Shouldn't I have ammonia?

[mustcooktea]

I put two small goldfish into a 100 litre tank (76cm L, 30cm W,50cm H) Saturday week ago (nine days) and I have been checking for ammonia each day. So far I haven't been reading any and I am wondering why?

I did have the noodles that I placed in the filter sitting in my son's little tank for about a week but I didn't think that would give them time to grow much bacteria. I have only been feeding the fish once a day to help with my expected ammonia spike. Is it just that the tank is roomy for the fish (they are only a few cm long without the tail) and the ammonia hasn't had a chance to build up? Is it because the tank is cold water and therefore will cycle slower?

I checked the date on the test kit and it doesn't expire until 2008, so it is fresh. The water stays clear but I can see a few small yellow particles floating around. Is this normal?

Ph is about 7. There are no nitrItes and I am waiting for my nitrAte test kit to come into the store.

Thank

MCT

[MGilchrist]

If you cycle very slowly (ie little fish, big water volume) you may never see detectable amounts of ammonia, or build up may be slower which is good

having had filter media in another tank for a week will have helped

not feeding too much helps a lot (always my problem, they look sooo hungry)

[mustcooktea]

Thanks for that MGilchrist. I will keep testing and see what happens. I guess if the ammonia level never rises (which would be great for the fish) then I will know I have cycled when I start to get NitrAtes in the tank.

[Luke*]

Ammonia doesn't affect goldfish as much as tropicals. Or they don't build up as much, I've heard something like this before, I'm sure someone can clarify. There's 3 big ones back home that've never had a filter and have gone fine for years, not a big tank either.