This is complete TORTURE!

[dmpfishlover]

Day 16 of a fish less Cycle....
My 55 gallon tank sits empty, desperately begging for fish,
The beautiful driftwood silently beckons for java moss and anubias,
The sand longs for a busy shoal of cories to sift through it,
The LED lights shine down with hope, but no photosynthesis is taking place,
The water is sadly devoid of little reflective bodies gracefully cutting through it,
The black background calls out for the contrast of vibrant green plants,
Despite the torture, I will stay the course, but it will not be easy....
Knowing that I am doing the right thing will help me to be patient?
As I sit quietly watching my imaginary fish, and my blank canvas, I hear a voice off in the distance...

"Mom, what are you doing!?! You know there are no fish in that tank, right?"

Leave it to my 15 year old to be a voice of reason... LOL...

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Sad and funny at the same time...

 

[Colin_T]

If you don't have live plants in the tank there is no point having the light on during the cycling process.

You could add some live plants to the tank. It would give them a few weeks to settle in while the tank cycles.

If you have another tank, you can take some of the filter media/ material from that tank and put it in the filter on the new tank to get an instant cycle.

You can buy liquid bacterial supplements to speed up the cycling process. I recommend adding a double dose every day for a week and then tip the rest into the tank. Try to add the bacteria near the filter intake.

 

[dmpfishlover]

I don't have the lights on all the time... they are usually off.

I have dosed the tank with ammonia, and I heard you shouldn't have plants in there when dosing with ammonia?

The only other tank I have is a 5.5 Gal Beta tank, but it is only just recently finished cycling itself within the past month.

I did add a liquid bacterial supplement, so I am hoping that when I test the water today I can add Dose #2 of Ammonia. I actually added the bacterial supplement right into the filter on top of the filter media I have in there.

I am going with the fish-less (and plant-less) cycle because I will be leaving in two weeks to visit family out east, and I will be gone for two weeks. My husband is not going with me, and he has told me he does not want to be responsible for fish or plants while I am gone... So sadly, I will have to wait until the week of July 6th when I return from vacation, even if the tank finishes cycling before that... It will give me something to look forward to when I return from vaca I guess..

 

[CassCats]

I think your water parameters right now would be safe for this species, until you can accommodate the rest, just to ease up some of your loneliness.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07R4TGKKM/?tag=

 

[dmpfishlover]

I think your water parameters right now would be safe for this species, until you can accommodate the rest, just to ease up some of your loneliness.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07R4TGKKM/?tag=

It's beautiful! I wonder if it was wild caught or tank raised?

 

[DwarfCichlidLvr]

lol. That punch line is too funny!
Well at least we know you 15 yo is mature enough,

 

[dmpfishlover]

lol. That punch line is too funny!
Well at least we know you 15 yo is mature enough,

LOL, she loves to make fun of me!
She is mature beyond her years, and has an awesome sense of humor

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I was trying to find you a friend for the mean time, so I searched “Plush Neon Tetra” on Amazon.com and it came up to... this....

This is NOT ok people!!

 

[Salty&Onion]

Day 16 of a fish less Cycle....
My 55 gallon tank sits empty, desperately begging for fish,
The beautiful driftwood silently beckons for java moss and anubias,
The sand longs for a busy shoal of cories to sift through it,
The LED lights shine down with hope, but no photosynthesis is taking place,
The water is sadly devoid of little reflective bodies gracefully cutting through it,
The black background calls out for the contrast of vibrant green plants,
Despite the torture, I will stay the course, but it will not be easy....
Knowing that I am doing the right thing will help me to be patient?
As I sit quietly watching my imaginary fish, and my blank canvas, I hear a voice off in the distance...

"Mom, what are you doing!?! You know there are no fish in that tank, right?"

Leave it to my 15 year old to be a voice of reason... LOL...

Great imagination I'd say

 

[Salty&Onion]

I was trying to find you a friend for the mean time, so I searched “Plush Neon Tetra” on Amazon.com and it came up to... this....
View attachment 106455
This is NOT ok people!!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079TJNJJH/?tag=

Betta Plush Fish Toy Stuffed Animal (6 inch) | eBay

GreenPleco Original Plush Bettas are 6in long (15cm) and pretty anatomically correct. But let’s be honest, most of us are not buying these for our kids, are we?.

www.ebay.co.uk

What about those?

 

[Retired Viking]

I did planted/silent cycle instead of the old ammonia/bacteria cycle on 3 of my tanks. Buy some fast growing floating live plants like hornwort, anacharis, moneywort, frog bite and water sprite. They will absorb the ammonia and improve your water quality. You can add some slow growing plants like java ferns to if you like but it is the fast growing plants that will do the job. Plant you tank and wait to see signs of growth 2-3 weeks and start adding your fish in small groups depending on their size. I stated with a shoal of 5 red eyed tetra. Monitor your water for ammonia and add more fish in small numbers as you go. Add more plants if you need. I had 0 ammonia readings during my cycle and add 3 shoal of 5 tetras, 1 shoal every week to two. Here is a picture of my 55 gallon tetra tank. The floating plants are anacharis.

 

[dmpfishlover]

I did planted/silent cycle instead of the old ammonia/bacteria cycle on 3 of my tanks. Buy some fast growing floating live plants like hornwort, anacharis, moneywort, frog bite and water sprite. They will absorb the ammonia and improve your water quality. You can add some slow growing plants like java ferns to if you like but it is the fast growing plants that will do the job. Plant you tank and wait to see signs of growth 2-3 weeks and start adding your fish in small groups depending on their size. I stated with a shoal of 5 red eyed tetra. Monitor your water for ammonia and add more fish in small numbers as you go. Add more plants if you need. I had 0 ammonia readings during my cycle and add 3 shoal of 5 tetras, 1 shoal every week to two. Here is a picture of my 55 gallon tetra tank. The floating plants are anacharis.

I wish I could do that... But I will be going away in two weeks to visit family out east, and I will be gone for two weeks. My husband is not going with me and has told me that he does not want to be responsible for fish or plants... So I am kind of stuck with the fish-less, plant-less (BORING) Cycle.. I hope that when I return from vacation (in four weeks) the tank will be Cycled (or close to) and I can add plants and fish then... So, at least it will give me something to look forward to when my vacation is over.

Beautiful tank by the way!!!

 

[Retired Viking]

Thank you, it is always a work in progress I hope all goes well for you. Good luck

 

[dmpfishlover]

Thank you, it is always a work in progress I hope all goes well for you. Good luck

Thank you! I think the fact that tanks are a "work in progress" is part of what makes it so rewarding, as you are always making improvements. I had tanks years ago, but it has been a while, I think that is why I am so excited to get back into it... and possibly a little impatient... LOL