Anyone Else Had This Much Trouble Finding Ammonia? (uk)

[CherryDanio]

... it wouldn't be very ladylike.

My OH is kindly buying me a Betta tank avec fish for my birthday. We have never really done a fishless cycle before due to bad advice from pet shops etc so i've been a good little girl and have done all my research on fishless cycling. Just wish i'd known about it with my cold water tank...

Went into pets at home (I know, I know, what was I thinking...) and the guy looked at me like I was mad when I asked for ammonia. He kept trying to give me ammonia removing stuff and then accussed me of trying to top my fish! He had never heard of cycling a tank though he assured me he was the supervisor for the fish dept and so must know what he was on about.

Went to a huge b&q. All this was good for was a laugh with a really helpful sales assistant (they do exist! p@h had started to make me doubt it though) about the idiot in p@h. Though he understood why I needed it they didn't have any.

Boots got more crazy looks.

My local fish/reptile shop with whom I shop on a weekle basis was understanding (and knew what I was talking about thankfully) but didn't have any either.

Where the heck are you guys finding it? Is there an online shop in the uk that sells it that I haven't been able to find (why has the great God Google forsaken me???) Whilst you're at it does anyone know where I can get a hefty bottle of dechlorinator as I'l have 3 tank running shortly and thats a lot of water changes.

Thanks for help in advance, if you can't help then thanks for letting me rant anyway

 

[Bobtastic]

I think you can buy it off ebay, and I'm sure there is a link in the beginners section too.

Edit: Just had a look throught the link and there were a couple of suggests of some Boots and Homebase stores, but it seems a little hit and miss tbh...

 

[CherryDanio]

Tried the Boots, no home base near me I am trawling ebay looking for somewhere that isn't going to make me pay through the nose for p+p. I'm sure I will find some somewhere.... I just can't believe that fish shops don't stock it!

 

[toffeejuz]

Hellooooo

I have recently started my own fishless cycle using ammonia.

I also had a bit of a mission finding it.

I got it from Homebase in the end. The boots near me didnt have any. One of the assistants thought that it was no longer stocked by them.

But seeing as there is no homebase near you im not sure where else has it, sorry

 

[DaveyG]

I found it really difficult to get some ammonia as well! So you're not alone. I finally found some in Homebase but had to drive about half an hour to get it!

I had funny looks in B&Q and Boots as well as various other stores. I did see some in Robert Dyas the other day if you have one of them near you? In the Beginners Guide under the 'where to get Ammonia' thread (which I'm sure you've read from you're first comment) there is a couple of posts to random websites which sell ammonia in the UK - if you are really struggling to find a store then I'd go to one of those online stores!

Good luck!

 

[kbekll]

it depends where you are really

when i was doing my cycle found it realy easy to find the stuff

i went to a local shop that sold it and also found it on a market stall

think i found the market the easiest as they rely on alot of elder people for custom and that is what they use

 

[rabbut]

I got it from Boots about 2 years ago now. Only the big store in town (on Commercial Street for you Leeds Folk) had it, the local did not, nor did any of the smaller in-town branches. I suspect that if you go to a really large branch of Boots, they may still stock it, but smaller branches seem not to

 

[Smoothy]

I don't know how much the post would be? ... otherwise I'd get you a bottle and post it to you, Homebase round the corner from me who have it

Also, the dechlor, many people buy the pond stuff on here, lasts so much longer as you don't have to use as much

 

[Peteruk]

I bought some a few days ago in Robert Dyas, labeled as household ammonia and cost was £3.09p

 

[CherryDanio]

We have a winner! Went back to the same boots and asked a different sales assistant if they were sure they didn't have ammonia. She said no. Turned to leave and voila! Again she asked what it was for and the silly mare tried to stop me buying it!! She just kept repeating over and over "but it's for cleaning!". I explained that ammonia is ammonia and diluted it would do the job.... but no. I might add this was the pharmacist who I would have thought should have a fantastic grasp of chemistry.

For anyone else with the same problem it is tucked away with the household cleaning products. All the boots i've been to recently in my search (ok only 2 but i'm generalising) don't seem ot have big cleaning aisles. This one didn't even have a sign. It was directly opposite the pharmacy counter and cost less than 2 quid. Unless the sales assistants are wearing a big ol' badge saying I Heart Fish it may not be worth asking for help finding it...

Thanks for the in put everyone.

 

[dgwebster]

Any local pharmacy should be able to offer a roughly 9% ammonia based cleaning solution that is perfect for your tank. when asked what you want it for simply advise "to clean my windows"

 

[CherryDanio]

Any local pharmacy should be able to offer a roughly 9% ammonia based cleaning solution that is perfect for your tank. when asked what you want it for simply advise "to clean my windows"

I wish to high heaven I had thought of that. I think all the sales assistants in Glasgow now think i'm some weird fish killing fiend. The temptation to make up some story about weird stains I needed help removing was there but I thought that might go down even worse

 

[dgwebster]

even now i still use it to clean the windows and it was Dec 05 that I bought my bottle!!!! haha.

I even have what alot of people refer to as a decent LFS near me, but had no idea what a fishless cycle was.

however, when i visited Ultimate Aquatics in Fife, the guy that used to work there that first dealt with me knew immediately what i was talking about and also recommended stocking the tank fully.

I now use this store most of the time and only once had a fish die within a year of purchase (if fact, i happened on the way home)

 

[doresy]

Intrigued as to where you live (roughly) as I thought Homebase was everywhere in the UK

 

[CherryDanio]

Intrigued as to where you live (roughly) as I thought Homebase was everywhere in the UK

There probably is one fairly near me as I'm in Glasgow (i'd be shocked if there wasn't one in a major city haha) but i've just never stumbled across one round here. We stick to B&Q for all our flat trashing/ I mean DIY needs. I was going to search for one online but then struck gold in Boots finally. I'm reliably informed that B&Q do pond dechlor that might be ok for diluting for aquariums so I'l be heading back there. I would be thrilled never to set foot in p@h again but unfortunatly they are the only shop around that stocks our cat food. I am now just awaiting my new filter through the post and then the fishless-cycle fun can begin in the betta tank. Thanks again all