Hooray, I am fishless!

[carpediem]

So here I am,
My fish are all back at the lfs. My tank, my gravel, my ornaments and plastic plants are rinsed. I have a heater cranked to 83 and the tank back together with a new (rinsed) charcoal cartridge in a HOB cascade filter and the rinsed "sponge" in there as well.
The gravel and the sponge were so brown and icky, it couldn't have been "sterile". It took me two full tanks of rinsing and swooshing, until the water became sort of clear.
Anyways, I am off to the grocery store to track down a raw shrimp. Do you throw the whole thing in or just the meaty part. Would a frozen raw shrimp work as well?

 

[frog girl]

Sorry if I lost track but where you worried that your tank wasn't cycled properly??

If so congrats & may it be a swift cycle.

 

[An t-iasg]

Your tank wasn't cycled, and it was something like 6 weeks? My tank took about 4 weeks; it was slow, but I saw small progressions along the way. I hope this time goes much better for you! I'm glad you're starting again and not just selling everything. I wonder what the brown stuff was? The "sponge scrunge" should be brown and icky, but lots of that in the gravel doesn't sound good.

I have never cycled with a raw shrimp. My guess would be that the meaty part alone is fine. I would probably use fresh instead of frozen. Be sure to ask the person at the counter if preservatives or anything was added to the shrimp. I'm thinking that fresh would probably not have any preservatives.

 

[An t-iasg]

P.S. Are you getting your old fish back -- are they being held for you apart from the others at the store?

 

[carpediem]

It was more like 2 months without cycling (high ammonia, no nitrites, no nitrates, pH stable 7.4.
As of today, they were going to be put in a tank by itself. I guess, if he runs out of room, he might sell them. After all they were quite cute. I would rather have them back, but anything is better for them than staying in that environment they were in.
So part of a frozen prawn is in there (that is all I could find).
We will see who is in charge here or I am going to screeeam!!
Thanks for your input.

 

[Ginafish]

Good luck!!
I have to admit, I'm surprised if you had that brown stuff, that it wasn't the bacteria?? Anyway, keep patient as I learned, and it'll work this time.

 

[carpediem]

thanks for the encouragement. I just moved the heater beside the cascade filter. Before I had it in the other corner of the tank behind plastic plants, but it wasn't bringing the temperature of the tank (I guess, it was just heating that little area). So now I have it in plain view. pretty to look at. LOL. But if I cover it, it inhibits the flow of the water.
I keep looking into the tank with the prawn piece... I miss the fish. They would come to the front, whenever I kneeled down...... I want them back!!!!!!!
(I try to be patient, honestly I do)
Maybe I should start testing like FGG to give the new start a scientific twist......

 

[frog girl]

You could get a start of the good bacteria from a friend. I think all you would need is to scrape some off their bio-filter & innoculate your tank.

good luck.

 

[Melody]

Most fish stores will give you a handfull of gravel. That will give you a jump start...

 

[TankGirl]

In order to avoid driving yourself nuts I'd recommend just ignoring the tank altogether for 3-4 weeks. Since you have the decaying matter in there the time it will take for ammonia to build up will vary, but it WILL happen so just ignore the whole thing and hopefully you'll get a pleasant surprise in a month.

I'd hesitate to add seed material from an LFS (I won't put their tank water into mine, and quarrantine fish to protect my display tanks) for fear of transferring parasites or other nasties. If you have a fellow hobbyist who keeps very healthy fish that might be a better bet.

 

[carpediem]

I just went to exchange my new heater (will anything work in my tank right away. It seems like I am doing everything twice, lol). Would that be an indication that I do a double good job?????? I admit, I also wanted to check on my fishies. Poor platy women. She has no place to hide now from the bullying male. They are in a tank with koi and lots of current, I mean lots of it. So far they are all still there and shooting around like crazy.
Just put my fuzzy prawn in a plastic baggy with holes and still (!) waiting for the cycling. LOL.

 

[carpediem]

Day 3 into fishless: pH 7.4, temp 81F (just exchanged my new heater, want to bring it up to 83F), ammonia 1.0, nitrite 0. My little fuzzy prawn is now in a zip-lock with holes. It started to fall apart.

 

[TankGirl]

You gonna drive yourself crazy testing every day....

 

[carpediem]

What do you mean with "will". I am crazy already. SolutionL I might as well give the whole dileamma a scientific twist. At least, this time, I do not have to worry about any suffering in my tank.

side effect: I might not eat any prawns for a while. probably should have used something I do not like to eat for bacteria bait.

 

[black udder]

i'll be curious to see how long the whole process takes

Just hang in there. I've had my share of horror stories over the last 12-18 months, but the tank is now running fine (even has DYI CO2). Fish appear fine and now it's time for a DIY moonlight

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

I would add aireation and/or make the water level the same as the output of the filter to break up the surface and promote oxygen exchange. keep the temp up as that will help speed up the process.

The brown stuff was probably bacteria and decomposers.

 

[carpediem]

FGG: my water level actually is way below my output of the filter (I have a cascade HOB). Are you suggesting I raise my level?

 

[TankGirl]

I am not FGG but I'd say leave it low, and assume that is what he meant - splashing will raise the O2 level and help feed the bacteria.

 

[carpediem]

Thanks for your help TankGirl.
Day 5: Ammonia still at 1.0 and nitrites 0. If I keep a level of ammonia 1.0 with the "fuzzy" in the bag, will that be enough ammonia to cycle, or should I set him free again (so I can finally send this tank over the edge)?
No, I am not getting impatient, I AM NOT!!! LOL

The new heater got a maximum of 81F and dropped down to 78F with a setting of 87. So, guess what, the lfs owner gave me a 100 Watt.
Nope, I am not giving up. Do you finally agree, that that tank is cursed?

 

[FancyGuppyGuy]

splashing is fine anything that breaks up the surface will help with oxygen exchange. The more surface disturbance the better.