Search results

Yep good point. I will test my tap water. If it is the tap water then I will have to live with it anyway I guess.

Thanks guys, but mine IS at 20, so what would you do Paradise? Im thinking another wee water change might be on the cards before Saturday. Yeah I was totally taken with the crabs, they are so cool. Mine has rocks and a wee castle for them sit out of water. I have gravel. I guess they like...

is expecting baby no. 3 in November and feels sick!

Oh thats good news, thanks. Im getting two Red Thai Crabs. Are you a crab keeper - re. your profile pic?

Hi peeps. Having killed two tropical crabs, I dont want to miss anything this time. I think Im ready, I plan to buy my new crabs on Saturday. OK, so my tank is sucessfully cycled, Ive had a good qualifying week. This evening I have done a very large water change, dechlorinated, turned the...

Hi, I made exactly the same mistake. I was advised to have my new tank set up for 3 days prior to adding creatures! (Tropical crabs, not fish) My crabs died slowly 24 hours after they came home. And some people get cross with us for making this mistake, but if you are following advice then...

Will do. Looking forward to it. Yes I have gravel, I need to buy a vac this week. Tonight I retested at 8pm, and got double zeros after 12 hrs. Ill keep on 'qualifying' but thats me certain its done. Happy days!! :good: Promised the kids the crabs - Itchy and Scratchy, next weekend so all...

Ah I see I see. So redose every 24 hrs, check to see if levels have dropped after 12 hrs. Im on it! Thanks!

Cool! Actually, on reflection, I can only get my crabs either today, or next weekend. As I wont be able to get ready for them today it will be next week after all. But at least I will know for certain that Im ready. Shall I keep redosing ammonia every 12 hrs till then?

Hi, thanks folks. Well another pleasant surprise this morning. I tested at 8am, about 16 hours after redosing and got zero ammonia and zero nitrite! It is indeed looking good. I redosed ammonia this morning too so I will retest at 8pm tonight. Do I really have to keep doing this for 7 days...

Hi, i was surprised today to see that my nitrite has dropped to zero and its only day 23. Ammonia has been getting redosed and dropping nicely every day since day 14. The nitrite level was climbing and a wee drop nitrate present. I assumed the nitrite spike would take twice as long to drop...

Yep sorry it has been dropping to zero every 24 hrs, I redose to 4ppm everyday.

20l water in a 30l tank. Temp 29. No light. Day 1 - PH 7.4 - ammonia 4 - Day 2 - PH 7.4 - ammonia 4 - Day 3 - PH 8.0 - ammonia 4 - (tsp bicarb added has raised PH) Day 14 - PH 8.0 - ammonia 1.0 - nitrite 2.0 !!! Great its begun ! (Redosing ammonia to 4pm everyday) Day 15 - PH 8.0 -...

Hi, my fishless cycle log is here somewhere but I havent updated it for a couple of days. In short, Im on day 17, ammonia is dropping to 0 every 24 hrs, nitrite is rising nicely and there is some nitrate present now too. Basically does that sound right? I think it probably is. Im now waiting...

Hi, the chlorine remover is effective straight away. I think if you add some more ammonia and give the tank a good stir you should be able to re-test straight away - mind you I only have a little tank.

Hiya, could it just be 'bits' off the new ornaments and stuff that maybe didnt get rinsed off right? Mine has had all sorts of whitish floaty things bobbing around (Im on day 14 of fishless cycle). I just kept trying to catch them in a net, it seems to have stopped. Somebody else had some...

Hello. Im far from expert here but have read many times in a situation like this that to add a wee drop fish food can get things moving??

I bought a wee dropper bottle. I added 4 drops of ammonia, my tank holds about 20l. I tested and it was bang on. I guess just add a drop or two at a time and re-test until its right. Oh and PS, I printed out one of the 'Fishless Cycle - Add and Wait' guides I got on this forum. Some people...

YES!! Finally I have a drop in ammonia and some nitrites present. Excellent!! Im getting somewhere.

Record it and sent it to you've been framed.

Hi there. Two weeks ago I made the same mistake. I did a fair bit of reasearch and followed the Pet Shop's advice. My tropical crabs died 24 hrs after I brought them home. I am now doing a proper fishless cycle. Sorry you got hassle before, we all make mistakes and I felt awful too. This...

Hello fellow newbie, you have my sympathy. I think Id be about ready to ditch the whole thing and get rid! However I have found this forum sooo helpful and advice doesnt seem to be contradictory. Your information overload can stop now, good luck!

I think the slight drop in ammonia was purely down to the significant water change I did, as opposed to drop in ammonia due to bacterial activity. Still no change today so Im still waiting for the first signs of a genuine drop. I guess its still early days - day 8. Ill not do anymore water...

Does it look like a small child? :lol: Do you have snails or something like that, who could have laid eggs?

Nice, we have lots of peat bogs where I live, I can get the real thing for free. :fun:

Yeh that did sound a bit dumb. I have firewood that we gather from a remote hillside so it should be nice and harmless, it was quite a bonny little piece but its gone now anyway. I dont have any fish yet, Im just starting a fishless cycle.

Ah so that could be why mine turned brown. I threw the bit of wood out and did a couple of water changes, which has improved on the brown colour ( I didnt like it) and then found that my PH jumped up a bit. Its interesting.

Hi there, Im also a newbie just re starting after years of no tank. I was advised to buy the API water testing kit. Its fairly cheap, less than £15, dead easy to use - Im off and running with it now (day 6), it took me 5 mins to read the instructions. You get them on e-bay, amongst other...

Temp 29. This wee tank is 2/3 full, thats about 20l. When I get my wee crabs they will want some dry land space so thats why its not full to the top. Day 1, 10th March Day 1 - PH 7.4 - ammonia 4 - Day 2 - PH 7.4 - ammonia 4 - Day 3 - PH 8.0 - ammonia 4 - (tsp bicarb added has raised PH)...

Wow, glad I asked! And Im glad I waited for advise before plopping it in there. Many thanks. :good:

Thats beautiful

For what its worth I think it looks very nice (I know nothing) I am day 5 of cycling mine and it has a brown tinge to the water. Im not too worried but it would be good to know if thats normal.

What makes wood 'bogwood'. Do I have to find it in a bog - sorry Im joking. No seriously though, I found a scrap of wood lying in my garden and dropped it in the tank for decor. And my PH has risen since I threw it away yesterday which was interesting.

Hi, today I was given and beautiful peice of coral for decorating my tank. It came out of the sea many many decades ago and has been an ornament in my Gran's house ever since so it will be contaminated with god knows what - dust etc. What should I do to it other than a good rinse and soak -...

Sounds good to me. Common sense and chill out a bit. :good:

Thats the polite answer.. Not quite the response Id expect in my house :rolleyes:

According to the test kit they are pretty much deadly! Anyone else squemish about fish poo?

Hello (Im back from the braskish section, theres not much life down there) OK Im on day 4, PH is 8, temp 29, ammonia is remaining at 4 as dosed. Im not expecting too much to be happening just yet. Would like to ask though, how anal are other people re. fish tank water and testing chemicals...

lol me too, it kind of smacks you in the face!

Yep Im good thanks, got ammonia and ready to go. Also the tank had two red crabs live and die in it a week ago, and some leftover food, so we are off to a good start. - well obviously a bad start as the poor critters died, but now Im on the right track I hope.