Test kit advice please...

[Baroness]

Hi, I am getting a 180 litre tank and want to set up by fishless cycling... :-?

I've not done it before so was just wondering what test kits I will need and if there is a brand/type that is better than others?

On my list of test kits to get is

pH

Nitrate

and then maybe

Nitrite

is there any others I need.

Also I was going to set up with substrate, plants, filter, heater, light and water.....and then maybe do the dose with ammonia thing? Cloudy ammonia from supermarket? Am I on track? I have read a bit online but it all sort of seems to be squidging around in my head :-?

[ryanjury]

Ph would be handy but probably not actually that vital, ammonia is pretty vital..

TBH I wouldn't bother fishless cycling a 180L tank, just start off stocking slowly and feed lighting, and transfer some media from an established tank and you should be good to go. As long as your aren't cycling with really sensitive fish any ammonia produced will be heavily diluted and not even detectable on your test kit.

What fish are you planning to stock the tank with?

[Baroness]

I really wanted to have a heavily planted tank, with maybe a school of some type of tetras...

I just want 1 or 2 types of fish and maybe 1 type of bottom fish.

I'm open for suggestions....

I like neons - would prefer cardinals or those black neony things

ember tetras

harlequins

dunno really :roll:

I like clowns loaches for the bottom, or ottos

I am on the lookout for plants at the moment and trying to learn about them.

[Morcs]

Test kits are half price at Animates this month..

Pretty good time to get a master kit.

[Baroness]

OOOhhhh thanks, will try and get myself to Animates then. Do they have an online store? I will have to ring and ask.

[phoenix44]

$25 off test kits.

No online store.

[Ira]

$25 off? Wow. Maybe I'll go pick up a couple. I haven't had a test kit in about 5-6 years.

[Baroness]

So, what price does that make the master kit then? about $55?

[phoenix44]

I think so. somewhere in that range.

[Morcs]

Pretty sure its half price on test kits - my Saltwater master test kit cost me about $26 RETAIL.

[phoenix44]

$25 off said the sign in store.

API test kit is all the palmy store has.

[ryanjury]

Master test kit would be the way to go especially at those prices

I can give you some plants nothing flash but stuff that grows like weeds, java moss and indian fern plus probably some java fern as well.

[Jennifer]

Good on you for looking into fishless cycling. It is becoming the industry standard overseas and in my mind is more humane. No matter how you look at it, cycling a brand new clean tank with fish will expose the fish to levels of ammonia and nitrites it can be a fine line to ensure a safe environment. That said, I almost always use mature media to seed the filter so I never need to cycle from scratch, but with that method there is always the risk of transmitting disease.

There is no real benefit to cycling with fish (other than the matter of getting instant gratification of seeing fish in your tank). Both types of cycling require waiting a few days to 3 weeks before adding more fish. Fishless cycling can often be faster since you can raise the temperature and get bacterial populations up quicker.

With the fishless cycling method, no fish are added until the tank is completely cycled. The ammonia levels are created artificially either in the form of adding decaying organic matter or simply by adding a small amount of pure ammonia (without added detergents) from the supermarket. The following steps are carried out:

1. The tank is filled with water and the heater is turned up to 32 degrees.

2. Ammonia is added until the levels are just detectable (up to 4 ppm (mg/L) using a standard aquatic ammonia test kit.

3. After 3 or 4 days, the water is tested every day and it should be apparent that the ammonia levels are dropping and the nitrite levels are increasing (this process will be very quick if the filter was seeded first with mature media or a biological additive like TLC Smart Start).

4. After a few more days, the nitrite levels will keep rising and eventually will start to fall. Next the nitrate levels will begin to increase.

5. Once there is no trace of ammonia or nitrites the temperature can be turned down and a partial water change can be carried out (do not clean the filter or vacuum the gravel).

This process will take 4 days to 3 weeks depending on the concentration of ammonia and the temperature as well as whether you have seeded the filter. A small number of fish can be added as soon as the water is tested to be stable and free from ammonia and nitrites for 24 hours. If a large amount of ammonia was added, the filter will be able to handle quite a few fish, but it is always best to take care. The number of fish can gradually be built up over time as bacterial populations adjust to the bioload.

[Baroness]

Thanks for the kind offers and advice. 8)

I will take you up on your offer for plants ryanjury. I will PM you when I am heading to Bulls thanks.

Jennifer - cheers for the easy to follow recipe for fishless cycling, I will do this in my tank, purely for the novelty of doing it and also because I wont be getting fish straight away anyway...(still dont know what I want :oops: )