New Aquarist Needing Advice!

[JayP]

Well?

 

[goldfinger]

Okay LOL find a snail in the garden crush it wash off the shell stick the dead snail in the tank leave 24 hours come back with Ammonia reading then if it doesnt rise the test kit is rubbish or you have blessed water from the heavens

 

[JayP]

Just tested again, it's definitely 0.25!! Getting somewhere at last

 

[CJH0825]

I was always told, the best way to cycle a tank quickly, is to buy like 15 goldfish and just let them to do the work. goldfish are cheap ( here they are 14 cents a piece ) so if they die, it's not a big deal ( although no one wants to see fish die ) but it is a cheap and quick way yo cycle your tank. That's just what I have been told. It could be right or wrong.

 

[fluttermoth]

I was always told, the best way to cycle a tank quickly, is to buy like 15 goldfish and just let them to do the work. goldfish are cheap ( here they are 14 cents a piece ) so if they die, it's not a big deal ( although no one wants to see fish die ) but it is a cheap and quick way yo cycle your tank. That's just what I have been told. It could be right or wrong.

 
All I can say is that is wrong, very very wrong. To deliberately and knowingly subject fish to such high levels of toxins that they'll be irreparably damaged for life, or even killed, just because they're cheap is an appalling way of going about fishkeeping, and one that is against every principle that we want to promote on this forum, which is that every fish should be given a large enough tank for it to live it's whole life in comfort, suitable food and water conditions, the means to show it's natural behaviour patterns and be free from pain or discomfort.
 
I'm not having a go at you personally; it's advice that was most common until very recently, but times change, science moves on and we have better, more humane ways to do things now, which is why we're trying to help the OP to do a full, fishless cycle.

 

[CJH0825]

Oh I'm in no way saying it is right!! I was told to do this when I put my tank up. I didn't do it!! I'm letting my tank do it's thing with old media from my 20g and my fish from my 20g and my levels are pretty good ( checking twice daily and doing water changes as required ).

 

[JayP]

Just to update, still reading 0.25 and I've just added a piece of mature filter media from my brothers tank

 

[Mamashack]

Stick with it JayP it will be worth it in the end. It's tedious and at times boring and it seems like all you do is water tests and add ammonia but one day it will start to drop and in a little time after that it will start falling into place!

 

[JayP]

Yeah the only thing keeping me going is this forum just now!! do any of you know of any local fish shows/conventions/ meetings etc that take place in Scotland?

 

[Mamashack]

No I don't but I think there's a section in here for aquarist societies - I'll see if I can find the link!


http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/forum/144-uk/

 

[goldfinger]

Stick some finely ground up flake food in there let it rott for awhile that will help with the Ammonia!
What filter are you using, as it could be a very good filter at getting rid of the Ammonia?

 

[CoryLover95]

Kudos to you for doing a fishless cycle!  It's often a bit rough like this but I know you're getting it all sorted.  

 

[JayP]

Hey it's a Marina slim 515, it was the filter I got with the aquarium!

 

[fluttermoth]

Ah!!!
 
Are you using the BioClear cartridges?!
 
Because they're a chemical filter that will be adsorbing your ammonia! You want to ditch those and get some normal sponge in there.
 
Someone will probably ask why we don't just use those media all the time. The reason is, as they need constant replacement (because they lock the ammonia onto the surface and the surface gets full), they're expensive and because when they're full, they let the ammonia build up in your tank, which doesn't happen with a bacterial colony, if it's well looked after.

 

[JayP]

Oh no!! Are you serious??

Just when I thought I was making progress. Surely it would make more sense to keep going with what I have?

Yes they are bio clear cartridges. They were the ones that came with the aquarium and were for tropical fish, I've got two cartridges in them.

Can you clarify a bit more when you say they are absorbing the ammonia? Would this mean these cartridges need changed often, no need to cycle tank as they 'absorb' ammonia?

This is not what I needed to hear, three weeks in and this seems like three weeks wasted and back to square 1