Warning...

[richrich]

I went to my LFS and decided to buy my setup as the guy was very knowledgeable. He has about 30 years experience and even made beer money at uni many years ago by breeding discus. He has 4 shops around the county and was very helpful. My thinking was it would be good to have someone like him who will be able to help/advise in future...

Having set my aquarium up and decided on a fishless cycle, I went back today for some ammonia. The owner was not there so I spoke with another guy. When I asked for a bottle of ammonia he said "don't you mean something to remove amonia" I told him I did mean ammonia and was going to do a fisless cycle, he looked at me like I was an idiot.

Guess what his advice was "I have never seen any for sale, I suggest you p*ss is the tank and add some food." Now I appreciate urine contains some ammonia but human urine is not pure ammonia and clearly has other waste products you would not want in a tanl let alone if you are on any medication which would also pass out... What a pratt.

Now this is my first aquarium, I have had it 3 days and know nothing about it other than I love aquariums and fish. I have been busy reading on here for 3 days and one thing is clear, I have more knowledge about setting up a tank than this guy does and how many people a day take his advice ?? Scary eh.

This is just a warning to others who are new, be very selective what advice you take from staff in your LFS. Clearly many have little knowledge of this hobby and it is just a job/wage

Also, the guy told me to put my plants in straight away as it was no problem. i explained I have only filled the tank yesterday. He said they will be fine. I asked about when it spikes with ammonia etc and he said the plants would be fine, don't worry. I declined anyway and will add them later once I have the tank nearing cycled. Does anyone else have any suggestions as when to add plants ? i have a 180 ltr aqua one 700 with a built in trickle filtration. I am looking at adding about 10/12 plants.

Thanks

 

[Dark Wolf]

Add the plants once the fishless cycle is completed

 

[K.J.]

You can add plants during the cycle, and they may benefit from the ammonia, but algae often grows then and algae on plants is a PITA.

 

[richrich]

Hi,

I forgot to ask one other thing - Should I have the heater on while the tank is cycling? If so, what temp should I leave it running at. My water is currently at room temp which is 20 deg c

Thanks

 

[Dark Wolf]

Yes, it should definitely be on, helps speed up the cycle for one thing. It's up to you what temperature to put it at whilst cycling, some people say if you put the temperature of the heater to around 30c it helps spped up the cycle even further, and once the tank is ready for the fish, turn the temperature down to around 26c.

I personally just put it at 26c and left it at that.

 

[mark.w.jones]

Just follow the add & wait method from the link in my sig. The fishless cycle with ammonia solution is an internet phenomenom which has not hit many LFS. Most haven't heard of it at all or simply chose to ignore it whilst telling new owners to cycle their tank with the out dated method of using hardy fish. This forum has the best advice you can hope for, especially if you take the time to search through old posts. Some useful ones I have linked to below.

 

[Matty P]

If your are going to use the heater to speed up the cycling I would put it higher than 26C, maybe 29C/30C?

 

[timmystood]

There's no reason at all why you can't add plants during the cycle.. so he got that one right! I can't believe he told you to pee in your tank! You sure he wasn't joking!! If I found out one of my guys had done that they'd be straight out the door!

 

[richrich]

There's no reason at all why you can't add plants during the cycle.. so he got that one right! I can't believe he told you to pee in your tank! You sure he wasn't joking!! If I found out one of my guys had done that they'd be straight out the door!

Honestly, he was 100% sincere. He said that pee was ammonia and that along with some fish food left to rot would give all the ammonia required... I know little about this new hobby I have started but i know human wee has many other chemicals in it as well that you ertainly would not want in your tank...

Anyway, I went to my hardware shop and got a 500 ml bottle of 9.6% (no other additives) ammonia houshold cleaner, added 10 ml to 180 lites and now have a nice 6 ppm ammonia level.

 

[doresy]

To be sort of fair to this guy, 'fishless cycle' is a relatively new thing.

That is why most aquarium set ups come with carbon granuals as in the pre-fishless cycle days it was fill with water, bring up to temperature, add fish, add expensive additives, do lots of water changes (lots of dechlorinater) add ammonia lock/removers, add nitrite removers, add phosphate removers, replace expensive carbon pads, add more fish because the first ones are dead, add filter aid and so the list goes on!!!!!!!

SO, why would a LFS be interested in a system that would only net them a couple of quid for a bottle of ammonia and a few more for a test kit!


Before I get crucified (again ) I recognise that NOT ALL LFS ARE THE SAME...........ok

 

[Musho3210]

fishless cycle grew off the internet, i dont think a scientist or anything discovered it.

If your going to have a planted tank, the best thing to do is to add plants as your first live thing, before bacteria even, (that means add it before you start your cycle) if planted well you go through a silent cycle, (silent cycle is where there is enough plants to eat up all the ammonia faster than developing bacteria)

He was definately correct in adding plants first.

Fill up with water, make sure everything is working, get all the plants you want, add ammonia, test. Using this method it took my 75 gallon planted tank 18 hours to process 8.0 ppm ammonia on the first day of the cycle. So they cycle took 18 hours... got fish 3 days after that.

 

[Rooster]

No, sorry - I'm in the other camp.... adding plants first is a bad idea, not only can they "fudge" the chemical tests, but theres NOTHING in there for the plants to use, your tank is sterile (or it should be!) hence, no CO2 or food = dead plants.

 

[Underwurlde]

Plants will act as filters and can indeed replace them. They'll readily take up ammonia for example. There is a well established plant & fish keeping approach that suggests heavily plant on day #1, add full stock of fish on day #2.

No, I have never tried this.

Re: peeing in the tank for a source of ammonia: I seem to recall a recent(ish) thread about thus and doing so is perfectly ok I believe.
But my memory is so uttery shot I wouldn't be surprised if this was complete crap. I'll see if I can find it in the meantime.

Andy

[Edit] pee ref: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=38840

 

[JamieBailie]

I've heard of people with marine tanks pouring in one cup of urine to raise/lower PH.

 

[scotslasszoe]

Interesting. Ok hands up who has done a billy whizz in Their tank

Not me

Strange as i was thinking about urine yest, Not that i was thinking of doing it that is

Lol

Zoe