there after a few days, then just have your mom add about the same. You may want to err on the side of caution and have her add a bit less, say 4 drops per 10g, or about 18drops per day. Or just say a 1/2 tsp per day if you're worried about drop counting.

edit: forgot to add, will this tank be planted?

[jujubee]

no, it will not be planted. eventually i might make it a planted tank, but to start it will not be planted.

[jujubee]

another thing i didn't mention in my last post. I think I will only be able to get gravel. I have an Emporer 280 filter on the tank and there is a media container. Would it work to put the gravel in there, or where would I put it? I have heard that it is better to have water flowing through the cycled gravel or at least have it near moving water.

[happychem]

cycled media is better for that reason, water flow. Gravel doesn't have that much water flowing through it. However, if gravel's all you can get, sure, put it in the filter. Even ask her if you can just borrow a filter sponge from her, say when she's cleaning her tank. Give it a good squeeze and rinse it off in your tank then return it to her, nice and clean.

[jujubee]

thanks. I will ask her if i can get a sponge from her. I hope i can get it, I am so anxious to get some fish in this tank. lol.. Thanks a bunch for all of your help.

[anonapersona]

Ask to assist her when the neighbor cleans her tank, bring a bucket.

When she cleans the sponge, put that nasty water in your bucket (new clean, never used soap in it bucket, write FISH on it) When she vacs the gravel, catch as much of that water as you can. Let that much settle down and pour the clean water off the top.

Go home and immediately pour this mess into your waiting tank, full of dechlorinated water, at a good temperature.

Then turn off the light, leave the room, don't look until tomorrow.

In the morning, the mess will have fallen into the gravel and run through the filter. The tank should be clear, go buy fish!! You can probably add a full tank, or nearly so.

I have done this, and then added 9 2" fish to a 10 gallon Q tank and never was able to test any ammonia or nitrite. That is fully stocked, even a bit overstocked.

[happychem]

Ahhh, the jumpstart tank!:) Good call.

[Richer]

Be careful when you jumpstart your tank via anonapersona's suggestion. It entirely depends on what kind of fish you put in your tank (ie. large waste producing carnivores, or less waste producing herbivores). The source where you get the seeded material to jumpstart the tank should also be healthy. Getting seeding material from an unhealthy tank is asking for trouble. I personally wouldn't risk stocking a tank with fish right after I put seeding material into the tank (ie. filter media, tank debri, etc.). Its just not worth the risk for me.

If you're starting from scratch, JSchmidt's suggestion will work fine. You can also take a page out of Saltwater systems and just toss a cocktail shrimp into your tank.
If you're going to seed your tank, then I would probably just get your mom to put a few drops of ammonia into the tank... not too much though. Though I haven't seen proof, I would suspect that higher levels of ammonia may retard bacterial growth. I would get her to dose about half of what is suggested, just to keep the bacteria going. When you do get home, you can increase that dosage, since you know how to use your testers.

HTH
-Richer

[jujubee]

wow, thanks so much for all this information, I am certainly learning a lot. I don't plan on putting fish in right away, especially since I will be leaving on a week long vacation. I am going to try and get a filter sponge if I can, if not just some gravel and then just have my mom add a little ammonia every day. Thanks again for all the help. I will keep you all updated.

[JSchmidt]

Even if you seed the tank, you probably don't need (or want) your mom to add ammonia every day. If she added a capful or two even once or twice, that should be more than enough.

Unless you find some way to import a whole bunch of bacteria, you'll be starting with a pretty small colony and they won't eat that much ammonia.

Also, do make sure to crank the heat to 84-86 degrees F when fishlessly cycling. That really does make a difference.

Good for you for cycling without fish!

Good luck,
Jim