Anyone Here To Help Me With Conflicting Advice?

[HayzH]

Good morning HayzH.. you are going through EXACTLY what i did, same store, same advice, even down to the same fish !

I bit the bullet and done a complete fishless cycle with household ammonia (check that it is pure ammonia, no additives). Although the temptation to get some great looking fish in there is high at the moment (even more-so with your little 'un ) it probably would be in your best interest to carry out a fishless cycle.

Hopefully by now you've had a little read in the beginners section and will be aware of the use of mature media in an un-cycled tank, so would your friend be in a position to help out with media donation? This is what i was fortunate enough to do with my 120L tank..it completely cycled my external filter in 3 weeks, including a qualifying week.

Best of luck with it all, well done on finding and using this forum!

Terry.

i dont know anyone round here that has an established tank..my friend..is an online friend, so i dont think so.... very sharp learning curve.

i am already 2 weeks into this so i am so annoyed i have wasted my time and effort this amount of time for nothing!

why do they give so much bad advice they are not being kind to the fish are they???

some pet shop! grrrrrrrrrr

 

[willowstwin]

*takes a deep breath before reeling off abuse about P@H*

Hai!!

Yes, pets at home are terrible (in majority of experiences). Have a look HERE to see if there is anyone around your area on the "willing to donate" list. This way, you not only get your hands on the gold that is mature media, but you also get to meet an experienced fish keeper who will probably give you some face to face advice on pick up.

If there is no one on that list, then just start a new thread with the subject of what you're after and your location, and I'm sure someone will oblige.

It's VERY disheartening, a) when fish die and b) when you realise you could be staring at an empty tank, doing water tests for weeks, without anything seeming to happen, but believe me, when you can add all your fish at once because it's cycled (rather than a couple of fish a week and LOTS of water changes with fish-in cycling), and knowing they're safe it's a MUCH better feeling all of a sudden you can sit back and relax and watch your fish.

I agree with educating your kids about the nitrogen cycle, regardless of how young they are. If they are very young, just turn it into bacterial that eat fish poo and wee, so the fish aren't swimming in their own toilet, it makes fish happy That's how I explained it to my 5 year old nephew who wouldn't shut up asking why my tank had no fish in it.

Good luck with the cycling, and don't ever give up hope! just think of the healthy happy fish you'll have before you know it, and quicker if youcan get your hands on some mature media.

Oh, and Welcome to the forums

 

[HayzH]

*takes a deep breath before reeling off abuse about P@H*

Hai!!

Yes, pets at home are terrible (in majority of experiences). Have a look HERE to see if there is anyone around your area on the "willing to donate" list. This way, you not only get your hands on the gold that is mature media, but you also get to meet an experienced fish keeper who will probably give you some face to face advice on pick up.

If there is no one on that list, then just start a new thread with the subject of what you're after and your location, and I'm sure someone will oblige.

It's VERY disheartening, a) when fish die and b) when you realise you could be staring at an empty tank, doing water tests for weeks, without anything seeming to happen, but believe me, when you can add all your fish at once because it's cycled (rather than a couple of fish a week and LOTS of water changes with fish-in cycling), and knowing they're safe it's a MUCH better feeling all of a sudden you can sit back and relax and watch your fish.

I agree with educating your kids about the nitrogen cycle, regardless of how young they are. If they are very young, just turn it into bacterial that eat fish poo and wee, so the fish aren't swimming in their own toilet, it makes fish happy That's how I explained it to my 5 year old nephew who wouldn't shut up asking why my tank had no fish in it.

Good luck with the cycling, and don't ever give up hope! just think of the healthy happy fish you'll have before you know it, and quicker if youcan get your hands on some mature media.

Oh, and Welcome to the forums

very emotional today...i checked out my part of the uk on that list and left a message but he doesnt seem to have been on for a while....i paid £6.99 delivery charge to have my bottle of Ammonia delivered today and it's still not here.
thanks for your support x

 

[willowstwin]

argh! dont get emotional! Stay strong! think of the fishies!! *hug*

I was walking around a local P@H last week and heard a sales woman trying to sell a man some fish. She was harping on about the nitrogen cycle, about how th bacteria have to convert ammonia to nitrAte and then to nitrIte (yes, thats the way around she put it) and that nitrItes weren't harmful to the fish, that's why you need to leave your tank empty with the filter running for 3 days, so that bacteria could build up - but, because his tank had been running for 3 years and then all his fish died (of old age apparently), even though his fish died 2 months ago, because he's had the tank running with the same filter for 2 weeks, he could take as many fish as he wanted. I was stood at the side of them staring at her open mouthed, shocked and disgusted. He had a 100 litre tank, and he took 3 mollys, 10 neon tetras, 3 guppys, 2 dwarf gouramis (males, one neon, one red), 2 plecos (common I think) and what looked like a mini shark, black with red fin tips.... what the hell?? The first 3 fish types were pushing it IMHO...

Stay positive and just remember, it will all be worth while in the end. Why don't you start a discussion topic looking at your stocking options. You can take this time while it's cycling to get some research done into what tpes of fish you would like... a small school and a larger show fish... whether you want shrimp or not (could be really fun for the kids, my nephew loves my shrimp and likes to feed them peas)... the choices can be hard to make, especially when you don't have the luxury of things like angels or discus.

It's planning time!

 

[Miles_hot]

Where in the country are you? Remember that it is possible that media can be posted (in water dosed to 5ppm on same day / next day delivery)....

 

[HayzH]

argh! dont get emotional! Stay strong! think of the fishies!! *hug*

I was walking around a local P@H last week and heard a sales woman trying to sell a man some fish. She was harping on about the nitrogen cycle, about how th bacteria have to convert ammonia to nitrAte and then to nitrIte (yes, thats the way around she put it) and that nitrItes weren't harmful to the fish, that's why you need to leave your tank empty with the filter running for 3 days, so that bacteria could build up - but, because his tank had been running for 3 years and then all his fish died (of old age apparently), even though his fish died 2 months ago, because he's had the tank running with the same filter for 2 weeks, he could take as many fish as he wanted. I was stood at the side of them staring at her open mouthed, shocked and disgusted. He had a 100 litre tank, and he took 3 mollys, 10 neon tetras, 3 guppys, 2 dwarf gouramis (males, one neon, one red), 2 plecos (common I think) and what looked like a mini shark, black with red fin tips.... what the hell?? The first 3 fish types were pushing it IMHO...

Stay positive and just remember, it will all be worth while in the end. Why don't you start a discussion topic looking at your stocking options. You can take this time while it's cycling to get some research done into what tpes of fish you would like... a small school and a larger show fish... whether you want shrimp or not (could be really fun for the kids, my nephew loves my shrimp and likes to feed them peas)... the choices can be hard to make, especially when you don't have the luxury of things like angels or discus.

It's planning time!

We definately want mollies, neon tetras and platty's are quite nice also a bottom feeder.
they said in the shop i could have about 10-15 .... i was thinking ...3x mollies 6xtetra 3x platty's and a B.Feeder
is that too much?