WalterRC Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Hi there guys and Gals Where can I get ammonia to do a fishless cycle. Getting tired of pharmacies looking at me like a deer looking into headlights when I ask for Ammonia. Thanks W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Hi Walter, Good to have another local around! You can grab some filter media and/or a bit of a gravel to give your tank the needed bacteria. As for ammonia you can drop in a bit of dead fish or shrimp.... (or urine). Best way for a quick cycle is to give your tank a starter culture of bacteria and add a few fish to keep the bacteria fed. If you want completely fishless then just "feed the tank" and the rotting food should provide the ammonia you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalterRC Posted June 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Hi Walter, (or urine) Hmmm, how much urine would I need hehehe, nah I wont go down that road. Wouldnt want yellow water, hehe Apparantly bunnings sells Ammonia solutions, so will check it out later. Thanks for the reply W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Isn't bleach the same thing? the cheap stuff from super markets is best because they dont add anything to it to make a smell better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 nonononono bleach and ammonia aren't the same thing. Matter of fact, cmbining the two makes a rather deadly gas (so don't pee in the shower after bleaching it, lol). Ammonia solutions sound like a decent plan. I think a shrimp from the supermarket would be cheaper and easier, though. Mind you, I've never done this as I actually keep fish and cycling is a cinch when you have established tanks to seed from. So are you planning on keeping the tank fishless? Even with planted tanks you'll need a source of ammonia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 There are plenty of fellow Wgtn fish keepers here. Why don't you ask to cycle your filter on one of their mature tanks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 You can grab some filter media and/or a bit of a gravel to give your tank the needed bacteria. Yup, good to hook up your filter on someone elses tank, but you can get nasties or snails that way a lot easier than just taking some media. Personal choice, o course. As above, you're offered help either way. Mystic is in Tawa and I'm in Upper Hutt. Whatever is more convenient for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 I wasn't talking about anyone specific, just general advice As I said, whatever is more convenient for you. I can pretty much guarantee you'd get some snails in 90% of my tanks. Even my tanks with loaches have snails lurking some times - I collect and feed them them from other tanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalterRC Posted June 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Thanks guys and Gals You guys are too nice you know I bought some cloudy Ammonia. Seems to be just ammonia, so will give it a go. Its for a Goldfish setup, with no plants and big gravel and ornaments. I wouldnt be able to run my filter in another tank as I have a fixed top filter. But I wanna give this Ammonia thing a go and fishless cycle, as Ive seen so much about this on the internet. By keeping the temp at 30 degrees and making sure theres 5ppm ammonia daily, I have read a cycle can be done in a week. Just thought I'd experiment and see how it goes. Thanks for all the advice and offers of help, much appreciated. ps. Mystic, I'd be too scared to get media from you as I might not get snails, but I'm sure to get a blood sucker or bat from you hehehe ps2 Mystic: Your Avatar is amazing, sexy and cute 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 How can a vegetarian be a blood sucker? :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keri Anne Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Very off topic but Mystic the new Avatar is way cool. :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxglove Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Yeh, Mystic, way cool avatar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 apparently if you shake the bottle and it gets bubbles its not pure ammonia. i have read alot about people using this method but im not too up on it, i dont take much notice cause like blue i have other tanks i can run filter in on etc before hand. apparently increasing the temp of the tank (as long as fish and plants arent in it or are able to handle it) can speed up the cycle as it speeds up the bacteria, im not sure if you will be able to finish the cycle in a week though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 I've been amazed with the recent 'instant cycle' I did on my boyfriend's 50 litre tank. I haven't set up a totally new tank for years, so I simply hadn't tried it before. I gave him plant trimmings and a few decorative rocks from my tank, we introduced two female bettas and 10 neon tetras and monitored the ammonia every day. No sign of any kind of ammonia or nitrite spike. Amazing and unexpected. His tank had been thoroughly cleaned and stored dry for several months, all the gravel was new out of the bag, the filter was brand new and we didn't use any media from my filters. The tank has been running for about four weeks now, and we've now added a baby bristlenose to deal with the algae. For anyone who's considering it, I thoroughly recommend introducing greeblies from a healthy tank as a painless cycle-free method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakyfish Posted July 2, 2006 Report Share Posted July 2, 2006 Im alittle amazed whetu with what has happened in this tank As theoretically its impossible to instantly cycle a new tank with a new filter Im not saying anything you have done is wrong A few things maybe ammonia test isnt accurate? maybe just those small fish only crearted tiny amounts of ammonia and when it was tested for the filter might have removed it and being only small amounts its cycling slowly By now 4 weeks it should be fully cycled but id just think it was cycling very slowly and ammonia was removed by the filter before you tested it By the way when i have been testing tanks for ammonia spikes to watch the cycle I have noticed a large tank with a few large fish go from 2-3 ppm to zero in less the 6 hours I was testing upto 3 times a day Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted July 5, 2006 Report Share Posted July 5, 2006 Yeah Brad I was pretty amazed too. I checked the ammonia test and it's definitely working. Maybe I just missed the ammonia spike if it was as short-lived as yours? I've been testing for nitrite and nitrate too. I was thinking even if I didn't see the ammonia spike at least I'd see the nitrite but there has been no sign of it. And there's no sign of nitrate either, but that doesn't surprise me because of the fairly low stocking levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakyfish Posted July 5, 2006 Report Share Posted July 5, 2006 If there isnt any Nitrate then its not cycled yet then As unless its heavily planted Though small Nitrates are hard to test for Still everything has worked for you so heres hoping that luck continues Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalterRC Posted July 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 Amazing update!! Well I couldnt get proper ammonia so I just used alot of fish food. Put in twice per day enough food for about 20 Goldfish. Now on day 5 of my fishless cycle. My ammonia has started to drop and my nitrite has spiked, and I have already a good starting reading of nitrate. I'm impressed. Normally it would take 3 weeks to get to this point. I have air bubbles going crazy and the temprature is set to 30degress C So far its working amazing. At this rate the cycle could be complete in a couple more days. Will keep you posted Cheers W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 Well I couldnt get proper ammonia so I just used alot of fish food. Put in twice per day enough food for about 20 Goldfish. My goldfish tank is within reading distance of the computer soooo...my goldies want to know if they can go and visit you :lol: :lol: Yah, I know I'm loosing it! Keep us updated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalterRC Posted July 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 My goldfish tank is within reading distance of the computer soooo...my goldies want to know if they can go and visit you :lol: :lol: Yah, I know I'm loosing it! Keep us updated Cool, ofcourse they can. They can go straight into a Zero Ammonia and Zero Nitrite tank very very soon. I here ya Canadians are a friendly bunch 8) Cheers W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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