Fishless Water Cycling

lolliemck

lolliemck

AC Members
Jun 22, 2007
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Greater Atlanta, Georgia
Real Name
Laura
I just have a few cycling questions. As a preface, I'm about to go buy a 5 gallon tank (I think I decided on the MiniBow, I already picked up a good CF to replace the incandescent as well as a mini heater for my betta).
My questions are as follows...
1) Can I put my plants in before I go through a fishless cycle? I don't know if pyscho ammounts of ammonia will kill them...
2) Do you guys just pick up ammonia at a hardware store or what?
3) What kind of water changes do you have to do with a fishless cycle?
...I have some gravel from an unplanted tank that I could use, but considering I want a planted aquarium, I didn't think that was the best idea...
Thanks for your help! I've always done fish cycling, but I love my Betta too much to put him through that.
 
Last Q first, the gravel would be an excellent idea IMO. One, it has loads of good bacteria and second, the plants don't require a substrate (as a general rule), but in a 5G you will only be able to go with slow growing dwarf plants that can tolerate low lighting anyways.

Okay -

1) Yes. Unlesss you allow your ammonia to get up to the point where it will chemically boil the water, you are good! ;) See #3 below*
2) Yes. BUT be certain that you grab ammonai free of sulficants, purfumes and coloring!!! Very, very important.
3) Get a good liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrItes and nitrAtes. Let the tests dictate your Water Changes (WCs) for you.

3-a) I recommend testing daily (without fish) to try and keep your ammonia between 3-5ppm. Anything over 8ppm do a WC to get the concentrations back down. Eventually you will start to see nitrItes.

I will find the sticky article and post it here for you ina sec ;)

Help choosing ammonia: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88486
Basic Cycling (Good Read!): http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81388
 
I can answer number 2 ....as I have just started a fishless cycle myself.

You can get the ammonia at Ace Hardware...Comes in a one gallon jug and says "Janitorial Strength Formula" on it. I think it was like $5 with tax but should be enought to last a very long time since it doesnt take much...I used less than a capful to get my 55g to 5ppm .

As for water changes from what I have read about the only real change you will have to do is after the tank has fully cycled you will do a 75-90% change right before you add your fish.
 
lolliemck said:
Hmm... I can use straight up Ammonium Chloride? We play with that stuff in my Chemistry Lab all the time :) Looks like I don't have to buy any afterall!
Click to expand...

On the bottle mine says " Contains 10% ammonium hydroxide "
 
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