Ammonia wont go away!
- Thread starter missie
- Start date
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jetajockey
come get me tang police!
I have my python hooked up out in the garden, and I have one hose attached to the top of it that comes from the tap out there, and the other hose runs to the fish room for siphon/refill.
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
You don't want to completely rid of the ammonia, it's what the bacteria colony builds on. The idea is to keep it as low as possible for the sake of the fish, and if you dose a detoxifying water conditioner it will keep them safe for a period of 24-48 hours.
I really like the sound of that, but I don't want little baby snails that I want going out there..darnit! Also I haven't vac'd up a little shrimp or fry yet but after recently discovering killifish fry while vac'ing, I'm paranoid about it.
I would say 24 hours. I know the effectiveness of Prime when it comes to detoxifying ammo and nitrite is very temporary. I'd be curious to see exactly what timeframe the folks at Seachum would say though..I need to email them. I agree you will only stall your cycle further if you rid the tank of all the ammo..only do more than 50% if your ammo is over .25, or do more than one water change that day.
I would say 24 hours. I know the effectiveness of Prime when it comes to detoxifying ammo and nitrite is very temporary. I'd be curious to see exactly what timeframe the folks at Seachum would say though..I need to email them. I agree you will only stall your cycle further if you rid the tank of all the ammo..only do more than 50% if your ammo is over .25, or do more than one water change that day.
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
When cycling with fish, keeping it below .25 is enough of a challenge. The worry of keeping it too low would never cross my mind in 100 years. The other question I have, I know Prime temporarily detoxifies the ammo and no2...but I'm sure it's not that simple. Otherwise dosing every day with Prime and not doing pwc's would be acceptable. It's not. There's obviously more to it.
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
I asked them on their seachem forum a while back and they said it was up to 48 hours. Have a look around there, it may have changed, IDK.
With my tanks that have fry in them I put a sponge on the end of the tube so it doesn't suck anything up. It doesn't help when trying to get mulm up, but most tanks are planted anyway so I like mulm :]
Well she's doing good keeping it below .25, but shouldn't expect zero until the cycle is complete. Her cycle is already taking a hundred years so we don't need it getting delayed further. That what we were trying to explain.
Some people do think it's acceptable and use Prime that way.
Oh that's awesome..I've always went with 24 to be on the safe side because I wasn't sure!
Yeah I'm not expecting fry anywhere. If it happens, it's a surprise
So no 90% water changes? I only want to do it because i dont want my fishies getting ammonia burn..I have 2 kids so doing 2 different water changes is sometimes a challenge. I just want to make sure im not killing the poor fishies. But- if doing that would stall my cycle furthur than i just have to keep up with pwc . i am currently doing 2 a day...most days. I can keep it at 0.25 that way..It seems my fish are doing better too.. the mollies were really skittish for a few days and hiding.. they are greeting me once again so thats good sign.
how long do these cycles last??
how long do these cycles last??
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
I wouldn't do 90% water changes just because it can be hard on the fish. I try to stick with ~50% water changes at a time. Have you tried cutting back on feeding a bit? That'll help keep the ammonia down also. Cycling can take 6-8 weeks, it takes longer if you have to do frequent water changes, but the water changes are done for the sake of the fish rather than the bacteria.
Missie - I don't want to beat a dead horse, but again, this would be easier without quite so many fish in there...without the mollies the ammo wouldn't build up so fast.
First test the pH of your water right out of the tap and compare it to your tanks pH. If they are the same or dang close, do a 90%. If the pH is off, let it sit in the bucket for an hour, and test it again. If the pH is still not real close to the tank pH, don't do over a 50% water change. In fact if it's drastically different I wouldn't even do 50. Temp matching is also crucial on a larger water change (always of course, but even more so). Use a thermometer or a temp gun to get a perfect match.
I'm answering that question not as cycling expert, but as a mom of three kids.
First test the pH of your water right out of the tap and compare it to your tanks pH. If they are the same or dang close, do a 90%. If the pH is off, let it sit in the bucket for an hour, and test it again. If the pH is still not real close to the tank pH, don't do over a 50% water change. In fact if it's drastically different I wouldn't even do 50. Temp matching is also crucial on a larger water change (always of course, but even more so). Use a thermometer or a temp gun to get a perfect match.
I'm answering that question not as cycling expert, but as a mom of three kids.
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
missie said:
Easy! Click on the link in my signature!
thanks eco- really helpful. I currently use a carbon filter...if i want to buy a better filter and if i buy filter media other than carbon... can i throw the carbon filter away or should i use it as seeding material.. i only ask cuz your signature says use seeding material from a healthy tank...well- i dont exacltly have a healthy tank .... seems like a lame question but i dont want to screw up twice.
mdawg75
Aquarium Advice FINatic
missie, Your doing the best thing, trying to get your tank cycled and asking smart folks on this site to help you through(like eco23) just have patience and dont stress too much on it. The cycling is a must and can be evil for us waiting but when ya get through it (sooner than ya think) It will be soooo worth it.
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
missie said:
Hi missie!
As long as none of the fish were sick with disease or parasites, the carbon cartridge will be a good seeding media for a fishless cycle. Personally I would take some scissors, cut a slit down the side and shake the actual carbon into the trash. Then you can stick the actual cartridge back in. While it's not from a fully cycled tank, it will still have some of the beneficial bacteria that has grown on it.
If you're going to do a fishless cycle...I'd try to start as soon as possible. Any beneficial bacteria that is in the tank does not have an ammonia source to feed it since the fish have been removed. It the tank sits empty too long the bacteria will die off. If you're going to use a bottle of pure ammo (much better option than fish food or shrimp), just double check in the guide to make sure you're getting the right stuff. I'd try Ace Hardware if you've got one near by.
Shoot me any questions here or on the guide thread...good luck! And thanks for the compliment mdawg
mdawg75
Aquarium Advice FINatic
No Prob eco23 Your post's among many others have helped me soo much so far. Just when ya think things are going perfect the tank or the fish do something weird and I gotta read more and more.
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
missie said:
Yay! Remind me, you have an API kit right? You've really got to get the ammo around 4ppm. Just add a little, let it circulate for 15 minutes, test, add more if needed, etc...
Feel free to shoot me any questions either here, my guide or PM...good luck!
