Restart

[GSA190]

since all of my fish died do I have to buy more fish to continue to cycle?

[themusician]

If you are going to continue trying to do a fish cycle, yes.

What is making you decide against doing a fishless cycle? You wouldn't have to worry about more fish dying from ammonia poisoning that way.

[country_boy454]

You should be able to complete it as you would do a fishless cycle.

[gm72]

All of your fish died because your fishy cycle failed. Why bother with the potential for a repeat? Fishless cycle.

[GSA190]

I don't know where to by ammonia.

[gm72]

????????

Dollar store is a good place to start. We've been over this before.

[GSA190]

see, I have no dollar stores anywhere near me. Is their anything househeld that can produce. I remember someone saying shrimp shells do well.

[themusician]

Go to the grocery store. They should have two types: sudsy ammonia (usually is scented and will foam when you shake it) and plain ammonia (no scents and doesn't foam). Buy the plain ammonia. It is diluted with water, but that's not a problem as long as it doesn't have extra chemicals in it.

I got a huge bottle of it for $1.50.

[GSA190]

Thank you!

[GSA190]

Would Walbuams have it?

[GSA190]

Ive checked anywhere. Can someone give me another way of adding ammonia.

[Nick_Pavlovski]

Chuck some aquatic plants in there, add some aquatic plant fertiliser, leave the tank for 2 weeks. Should cycle OK.

[GSA190]

Their are plants in the tank. I added fomr florapride. It says its fast-acting leaf aborbtion and supplies essential iron and potassium and phosphate free. Is that the right stuff?

[themusician]

I'm not sure about that, Nick...I did a fishless cycle in my tank and had plants in there most of the time. It didn't make my cycle go any faster, and I definitely still needed the ammonia to make the cycle work.

[shockshockshad]

All the plants will do is get remove nitrates at the end of your cycle. Shrimp shell, fish food, ammonia, dead fish from your dinner, they will all make ammonia. Put the bottled ammonia in the water and the other stuff in a filter media bag.

[Lady Hobbs]

How about ACE Hardware? Any in your area? They carry pure ammonia labeled as janitorial strength. I got mine at Family Dollar. (Dollar General didn't carry it.) Some have found it at WalMart......others haven't.

You can not use anything other than pure ammonia if going that way. If you have to buy some raw shrimp, do it. Better than killing more fish.

You need to get it going right away or will kill off the bacteria that has already started. If you go fishless, turn the heat all the way up and aerate the tank. Bacteria loves the oxygen and the heat.

[squirt_12]

if you really want to do a fish cycle then go out and buy some feeder fish and then use them...they cycle the tank well....thats what i used on my 10g....also if you have another tank that has been running for a while then you can seed it.

[GSA190]

So I can just put some raw shrimp or fish food in the filter media and it will do good? My friend offered to actually buy me danios to see if it would work. If it doesn't I will do the pure ammonia food trick.

[squirt_12]

do you have another tank going or is this your first one???

[GSA190]

This is my first. I do have a tank in school though but it's saltwater.

[squirt_12]

o....ok.....well yeah what i did was took about 6 feeder commets (goldfish) [well bought them from my LFS] and put them into the tank.

just feed them like a normal fish because they are pigs and will eat alot meaning poop alot meaning ammonia...:thumb: it worked great for me...and they are fairly hardy. but by the time my cycle was done i had 1 left. But you can give him back to the LFS or something.

[GSA190]

Could I get these are petco?

[squirt_12]

probably...i think that every petstore carries them.

[cocoa_pleco]

we dont have petco in canada but i often go the the US and most of the time the petcos have feeder comets

[GSA190]

So I should get about 5 for a 30 gallon?

[squirt_12]

that would be fine but i went with 6 for my 10g.
you could go 12.... most of them will prob die anyways. but you can get whatever you want.

[GSA190]

How much do they go for?

[squirt_12]

um...i am not 100% sure but it is really cheap...like maybe $2-3 for a dozen.

[GSA190]

oo,thats pretty good. Thanks for the advice.

[squirt_12]

no problem...anytimethumbs2: good luck with the cycle

[Lady Hobbs]

NO! Put it in a bag or nylon and stick it under a rock. It will stink up your house if it's above water.

The feeders also work as mentioned by Squirt. Ammonia would be better but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

[GSA190]

So when I go to petco I just ask for feeder comets?

[squirt_12]

yes...........

[GSA190]

Alright. So I just bought 12 feeder comets(they are gold right?). When is the next suggested ammonia check?

[Lady Hobbs]

With that many goldfish, I would start checking for ammonia by the 3rd day.

[squirt_12]

With that many goldfish, I would start checking for ammonia by the 3rd day.
yeah i agree.

[GSA190]

I just did a check the ammonia last night and it's at it's highest right now. How long will it take to drop?

[GSA190]

Anyone????

[GSA190]

Come on, Can someone answer.