Living The Dream 15 Years On

[Alm0stAwesome]

Yeah apparently they can get pretty mucky through the cycling process but i was lucky and only got a tiny bit of a white algae.

 

[Rhiny]

It will be day 14 of my fish less cycle tomorrow and it certainly will be a fish less tank for some time. Ammonia levels still at 4-5 ppm and haven't budged since day 1.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Welcome

 

[Jimbo1984]

Did you seed the tank with anything? Might help speed things up.

 

[Rhiny]

No didn't see with anything. Is there any thing I should be adding/ seeding?

 

[Jimbo1984]

Some filter media/gravel/ornaments/gunk from an established tank would instantly introduce nitrifying bacteria to the tank and speed up the cycle if you can get hold of anything. They do eventually turn up naturally though.

 

[Rhiny]

Ah I see. No I haven't been able to put any of those items in my tank. I have turned the heater up to 29'c to see if that helps. Ammonia levels still haven't moved. Any one wanna donate some filter media or similar?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Go ahead and put it up to 30 that's what I was advised when I was cycling. Someone else also suggested I get the pH up to 8.0 which I did try but I had a hard time keeping it high and the pH shifting around a lot only does harm but it may be worth a try!

 

[Rhiny]

i will shift the temperature up to 30. Almostawesome what is that fish in your sig? I want one!!!!

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Lol that's my male halfmoon betta. His colour is called mustard gas - he's a very cool fish

There's plenty of nutty betta lovers on the forum who would be more than happy to talk to you about them if you're interested!

 

[Rhiny]

Ah I heard about these bettas. I deffo want one. They look so cool. Hope I can fit one in my community tank as and when the time comes to stock it

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Cool beans! You can certainly have them in a community tank however there are some factors to consider when building a community with a betta. First of all, it's recommended that you get all of your other fish first and get the betta last - this helps reduce any territorial issues with the betta.

Check out this fantastic thread to get some ideas on how to stock a community tank with a betta I've got rasboras and corys with mine and when I get a bigger tank I want to add some cardinal tetras as well

Betta Fish Compatability

 

[LongS]

Has the ammonia shifted yet? If it hasn't i would suggest maybe doing a small water change to dilute the amount of ammonia in the tank. I had the same problem as you back when i did a fishless cycle, im not sure why but apparently if you add too much nothing happens. The levels have to be right to get it rolling. I did it and it got me rolling, might just be worth thinking about.

Welcome Rhiny

 

[Rhiny]

Cool beans! You can certainly have them in a community tank however there are some factors to consider when building a community with a betta. First of all, it's recommended that you get all of your other fish first and get the betta last - this helps reduce any territorial issues with the betta.

Check out this fantastic thread to get some ideas on how to stock a community tank with a betta I've got rasboras and corys with mine and when I get a bigger tank I want to add some cardinal tetras as well

Betta Fish Compatability

Coolio, I will have a read of the link about bettas. Watching the footie at the moment. Love this site and how friendly and informative it is.

Has the ammonia shifted yet? If it hasn't i would suggest maybe doing a small water change to dilute the amount of ammonia in the tank. I had the same problem as you back when i did a fishless cycle, im not sure why but apparently if you add too much nothing happens. The levels have to be right to get it rolling. I did it and it got me rolling, might just be worth thinking about.

Welcome Rhiny

Ammonia still the same. I may have added to much. I out 5ppm in and it's the same. Is a 20% water change adequate on a 126 litre (uk) tank ok?

 

[LongS]

Try it and see, i think it will probably help. Go for around 20-30 percent yeah, and then test the water again. If you are low as in 2ppm then just let it run, then top it up more accurately the next time.