View Full Version : newbie- please help with fishless cycling!
son2fu
11-27-2006, 8:10 PM
I have read all of the articles on fishless cycling on this site and on others and it seems really confusing, i need a step by step tutorial on how to do this, can anyone help?
I also read about using shrimp, how much should I put in?
Pls help me about how many chemicals and such to put in, how often to do WC's, and how often to test for what, ect.
please help, your contributions are accepted with gratitude
jm1212
11-27-2006, 8:15 PM
the only chemical that you should put in is dechlorinator, and the directions for use are on the back of the bottle (its about a ml per gallon for most, prime is less).
as for fishless cycling, its easier to use a pinch of fish food every couple of days.
son2fu
11-27-2006, 8:31 PM
wait...., thats all I put in? a pinch of fish food every couple of days? no shrimp? no ammonia?
joe the biker
11-27-2006, 8:39 PM
I have read all of the articles on fishless cycling on this site and on others and it seems really confusing, i need a step by step tutorial on how to do this, can anyone help?
I also read about using shrimp, how much should I put in?
Pls help me about how many chemicals and such to put in, how often to do WC's, and how often to test for what, ect.
please help, your contributions are accepted with gratitude
a 10 t0 20% W/C IS SUFFICIENT ONCE A WEEK AS FOR THE REST DUNNO I DONT USE CHEMICHALS IN MY WATER A W/C USUALLY FIXES AILMENTS FOR ME
P00rColl3geBoi
11-27-2006, 10:13 PM
I used ammonia called Clear Ammonia from Wal-mart, make sure when you shake it vigorously, it doesn't foam, there's a picture of it in the thread called "Hard to Find Ammonia...Poss Solutions" or something like that. I have a 46gal bowfront and I put in about 5 teaspoons worth, it took the ammonia to about 5ppm...maybe a little bit more. I just left the tank like that and tested every 2 days. After two weeks, the ammonia level dropped to 0.25ppm and my nitrites went up, then I dosed the tank about 4 teaspoons of ammonia to feed the nitrite...this is the stage that I'm currently in, someone can continue for me, hope it helps
Ms.Bubbles
11-28-2006, 9:29 AM
FISHLESS CYCLING:
I don't recommend using shrimp to cycle--salmonella bacteria is a risk.
Get yourself some pure ammonia (no other additives-check the ingredients, make sure it doesn't bubble when you shake it). If you can't find pure ammonia, just use a pinch of fish food every day or 2. And get yourself a water testing kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. A good kit is Aquarium Pharmaceuticals 'Master Test Kit'.
You want your ammonia level to stay at about 5ppm every day. Dose ammonia (or fish food) to achieve that level. Remember, fish food may take a day or so to decompose, so keep checking ammonia levels every day at the beginning and if levels go over 5ppm reduce the amount.
After a few weeks you'll start testing for nitrites. Once you see them, reduce your daily dose of ammonia/fish food to 2-3 ppm per day. Keep dosing the tank every day until ammonia and nitrite both go down to zero.
DON'T do water changes while you're cycling. When ammonia and nitrite are 0, and you're getting some nitrates, then you're cycled and you can do a big water change. This could take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks.
Don't add chemicals, except for dechlorinator when you first fill your tank (and of course when you do your water changes after the cycling process is finished).
NeonJulie
11-28-2006, 9:40 AM
It might be helpful to take a clean uncontaminated small container, take out a little bit of tank water, and put some fish food in that. The next morning, the food will be well on it's way to decomposing each time you add it.
Personally, I did this for a week. I did get ammonia results (pretty low though.) It is very messy. Just really messy. As I stated before, I would do the shrimp in a brand new nylon that you can remove upon completion, before I did fish food.
But even better, would be the liquid ammonia. This is really really simple, so my question is do you think you have an ACE Hardware store anywhere in your vacinity? Because for $1.50 you can get all the ammonia you need, Janitorial Strength 10% Ammonium Hydroxide solution without any suds or additives. And this is easy-breezy easy. Pretty much 1/4-1/2 tsp worked for my tank for about 6 days, and after that, about once a day. The rest pretty much does it by itself, especially if you have an Ammonia Alert sensor in the tank. I test often, but that's because I like to chart daily progress.
If you can, get some already bacteria seeded media from someone else... it'll hopefully keep you from stalling out and speed up the process. I recommend a filter (less likely to carry things like unwanted snails from someone else's tank).
Good decision :). You'll be happy you did, when you can bring your entire school of fish back to their perfect home at once.
Fish food and shrimp are messy.
Shrimp is also very messy and gross.
Use ammonia cleaner.
maryalice81403
11-28-2006, 11:56 AM
I am a newbie too but I recently did a fishless cycle. Heres what I did:
1. Set up tank and filled with treated water (NovaAqua+ and Amquel+). Hung a Seacrest ammonia alert in the tank.
2. Added Bio Spira (purchased online) to filter and bio wheel.
3. Added enough ammonia (Albertson's brand clear ammonia) to make the Seacrest Ammonia alert register high ammonia (amount depends on tank size).
4. Kept adding ammonia each morning and night to register high ammonia on Ammonia Alert.
5. Four days later the ammonia was going down within 12 hours so I checked water with AP Master test kit. Ammonia was 0 Nitrites 0 Nitrates showing up (sorry I can't remember the exact reading).
6.Just to be sure I added more ammonia and tested again in 8 hours and the numbers were the same.
7. I did a 50% water change and added fish.
FYI: If you aren't ready to add fish right away (for example if you want to wait for the weekend) make sure you keep adding ammonia to feed the good bacteria until you get the fish in there to take over and create ammonia.
So within a week tank was cycled and my numbers have been perfect ever since. I actually tried this without Bio Spira and got nowhere in 3 weeks so my advice would be to purchase the Bio Spira or get some gravel from an established tank that you know to be disease free.
Good Luck!
MaryAlice
NeonJulie
11-28-2006, 12:02 PM
I am a newbie too but I recently did a fishless cycle. Heres what I did:
1. Set up tank and filled with treated water (NovaAqua+ and Amquel+). Hung a Seacrest ammonia alert in the tank..
I knew Ryan Secrest was short, but I guess I had no idea how short! /giggle
P00rColl3geBoi
11-28-2006, 12:11 PM
lol *mental picture*
The all-new Ryan Seacrest Ammonia Alert!
Now available at Petsmart and Walmart... and just about anywhere that ends in a "mart."
NeonJulie
11-28-2006, 1:50 PM
The all-new Ryan Seacrest Ammonia Alert!
Now available at Petsmart and Walmart... and just about anywhere that ends in a "mart."
Hey I found it!
Ryan Secrest Ammonia Alert - the perfect gift for American Idol fans. (http://pic1.picturetrail.com/VOL1147/4181325/12572623/208938293.jpg)
Hey I found it!
Ryan Secrest Ammonia Alert - the perfect gift for American Idol fans. (http://pic1.picturetrail.com/VOL1147/4181325/12572623/208938293.jpg)LOLOLOL.
wataugachicken
11-28-2006, 2:10 PM
if you use biospira there's really no need to go through a fishless cycle. if you follow the instructions, bio-spira allows you to add all your fish at once, with no cycle or a very short one which is easily controlled.
KeithL
11-28-2006, 3:43 PM
I've never seen this stuff. It sounds to good to be true. What is it?
NeonJulie
11-28-2006, 4:08 PM
I've never seen this stuff. It sounds to good to be true. What is it?
Well you know the saying... if it's too good, it usually is. Not saying it's not a good product, but I've definitely seen a lot of posts that show it's not a perfect product. It can be hit or miss, I believe probably having to do with it's age, how long it sat in the store fridge, how they cared for it, etc. For some people it does absolutely nothing.
son2fu
11-28-2006, 5:24 PM
thanks for all the posts, i have one question concerning the water changes. do you perform them? how much if so. and the final water change should be how long relative to when I get my fish. like the night before or two days? and when do I stop adding ammonia relative to the day i get my fish?
maryalice81403
11-28-2006, 7:27 PM
HaHa...I guess you got me on the Seacrest ammonia alert...that's what I get for giving advice when I am at work and can't look at my tank!
The picture was hilarious!
MaryAlice
P00rColl3geBoi
11-28-2006, 8:36 PM
Hey I found it!
Ryan Secrest Ammonia Alert - the perfect gift for American Idol fans. (http://pic1.picturetrail.com/VOL1147/4181325/12572623/208938293.jpg)
Did you photoshop that or did someone else? haha, just picturing submerging Ryan Seacrest in an aquarium with suction cups while he's struggling makes me laugh
wataugachicken
11-28-2006, 11:01 PM
you only perform one water change - say your readings are correct and the tank is cycled - 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, lots of nitrates. i would feed the tank the night before with ammonia per your usual routine, test in the morning for proper numbers, do your big water change to remove the nitrates, then have your fish in the tank by the afternoon. you want nitrates down to about 20 or less.