Cycling - Can I Get Away With Doing It Like This?

[Wend]

Hi, OK I made the big mistake, got two red crabs - took advise from Pets at Home, never heard of cycling and now they are dead. Now where to go from here. The crabs lived, ate and pooped in the tank for 24 hrs so there will be toxins and ammonia in there, there is also some uneaten bloodworms rotting away. Do I keep the tank as they left it and allow it to cycle. Or do I empty and start from scratch?? Obviously the latter would be easiest but perhaps not best. Im going to buy a water testing kit today hopefully.

Any thoughts people?

 

[KittyKat]

Continue with a fish-less cycle So, get the test kit (liquid is best) for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH (hardness also is a bonus) and some pure ammonia. Make sure ammonia is at 3-5 ppm in the aquarium and go from there.

Welcome to the forum, by the way

 

[Wend]

Thank you! So far so good

 

[Aqua Tom]

Hello & welcome. Dont feel to downhearted a lot of us on here, me included, did exactly the same as you when we first got our tanks.

Good to see that you are going to go down the Fishless cycle route now.

For this you will need

Some water dechlorinator, I use Seachem Prime

Some Houshold ammmonia, I use this stuff from Boots.

A liquid based test kit, I use the API one.




Good luck with your cycle & please post the results as you go.


Tom

 

[Skins]

Hi Wend,
Could not agree more with the other members advice. Here is a link to a well written thread on fishless cycling which you can print off, very handy to fall back on whils't you are cycling.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/352862-your-fishless-cycle-the-do-and-do-not-list/

Keith.

 

[Wend]

Hi all, well as I live quite rural I could only get a test kit that does not test for ammonia. Its little strips that you dip in the water. I cant get ammonia locally but I might have some in the shed (?).

Anyway so far my test strip indicates no nitrate or nitrite (which I think is to be expected at this stage isnt it). General water hardness is 120 mg/l.
Carbonate harndess is 120mg/l
PH is 6.0.

This is all very approximate and I dont know what it means lol

 

[KittyKat]

Hi all, well as I live quite rural I could only get a test kit that does not test for ammonia. Its little strips that you dip in the water. I cant get ammonia locally but I might have some in the shed (?).

Unfortunately test strips are not very accurate.. generally they can only be used as a "yes or no" sort of indicator. Can you order a liquid ammonia test online? It is the single more useful test for fishless cycling.

A note on nitrate: there will almost always be some in the water.. it is very rate for the reading to come out as 0.

pH 6 will mean a long cycle, it may be worth increasing it with some bicarbonate of soda. Also cycle benefits from temperature of 29C, so that is worth increasing too if you have a heater.

Did you use tap water or rainwater for the tank?

 

[Skins]

Hello Wend,
Take a look at this link, i use this seller quite often and have never had any problems.
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/API-FRESHWATER-FISH-AQUARIUM-MASTER-TEST-KIT-800-TESTS-/190508288332?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item2c5b2dc94c

Keith.

 

[Wend]

Thanks again. I intend to get a better kit but wasnt sure exactly what. Ill check out the ebay shop see what they have. Will increse the temp as you suggest Kat.

The strips are probably cr*p. Typical, they cost me £10. Its all adding up. Whos idea was it to venture into this in a recession!!

 

[Geoff-]

test strips are worthless. they don't even get pH right, API master kit off ebay is the best option it will last you for years and 100x more accurate.

 

[Wend]

Hi all, well as I live quite rural I could only get a test kit that does not test for ammonia. Its little strips that you dip in the water. I cant get ammonia locally but I might have some in the shed (?).

Unfortunately test strips are not very accurate.. generally they can only be used as a "yes or no" sort of indicator. Can you order a liquid ammonia test online? It is the single more useful test for fishless cycling.

A note on nitrate: there will almost always be some in the water.. it is very rate for the reading to come out as 0.

pH 6 will mean a long cycle, it may be worth increasing it with some bicarbonate of soda. Also cycle benefits from temperature of 29C, so that is worth increasing too if you have a heater.

Did you use tap water or rainwater for the tank?

O now theres an idea. I have used tap water but I have a big bund outside attached to my roan pipe full of rainwater. Are there benefits to using this?

 

[steve26-2008]

I made the same mistake buying the dip strips for £10, then went and bought the api master kit. The strips said ammonia 0, then Api showed ammonia 2 just shows how unreliable the strips are.

 

[KittyKat]

Hi all, well as I live quite rural I could only get a test kit that does not test for ammonia. Its little strips that you dip in the water. I cant get ammonia locally but I might have some in the shed (?).

pH 6 will mean a long cycle, it may be worth increasing it with some bicarbonate of soda. Also cycle benefits from temperature of 29C, so that is worth increasing too if you have a heater.

Did you use tap water or rainwater for the tank?

O now theres an idea. I have used tap water but I have a big bund outside attached to my roan pipe full of rainwater. Are there benefits to using this?

I was asking as rain water is the most likely way to get nirate of 0 ppm and pH of 6! If you run out of dechlorinator, it's a good emergency supply of dechlorinated water. It is also great if you plan to keep South American cichlids.. but then again, your tap water is acidic anyway. The main problem with rain water is that it may be polluted.. but you would know better than I if that could be the case in your area. Also I wouldn't use it if it runs over lead seals on the roof.