FISHLESS CYCLING

[wellmax]

It is my wish to cycle my new 300 litre tank using the "Fshless Cycling Method" Has anyone here used this method? and if so where did you purchase in Auckland "Pure Ammonium Hydroxide"

[sandysme]

hello and welcome to you too...

[kiwiplymouth]

It is my wish to cycle my new 300 litre tank using the "Fshless Cycling Method" Has anyone here used this method? and if so where did you purchase in Auckland "Pure Ammonium Hydroxide"

Hi and welcome, there is no need to purchase store bought products for a fishless cycle.

Here is a link to what i have been up to in the last week or two.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38849

[Caryl]

Many UK fish sites are very keen on fishless cycling but I don't see the point in it. More trouble than it's worth I think but give it a go if you're keen.

For pure stuff try a chemist. The ammonia in NZ supermarkets has additives.

[ryanjury]

With a 300L tank you have enough volume to slowly build up stocking levels monitoring ammonia etc levels to make sure you don't have any spikes..

[alanmin4304]

There is more than one way to do things but I have never seen an accurate equation that will tell you the amount of ammonium hydroxide that will be produced by the fish that you intend to put in the tank so that you can add the correct amount to create the bacterial balance required for the intended fish to be added.

However it goes without saying (but I will say it) that the fish that you add will produce absolutely the same amount as the fish that you add (apologies to the Irish)

I believe that fishless cycling probably causes more stress on the fish because of the ease of getting the balance completely wrong. Planting the tank and getting the plants established then adding fish slowly seems to me far more humane.

[Ira]

There is more than one way to do things but I have never seen an accurate equation that will tell you the amount of ammonium hydroxide that will be produced by the fish that you intend to put in the tank so that you can add the correct amount to create the bacterial balance required for the intended fish to be added.

However it goes without saying (but I will say it) that the fish that you add will produce absolutely the same amount as the fish that you add (apologies to the Irish)

The idea is that the amount of ammonia the fish will create is totally irrelevant. With fishless cycling you can quickly and easily build up capacity to support FAR more fish than you would be putting in. Once you stock the tank the excess capacity harmlessly dies off.

[alanmin4304]

Dead bacteria contribute to the out of balance bio load.

[alanmin4304]

Fish also produce nitrogen from a number of sources not just ammonia. Proteins are a string of phosphates with amino acids hung off them and when the bacteria die they provide phoshates and nitrogen as well as other things that contribute to the load. My point was that fish actually produce what they produce and the balance created is exactly what is required. I think that sometimes we over complicate things with science when all that is required is to "take small steps grasshopper"