heyandrea_ Posted June 2, 2007 Report Share Posted June 2, 2007 Well Im trying the prawn method to fishless cycling. Lets see if it works. Did a 50% water change today due to my tank being dirty from the fish that have died. Then did water test: Ammonia 0.25 ppm mg/L Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 Added one prawn to my 5gal fish tank in a fish net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Ammonia risen to 1.0ppm mg/L Nitrite & Nitrate 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I'm interested in seeing how this turns out. Are you using a bacterial additive like TLC or Cycle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I do have cycle. But I have been told that it doesn't do anything unless you have fish in your tank. But I've added some anyway, and I've also added aqua plus tap water conditioner. I have also noticed this afternoon that my water has turned cloudy, so it looks like the bacteria bloom has already started. I am really interested to see how it goes as well, that's why I've decided to document it just to prove that it either does or doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr pleco Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 i gotta say from my point if view and only my point of view complete and utter waste of time and money no trying to insult you but i have NEVER used cycle ,tap water conditioner ,prawns or anything else to cycle my tanks NEVER had cloudy water ,green water and NEVER had dead fish after introducing them there is a better way with less hassle and less money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sub.z Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Mr pleco is it city water of tank water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Thats fine, you're welcome to your own opinion. But can I ask, what do you use to get chlorine out of your tap water? I always thought that it was essential to use that product at least. And what are your strategies to cycle a tank without using anything? Cloudy water usually means a baterica bloom, which fixes itself anyway, so its not a major. I must add that I bought 4 prawns from the supermarket, and they cost me 68 cents and the aqua plus and cycle cost me about $30 all up, so I havent spent a fortune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sub.z Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 I usually just use the water contitioner but just wondered about the prawns, do you just chuck them in the water before use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 This was an idea that I got from another thread. Have a look at: http://www.tropicaltankforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=8326 You put them in a fish net and sit them in the tank. At the moment I've only added one prawn because my tank is small. But I suppose the bigger your tank is, the more you can add. The prawn is suppose to cycle the tank, and then when the tank is cycled, a water change is required and then fish can be added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sub.z Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Cool ive never heard of it before. Do you just leave them in a few minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr pleco Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 nope yr right you havent ..and as i said i wasnt trying to wind anyone up or insult them ...its tap water by the way sub z but hey look what you are doing is adding thousands of chemicals to get rid of a few like chlorine which is like 1000ppm im telling you now i use tap water i dont even check the temp with a thermometer just with my fingers and i know wheather its close or not i water change around twice a week t about 25-30 % and use no chemicals ive started tanks added a little food waited a week checked ammonia which reads next to zip added like 4 little fish usually corys or plecos waited a week and added like 4-6 more and away i go the food after a week creates bacteria which cycles yr tank and the first two fish add the rest after two weeks the tank is fully cycled just watch after the first two days of introducing 4 or so fish that you dont get an ammonia spike and if you do then procede with a 50% water change no need for chemicals honestly and yep i water change discus,plecos,swords,angels , all sorts gouramis etc ive had them all and i never changed my ways i admit im more cautius around things like baby discus and rare pleco babies but only in the way i introduce the water ..very slowly and ill check the temp with a thermometer becaus ethey dont like change but ill say this i run 35 tanks and to do water changes i do it two ways first is a 24/7 water changer which drips in and thats straight from the cold tap outside !! the second is a hose connected to the sink and ive had 75oFwater straight from the tap running into 82oF tank and you know what by the time ive done a 25% water change ive changed the tank temp by about 1oC and better yet the usually spawn straight afterwards ...this is a natural process in nature rainfall contains no GH/cH and is usually 4oC colder at least.. not saying try it , but all those chemicals are doing as much harm as they are good just IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 No, you're suppose to leave them in until your tank is cycled. But if they turn mushy, you just pop another one in and take the old one out. Or you can add another one if your ammonia levels drop but the nitrate levels aren't high enough. It sounds really complicated when I try and explain it. That link I posted is really easy to understand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sub.z Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 ok thanks good to know Learn something new everyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 You do learn something new everyday! I've tried with fish, and being a beginner, I was so overwhemled with trying to keep my fish alive. Im sure I did everything by the book, water changes etc.. but my fish both died of ammonia poisoning. So i'm hoping that by doing a fishless cycle I wont have to be too concered with the ammonia spiking. So I might have a better chance of getting the nitrate levels up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sub.z Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 mmm.. i dont bother with any testing etc and have never had a fish die due to anything other than whitespot but i dont know wether or not its due to having coldwater fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted June 3, 2007 Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Your prawn rots and produces ammonia as does a fish via urea. The aim with chlorinated water is to obtain a few ppm Cl2 not 1000ppm. You would be lucky if there was still any free available chlorine in tap water at the tap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2007 Today, ammonia risen to 2ppm Nitrite & Nitrate still at 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I'm with you re: chlorine Mr Pleco, I never use any water conditioner when I change the water on my tanks, it comes straight out of the hose and I've never had any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 What you do mr pleco is called a cycle with fish, what andrea is doing is a fishless cycle. People have their own preference as to how they cycle their tank and thats fine because they both work just as well as the other. A fishless cycle is much less hassle IMO and much nicer to fish who dont have to put up with ammonia spikes over and over again while you keep adding more fish to up the bioload. Good luck with your fishless cycle andrea and it looks like you are on the right track, hopefully your nitrite will start to rise soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 The only problem I have with a fishless cycle is: When do you know how many dead prawns has the same "bio load" as the fish that you intend to add? Every time you add a fish, a fish dies, leaves on a plant dies, algae dies or you do a water change there will be a change in "bio load" and the tank will need to adjust (and it will). I therefore cannot see why people seem to get so stressed out about using fish to cycle their tanks. I think the pet shops are on to a winner with additives again. But that is only my opinion. You may well be causing more stress to your fish by doing a fishless cycle--who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 A lot depends on where you live as different areas have different amounts of chlorine. We are lucky where I live as there is no chlorine in the water so I do not add anything to the water and don't worry too much about the temperature either. Some fish are more sensitive to such things than others. Fishless cycling is big overseas at the moment and seems to be the latest fad. It is hoped to save the poor fish when people go to their lfs and go home with a tank and chemicals in one hand and a bag of fish in the other and told to just add the water, plug in the heaterstat and add the fish :roll: Using fish to cycle a tank is perfectly acceptable, when done properly, but too many people are impatient to add more fish too quickly and then wonder why their fish die, they get white spot outbreaks, and their water goes green. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 Im only trying it this way because Im new to this and want to see how things work. Its a learning process for me. As to my understanding once the tank has cycled, even with the prawns, it will have enough established bacteria to cope with the load of new fish, if added slowly. I only ever had 2 baby goldfish in my tank and they both died of ammonia poisoning, and I tried my hardest to reduce the ammonia levels, and even though they weren't very high, the fish became aggitated. Maybe it's because my tank is small.. I dont know! I am going to continue with this method, and if it doesnt work, so be it, at least I have learnt from it. I am also going to continue recording my results daily so that I have a record, and anyone else who is interested in this method will be able to see the results. I think it's a good learning experience for anyone, even if you're strongly opposed to the idea. And also fish aren't that cheap to buy you know!.. well at my local shop they aint! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 Day 4 Ammonia 4.0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 5.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markoshark Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 wtf? That dosent sound right. You should get SOME Nitrite BEFORE Nitrate. 0.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyandrea_ Posted June 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 I know...??? I thought that too.. hmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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