sixtyfou
Aquarium Advice Freak
Seriously, I test, lots
I like that kind of thing.
I like that kind of thing.
Cycling a tank - is it necessary
- Thread starter pip walters
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
sixtyfou
Aquarium Advice Freak
Seriously, love numbers.
sixtyfou
Aquarium Advice Freak
Here is my cold tap.
No worries
T1KARMANN
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2012
- Messages
- 629
Use seachem stability
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
I kinda agree with sixty on this one. I can guarantee that most parents buying a fish tank to keep there child happy will take one look at the fishless cycle instructions (if they get that far) and call it quits. The reason they won't get that far is because a) the LFS won't let them take a fish home on the same day as the tank their child cries so they storm out (which I have seen lots of times) or b) they put too many fish in a small tank and they all die and call it quits. But if they'd have seen the instructions to do a fishless cycle first they'd have walked away anyway. I'm not saying it's rocket science, but they just want an uncomplicated way to make there child happy quickly. Just the mention of ammonia nitrites and nitrates and bacteria is enough to see some people switch off and lose interest when I'm talking about my tank.
I really would recommend a new starter to do a fish in cycle. You don't even have to explain the nitrogen cycle. Just say 'follow these steps and no fish will die'
1) add a small amount of small fish
2) skip feeding for a couple if days
3 feed lightly once a day
4) wait a week
5) repeat for future stocking
6) 25% water weekly
Now I do agree that an experienced hobbyist should check parameters but mum and Dad would probably get away without doing so or changing the water for a couple of weeks doing it this way. If you told them to by a £35 test kit in the shop they would think they were being ripped off like I was (half price on amazon) then they would have to go out and find pure ammonia then they would have to know about the nitrogen cycle and bacteria etc etc then test water daily checking colours on a chart etc etc.
If you told most people who go in to a fish store all this before they bought a tank then there would probably be no sales as the majority of people that go in to the store are mum and dad.
Now molli I know you are going to defend the fishless cycle to the cows come home. It works for you, you are experienced and know how to go about it, I get that and that's fine. But if both methods are carried out as they should be, there is no way that fishless cycling is easier and I do stress in the scenario where both methods are done correctly. Now in my opinion the only benefit of doing a fishless cycle is that if you mess up it doesn't matter. If you mess up fish in cycling then fish die (not good).
If your fish die. You go back to the shop and are more likely to listen to what you did wrong. You can then either walk away or carry on and let the fish keeping bug grip you, and join AA a little more wiser.
If you mess up a fish less cycle. You join AA in frustration asking for answers on why your cycle has stalled or are you at the end of your cycle or how much water to change to bring nitrites to a readable level or posting pictures of test tubes asking people to double check you aren't seeing things.
For a person with no idea you have to admit that a fish less cycle for all intent and purpose for the health if your fish is a lot more complicated.
I really would recommend a new starter to do a fish in cycle. You don't even have to explain the nitrogen cycle. Just say 'follow these steps and no fish will die'
1) add a small amount of small fish
2) skip feeding for a couple if days
3 feed lightly once a day
4) wait a week
5) repeat for future stocking
6) 25% water weekly
Now I do agree that an experienced hobbyist should check parameters but mum and Dad would probably get away without doing so or changing the water for a couple of weeks doing it this way. If you told them to by a £35 test kit in the shop they would think they were being ripped off like I was (half price on amazon) then they would have to go out and find pure ammonia then they would have to know about the nitrogen cycle and bacteria etc etc then test water daily checking colours on a chart etc etc.
If you told most people who go in to a fish store all this before they bought a tank then there would probably be no sales as the majority of people that go in to the store are mum and dad.
Now molli I know you are going to defend the fishless cycle to the cows come home. It works for you, you are experienced and know how to go about it, I get that and that's fine. But if both methods are carried out as they should be, there is no way that fishless cycling is easier and I do stress in the scenario where both methods are done correctly. Now in my opinion the only benefit of doing a fishless cycle is that if you mess up it doesn't matter. If you mess up fish in cycling then fish die (not good).
If your fish die. You go back to the shop and are more likely to listen to what you did wrong. You can then either walk away or carry on and let the fish keeping bug grip you, and join AA a little more wiser.
If you mess up a fish less cycle. You join AA in frustration asking for answers on why your cycle has stalled or are you at the end of your cycle or how much water to change to bring nitrites to a readable level or posting pictures of test tubes asking people to double check you aren't seeing things.
For a person with no idea you have to admit that a fish less cycle for all intent and purpose for the health if your fish is a lot more complicated.
sixtyfou
Aquarium Advice Freak
For the record, when my daughter asked for a fish I started setting things up three weeks before her birthday because I knew it would take me some time to get back into the swing of fish keeping. That's not how most parents get into this. It just isn't, and if you overload them with information they will ignore most of what you say.
I like to hang out at the LPS. The stuff to sales people have to deal with is cruel. I heard a guy yesterday ask, "Which of these fish can I keep in a glass?". The sales girl wanted to kick him in the ding ding. She couldn't talk him into a $20 rig. He sure as hell wasn't going to buy $50 worth of chem and test gear. Just getting him to do water changes might give this poor fish a fighting chance.
I like to hang out at the LPS. The stuff to sales people have to deal with is cruel. I heard a guy yesterday ask, "Which of these fish can I keep in a glass?". The sales girl wanted to kick him in the ding ding. She couldn't talk him into a $20 rig. He sure as hell wasn't going to buy $50 worth of chem and test gear. Just getting him to do water changes might give this poor fish a fighting chance.
sixtyfou
Aquarium Advice Freak
Science!
