Fishless cycling - used wrong ammonia, now what?

A

ajehly

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Feb 20, 2006
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Well, I've been trying to do a fishless cycle for a week, but now I realize that my ammonia probably had surfactants in it. :(

So, what do I do now? Empty out the whole thing and start over? Or is there another course of action?

Thanks in advance,

Andrea
 
When you shake the bottle do you get foaming bubbles at the top that stay for a bit?

I think surfactants are par for the course (not a problem)… you don't want detergents or perfumes.
 
Yes, there are a few bubbles -- I don't know why I didn't notice it in the store. Anyway, I think there must be some sort of detergent. No ingredients on the bottle.

Andrea
 
if there are only a few bubbles, it should be fine. its only if it foams when you shake it that there would be problems. even water will hold onto a couple bubbles at the top when you shake it.
 
Well, that's why I'm confused -- in the store, it just looked like some bubbles, and I thought the same thing, that even water will have bubbles if you shake it hard.

But I shook it up again today and it seems like there is a thin layer of foam on top. So I'm not quite sure what to do.

What I can say is that it's been a week and the nitrites are 0 and the ammonia is still at 4. Hope I'm not being confusing...

Andrea
 
What is the name and brand of the product? Maybe you can find ingrediants online.
 
It's a local store brand (Roundy's) - the label says cloudy ammonia.

I just did an online search, which wasn't totally clear, but I found a few sites which indicate it might have soap added (to make it cloudy). So it doesn't look promising.

So do I empty the tank and wash everything or do I just do a water change or what? Any ideas?
 
carpguy said:
When you shake the bottle do you get foaming bubbles at the top that stay for a bit?

I think surfactants are par for the course (not a problem)… you don't want detergents or perfumes.
Click to expand...

Surfactants are a problem...essentially the same thing as detergents. If there is an ingredients label, it should list no more than ammonia, water and possibly chelating agents.
 
ajehly said:
It's a local store brand (Roundy's) - the label says cloudy ammonia.

I just did an online search, which wasn't totally clear, but I found a few sites which indicate it might have soap added (to make it cloudy). So it doesn't look promising.

So do I empty the tank and wash everything or do I just do a water change or what? Any ideas?
Click to expand...

I'd be concerned about it saying cloudy ammonia. Usually the ammonia you are looking for would be called clear ammonia.

I would empty the tank and rinse everything really well, since, if your ammonia does have surfactants/detergents/perfumes, that it is harmful to both bacteria and fish. What is the exact label on the ammonia...the name of the product and manufacturer? Is there a phone number on it for the manufacturer? Maybe you can call them to get more details before having to clean out your aquarium.
 
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Good idea what mishi suggested. I also used some ammonia that i wasnt sure about because there was no ingredient list. I got in touch with the the company i bought it from (price chopper) and they sent me the MSDS and some information sheet that stated they were required to do so by law.

It turned out my ammonia only had ammonia and water in it - but it still held bubbles a little when i shook it - kinda like when you shake sparkling water. Not soapy but not like shaking water either. Who knows maybe it was some kind of chelating agents etc (which can be in ammonia too and are safe).

So try to get the MSDS for the product from the store or company.
 
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