Bruce Posted May 23, 2006 Author Share Posted May 23, 2006 No, I haven’t. Can I add a dead prawn or something as this may provide ammonia? What about something like a piece of ham or some fish food? Will the cycle be wasted? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 fish food/prawn asap dirty rotten bait prawn that's already past it would be best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 23, 2006 Author Share Posted May 23, 2006 I put in two huge pinches. Will this do it? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 well now it's morning, do you get an ammonia reading or any nitrite/nitrate readings? if yes, it's working - add similar amount daily if not, add more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 23, 2006 Author Share Posted May 23, 2006 Dammit, I woke up to find it all gone, my filters are doing what they are supposed to. Edit: Ammonia is still 0.5, I'll put it in a stocking this time. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 I just got home and tested water again. Ammonia is the same but nitrates are now 10ppm. Nitrites have also gone up to 2.0ppm. I chucked in a piece of fish aswell as some fish food. I also have a bottle of stresszyme, should I add that? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyclops Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Hi mate. The conversion of ammonia -> nitrates -> nitrites is called the cycle. This involves bacteria. Now, if they don't have a food source (ammonia) they will die ! (It's like throwing looking up a few billion of us in a room without any food). I suggest you add nitrogen sources. The best being small amounts of pure ammonia. I do not think adding stresszyme will help you. Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 What are some nitrogen sources? I just remembered that the seafood shop up the road sells live fish for eating, barras and silver perch for about $10 each. Should I get two of these? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 The food you are putting in there should suffice the bacteria, providing you are putting in enough to create a large enough bio load. I would keep going with what you are doing at the moment (add in food and monitor stats) and only put the Stress-Zyme in just before you add the fish. Most of all, just be patient... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 your fish food is a nitrogen source the fact that you have ammonia & nitrite readings means it's working/starting. just keep doing what you're doing & don;t add fish until the ammonia & nitrite read zero & you get only nitrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 How much of the fish should I put in? It's just a frozen white fish fillet? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 how much would you feed to the fish? thats how much. you're only trying to simulate the breakdown of the food that you'll be feeding live fish without subjecting live fish to the ammonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 Ok, well there is a bite size piece of white fish fillet in there atm. What can I use to quicken the cycle? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 The answers are already in the thread for you: Get tank water parameters stable (Seachem salts will go a long way towards that), including temperature. Make sure all systems are operating, add Aquasonic's Nitrosomona and Nitrobactor, as you put the fish in. Cycle time = immediate. ← If your friend can spare a sponge or some bio-media out of the filter, put it into your sump directly. (as per Craig's advice) Actually when are you adding fish? don't put your buddy's filter media into your filter until the day before or earlier on the day you stock the tank. Throw some of your multi sand into your tank if you like, every little bit helps (even if only by placebo). ← Hey bruce, If you want you can swap some bioballs with some of mine that are mature. ← Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 Ok, so I'll chuck my friends canister on there tonight. Will the fish food harm his filter? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 not at all, why would it? I suppose the piece of fillet could maybe get stuck in the impeller if it was sucked up? stick it under a rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.d.m Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 bruce dont put your mates cannister on you want to cycle your filter ,his will just take all the waste itself,the fact that you have a rising nitrite level shows you have already established a colony of nitrobacter keep up the daily feeding of flake or whatever and moniter the nitrite it should peak soon and then start to drop,put in the stresszyme if you like it wont hurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 I'm not talking about physical harm...biological harm. Will my ammonia kill his bacteria or anything? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 not at those levels I wouldn't think, but as RDman said it'll probably slow the cycling of your mini-reef. leave his cannister on his tank & just wait for the cycle to finish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Ok, so I'll chuck my friends canister on there tonight. ← You wouldn't want to put the whole canister on your tank, you would add some of his established media to your filter or do the swap of some bio balls with African. BUT as the others have said, if you are getting nitrite readings then the cycle is underway and if you do something now you are probably more likely to set yourself back. Keep doing what you are doing... These things take time, just sit back and let it take it's course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Ok, I'll just let it happen. The water is kinda yellow from the sand. How can I clear this up? The filter has bioballs, wool and coarse black foam. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Have you only got the sand in there at the moment? If so this should settle over a couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Sand and some sandstone, the water isn't dusty. It just has a yellow tinge. Will doing a waterchange help the water aswell as the cycle? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spedwards Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Water change will probably slow the cycle down. if the colour is suspended particles it will fade over a couple of days. If it doesn't put some activated carbon to try and absorb the pollutant colouring the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 do you have any wood in the tank? could be tannins leaching. if so, put in some carbon as Jon suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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