HE CANT BE RIGHT SURELY!!

[Alien_spawn]

Very interesting about getting bottled ammonia at Boots... I also have tried other chemists that haven't had it. I might have to investigate

 

[Zenn]

Could i ask a question while on this topic, but what is this fishless cycle? I dont think i have ever done it, and all my fish are very heathly at the time being???

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Could i ask a question while on this topic, but what is this fishless cycle? I dont think i have ever done it, and all my fish are very heathly at the time being???

It's where insted of putting fish in the tank to create the amonia to build up bacteria, you use pure amonia instead (with out fish in the tank).

Amonia and NitrIte are very bad for the fish and so it's kinder to fishless cycle IMO.

 

[Alien_spawn]

Amonia and NitrIte are very bad for the fish and so it's kinder to fishless cycle IMO.

I totally agree

 

[wrs]

when i got my goldfish tank i put 4 in the next day. 3 died. i did cycling w/the fish and the amonia in his tank went up right away, i cant get i down though. so id say do it fishless. though it does seem that the goldfish is doing great. hes outlived all the other goldfish, hes still alive now actually.

in the US though, Petsmart definetly knows what their talking about. they just have outrageous prices.

 

[pandapops001]

Okay, so after all your advice i'm more clued up, (Thank you ) i called Petsmart back to complain about "Paul" who totally misinformed me.

I asked for the Manager, and after a few minutes waiting on hold, Paul the Manager came to the phone, call me chicken but i just hung up, as it would be absolutely useless complaining to him about him.

I just think its a real shame that advice like this can be given without all the facts, i will order a testing kit of the internet now, and ask you guys instead (if you dont mind!! ), as you have the knowledge, and they just have the lazy, inconsiderate imbeciles (not all, but from all the complaints i've heard, its the vast majority)

I'll let you know my test results when the kit arrives
And thank you all so much for your support and advice

 

[ChriX]

If you are ordering the test kits for the fishless cycle, the ones you need are ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. As i'm sure you know you have to add ammonia to a certain level, then it will peak, then the nitrite will peak, then the nitrates will slowly rise. The tank is ready for fish after the ammonia and nitrites have peaked and returned to zero. I recommend the Hagen test kits from aquatics-online. As long as you get the yellow ammonia one (rumour has it the orange one takes 20 mins). HTH

 

[Sky042]

I had one guy tell me that he'd hear of fishless cycling a salt-water tank but didn't think it'd work for a fresh water tank. I told him there isn't a difference if you find a nice source of bacteria. he didn't listen but he didn't scold.

my old complaint about the fishless cycle in my case is since I had only a small bacteria culture to begin with it's taking a few weeks now. Though my ammonia goes from 8ppm to 0ppm in about 5 hours my nitrites are still off the scale.

Tell your petsmart guy that the corparate training pounded into his head isn't the only way to do things.

 

[luxum]

in the US though, Petsmart definetly knows what their talking about. they just have outrageous prices.

I don't mean to be rude, but my experience is just the opposite. There are several Petsmarts near me that i buy some supplies from and their fish always look awful and sick, and i hear them giving absolutely false information to customers all the time. You may be lucky and have one with knowledgeable employees that has a well kept fish department and staff that don't misinform you out of ignorance, but i've never seen a Petsmart like that, or a Walmart for that matter, although some people say their local one is good.

 

[buggyboutbettas]

in the US though, Petsmart definetly knows what their talking about. they just have outrageous prices.

I don't mean to be rude, but my experience is just the opposite. There are several Petsmarts near me that i buy some supplies from and their fish always look awful and sick, and i hear them giving absolutely false information to customers all the time. You may be lucky and have one with knowledgeable employees that has a well kept fish department and staff that don't misinform you out of ignorance, but i've never seen a Petsmart like that, or a Walmart for that matter, although some people say their local one is good.

same here and i've noticed that petsmart and petco have lowerprices that my other lfs's. that's why i usually go to the chains for equipment, etc and i go to an lfs for fish and plants. although i haven't found one that i really like yet...

 

[plecoperson]

AAARRRGGGG! chain LFS employees are the dumbest in the world! ugh. sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Im terribly sorry, i couldnt disagree more. Although this ONE person was doing it wrong, NOT ALL LFS EMPLOYEES ARE LIKE THAT! I work for a lfs chain and lo and behold, here I am trying to better my fish knowledge. Dont tar us all with the same brush.

And if you dont wanna speak to Paul, write a letter to the store or Head Office. even better, both.

 

[pandapops001]

Thank you, however i hope you realise that it wasnt me who posted that "dumbest in the world" thing, i dont have that opinion at all, i just think Petsmarts reputation so far has been far from okay, i know its not all but the vast majority of their stores or staff more specifically is completely awful.

I have thought about complaining above Paul's head, but as far as i can see, if thats the training he has recieved from the company, then there's not much point.

Look at all the adverse publicity they have recieved for harming they're animals/fish etc, alot of which was caught on concealed camera's. i heard they used to slam the fish in a bag against a brick wall out the back of the warehouse and i find this totally unacceptable, live freezing, rabbits etc being kicked about.

I'm sorry, if this seems harsh to anyone, but i cant stand cruelty of any kind, and they havent seemed to have changed despite all this going public.

To be honest, when i did visit to buy my tank etc, the rabbits looked lethargic, with empty water bottles, (which i made my partner complain about, he's bigger than me )

I didnt think the fish looked too bad, but then i'm new to all this and the tanks were very very dark.

Anyways i better stop ranting, sorry all, i sometimes just dont understand how people can be so mean to such beautiful harmless things

Regards Miranda

 

[pandapops001]

Oh and plecoperson

Respect to you for being one of the good guys, and improving your aquatic knowledge, its just a shame there are not more like you.

 

[RobbieM]

A chemist told me that it is not as widely available anymore as it is used in the production of crack. WhenI asked for it he looked at me strangly and asked why I wanted it. I told him why and thats when he explained it. Seamingly drug users use the ammonia to wash the impuritys out of cocain, once done it crystalises into the crack cocain form. I then went and looked in my local Diy store and they had loads of the stuff!

 

[Sky042]

A chemist told me that it is not as widely available anymore as it is used in the production of crack. WhenI asked for it he looked at me strangly and asked why I wanted it. I told him why and thats when he explained it. Seamingly drug users use the ammonia to wash the impuritys out of cocain, once done it crystalises into the crack cocain form. I then went and looked in my local Diy store and they had loads of the stuff!

Interesting story. hmm here in the states you get big jugs of it from wal-mart just the way you'd want it (i.e. no surfactants or purfumes) for about 97 cents.