Fishless Cycling w/Clear ammonia and Nutrafin Cycle

[Rondory]

Edited to add that I just went with the Biospira.

 

[fishygurl]

Cycle is useless. I used it and it didnt help one bit!

 

[toddnbecka]

The quickest way to establish a new tank is to use filter media from an established setup. If you can get used cartridges from someone that fit your filter, that's the easiest way to start. If not, siphoning a bit of muck from the gravel of an established aquarium and pouring it into the new filter will also jump-start the biofilter. Either way, you are adding the necessary bacteria to the tank, they just need time to multiply.

 

[Rondory]

The quickest way to establish a new tank is to use filter media from an established setup. If you can get used cartridges from someone that fit your filter, that's the easiest way to start. If not, siphoning a bit of muck from the gravel of an established aquarium and pouring it into the new filter will also jump-start the biofilter. Either way, you are adding the necessary bacteria to the tank, they just need time to multiply.

I know no one that has a fish tank that I can ask. I tried asking at the LFS and they weren't very helpful.

Darn, maybe I will have to try the Biospira. Easy and cheap for me to get here.

I really don't want to add fish until I have the tank fully cycled. You have to add fish when you add Biospira, right?

What is the best thing for me to do now? Drain and start over?

 

[toddnbecka]

Don't drain it, just wait. I'm not familiar with biospira, but as long as there's ammonia in the water, the bacteria will have something to grow on. Fish produce ammonia, or you dump some in, either way it's in there. No one at your lfs is willing to siphon some muck out of a tank for you? I suppose they are more interested in selling you bottled bacteria than giving it away, but that's really lame regardless. How long has the setup been running since you added the cycle?

 

[Rondory]

Thanks for your message, but I got anxious and drained out 80% of the water this morning and now my ammonia level is 3ppm vs 5ppm or higher. I feel much more comfortable with this level. I will add live bacteria, test daily and continue to feed it with a tiny bit of ammonia until I'm ready to add fish.