conflicting info from fish store!

thank you!

Okay, now I think I've got it! I'm getting ammonia and adding a capful. I am forgetting about the generic bacteria starter.
I found another fish store relatively close by and they give out "media" to help with the cycling. Hooray! We're headed there right now:)

I'm glad you all are against the distilled water---the thought of spending that much didn't sit well.

Hopefully we'll be gettin some fishes within a week or so....no rush this time! We want to do it right.

kelley
 
A proper fishless cycle will take up to 4 weeks, not a couple of days. Adding a capful of ammonia and waiting until the ammonia level reaches zero isn't a fully cycled tank but is a beginning to the cycle. A proper cycle will have an ammonia spike and then a drop to zero and a nitrite spike and a drop to zero and finally the production of nitrates which will be removed during water changes. And it is important to only use pure ammonia. Some ammonia contains sents or detergents which are deadly to fish.

Distilled water can only be used as a mix to regular tap water. This is sometimes used if people have very hard water and a high pH. It is most commonly used by saltwater people as they add all the salts to the water anyway.

If you don't have the patience to wait for a full fishless cycle to be done then definatley get some test kits and add your fish very slowly, only few at a time. This will allow the bacteria to catch up. If any ammonia registers or nitrites doa water change.
 
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