Search results

I've searched this a few times on the board, but can't seem to narrow the results enough to find the answers I'm looking for. How long do you leave your lights on for a fish only tank, and is it necessary to even turn them on in a naturaly well lit room? I've noticed in my friends tank...

Okay, thanks for the info everyone! I will buy some to have on hand so I'm not scrambling if something happens later...but won't worry about not having it in the tank. Thanks again.

I've heard you should add salt to freshwater tank too, any ideas why? And if its true, how much for a 40 gal tank?

I'm in the same boat as you guys and I live across the country, so not on the same water supply. My ammonia never goes down but I periodically see nitrate, never nitrite though. About ready to list everything on Craigslist!

No need to keep dosing ammo, it never goes down, that's the problem.

Nope, didn't rinse them. Dropped them in and let them float around.

Yes, we added plants,about six days ago....still nothing.

Okay, I decided to give this thing another try, and am just as frustrated as I was before. Still no movement in the ammonia. Dosed up to 4ppm, and there it remains! I tested Nitrite, and nothing.....however I tested Nitrate and show trace amounts? Is it possible to develop Nitrate before...

okay guys, I'm going to give this one more try. Kind of starting over. I took the carbon out of my filter, and will add an additional sponge or more ceramics this weekend. I vacuumed up some stuff someone told me to try (dried enzyme stuff) was all over the bottom of tank. Added back some...

Thanks Deckape. I have a 40 gal breeder with a aquaclear 70 on it. I took the carbon out, vacuumed up some nasty stuff someone told me to try (dried enzyme stuff) added some dechlored water. I think I will try again. I will go buy an addition sponge or more ceramics this weekend.

Okay, I know there is controversy where carbon is concerned, but I'm not sure what it is all about. I have an aquaclear power filter where you can add your own media. Will a carbon packet have a negative effect on a fishless cycle?

It's been 4 weeks now of fishless cycling, and NOTHING. I originally dosed ammonia to 4ppm. I have never had to redose. Ammonia appears to have dropped to 2ppm, but I have 0 nitrites, and 0 nitrates....so I think the ammonia drop is due to having to add water from evaporation, so it's gotten...

I didn't add the pH down to adjust the pH. An article on this forum and several members suggested using a small amount of it to add phosphates to the water. It was suggested the bacteria I am trying to grow need phosphate and if things aren't moving along well, that could help speed it up.

Me again....just need a little clarification. Earlier this week, my ammonia seemed to drop from 4 to 2 ppm. No2 was between 0 and .25....been a couple days and readings are the same. So when the ammonia starts to fall, doesn't it keep going? Or is it going to be another 3 weeks before I get to 1...

I feel your pain! Mine isn't cycling either, and to top things off, I came home earlier this week to find algae all over! Beginning to think this fishless cycling thing is a joke fish keepers play on newbies.

Nope, as stated, its an artificial decoration from PetSmart....resin, not real. It's just the only place so far I've seen the stuff. I never thought about destroying the good bacteria, oooopps.

I took a brush to the stump and broke the stuff loose, hoping it would get sucked up by the filter. Did I make a mistake, will that actually help spread the algae stuff? Eco23, I haven't had the lights on in the tank. One time for about 5 minutes that's it. There is daylight in the room, not...

Help! I came home to find white cobweb, dust bunny looking things all over the artificial stump decoration in my tank. Any idea what it is or how to get rid of it? I did a water test for ammonia, and it looks like it may be starting to drop. I think its at 2 now, but all those greens look...

ammonia still looks the same to me.....might be a shade under 4 ppm but it looks higher than 2ppm. So wishful thinking would put it at 3, but I couldn't make a definate determination. The waiting game continues!

I didn't have time to test today before work (on my way there right now) but I noticed before I left what appeared to be a cloudy haze in the water??? Maybe its this "bacteria bloom" I've heard so much about from everyone else! :o) I'll test tonight after work and update.....keep your fingers...

Okay after a frustrating weekend, I have my patience pants back on this week. I bought some pH down saturday, as I read in a few different articles it can add phosphates that help the bacteria grow. I added the recommended dose and I think it may have helped. Ammonia appears to have possibly...

Excellent article Eco23....will definately bookmark that one, thank you! I think I will test the PH tonight and make sure it isn't way off the charts one way or another as it sounded like that could effect the growth of bacteria also.

None of the stores here would give me anything from their tanks, so I have no seed material. I know two weeks isn't a long time to actually cycle a tank, but in over two weeks shouldn't the ammonia levels have moved a little? I thought it took a few days maybe a week, then they came down slowly...

Okay, I've been fishless cycling for 2 weeks now, and my ammonia hasn't budged one little bit since the very first dose. It's at 4.0ppm. I know several people on here do not beleive in the bacteria in a bottle products, but I also know some of you have used them. At this point, I am willing to...

I have an AC70 on a 40b, and so far have nothing bad to say. There is a waterfall sound, the lower the water level, the louder it gets, however if water level is kept up, they are almost silent. I hear no motor/impellor noise at all, and my tank is located in the main living area of my home. I...