No ammonia added-fishless cycle

**SkarloeysMom** · 07-26-2007, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by hungryhound

your mulm is decomposing into into ammonia helping to cycle your tank. As long as you go slow and only add one or two fish at a time, I would suspect that you would be fine.

Sorry, can you explain what mulm is? I will go slowly...probably just the 4 zebras at first.

Originally Posted by hungryhound

Good luck and once again the tank looks wonderful.

THANKS!! I'm so happy to hear all the postive feedback on this tank. I'm having so much fun with this one.

**hungryhound** · 07-26-2007, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by SkarloeysMom

Sorry, can you explain what mulm is? I will go slowly...probably just the 4 zebras at first.

THANKS!! I'm so happy to hear all the postive feedback on this tank. I'm having so much fun with this one.

mulm is the general term for all of the rotting food particles and animal waste that accumulates in the gravel.

My guess is that when you seeded your gravel you picked up some of this from your old tank and transfered it to your new tank and this is what is providing the ammonia for your bacteria at present. You will need to be careful, because when this waste is used up the ammonia will slowly start to starve. So having a few small fish in to keep the cycle going will be needed.

**Lady Hobbs** · 07-26-2007, 05:32 PM

mulm is stuff already containing bacteria.......filter media, used gravel,

**hungryhound** · 07-26-2007, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

mulm is stuff already containing bacteria.......filter media, used gravel,

My definition seems to be a little different than yours.

Are you sure that it is the filter media and gravel. I have never heard my gravel or filter refered to as mulm, but I have heard that you need to vacume the mulm out of your gravel and clean the mulm out of your filter.

I just want to make sure that I have the correct definition so that I do not steer anyone wrong.

**SkarloeysMom** · 07-27-2007, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by hungryhound

My guess is that your mulm is decomposing into into ammonia helping to cycle your tank. As long as you go slow and only add one or two fish at a time, I would suspect that you would be fine.

But if you add a bunch of fish at once it will probably cause your parameters to crash. Good luck and once again the tank looks wonderful.

Mmmm, mulm! Sounds delicious! LOL! Well we're on day 2 of having .25 ammonia and .25 nitrites in the 20g. The new tank fog is gone today. I added a few cups of 10g gravel yesterday to add a little mulm (thanks for the new word Hungry!) to the cycle and a bit of different color to my substrate. We'll see where it goes from here.

**Lady Hobbs** · 07-27-2007, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by hungryhound

My definition seems to be a little different than yours.

Are you sure that it is the filter media and gravel. I have never heard my gravel or filter refered to as mulm, but I have heard that you need to vacume the mulm out of your gravel and clean the mulm out of your filter.

I just want to make sure that I have the correct definition so that I do not steer anyone wrong.

How do I know? I just post so you won't forget me.

Honestly, that's what I thought mulm was. Starter Fuel.

Just read your explanation of it and now I seeeeeeee. I've cycled my last two tanks by vacuuming the bottom of another existing tank and adding the nasties to the new tank. Is this what you mean?

**hungryhound** · 07-27-2007, 03:14 PM

yeah that is what I mean. all of the websites I have been to define mulm as the decomposing organic matter in your tank. While not necessarily the bacteria it may contain some and decomposed into food for them, thus helping to start a cycle.

**zackish** · 07-27-2007, 11:13 PM

You really need to put that pic in the TOTM contest because it looks beautiful.

Also, my guess is that your PH will drop down to about 8.0. What kind of fish are you going to be getting?
Obviously cichlids would be the primary choice.

**SkarloeysMom** · 07-28-2007, 03:09 AM

Originally Posted by zackish

You really need to put that pic in the TOTM contest because it looks beautiful.

Also, my guess is that your PH will drop down to about 8.0. What kind of fish are you going to be getting?
Obviously cichlids would be the primary choice.

WOW! Thanks Zackish! I'm really happy with it too.

Your guess about the Ph is right and then some. The Ph dropped within 24 hours from 8.8 to 7! I was totally shocked. I don't know if it was the driftwood effect or just some natural effect of the water aging. This gives me hope though that someday I could actually try to have some live plants.

As far as the stocking goes, I'm going to move the community I already have into the new tank and just work on my skills for a while longer before I try anything like cichlids. I have so much still to learn before I move up from the beginner fish.