Going to LFS to get established media: What to ask for?

[firteen888]

Hey all,

So it's been a while since I started my fishless cycle, and frankly it's just not working. In nearly 4 weeks, there has been absolutely NO change in any of my testings. Ammo is still at 4 like when I started (I initially thought it went down but it hadn't, it was just wishful thinking) and there are no traces of nitrites/nitrates. I know it could be weeks still even after the nitrites show up for the tank to cycle, but honestly this is just stupid at this point. I spent all this money to stare at an empty tank. I've been patient for almost a month now and I would be willing to wait longer if I knew something was happening, but it's not.

So basically, before I attemp a fish-in cycle, I'm going to stop by my LFS and beg for some established media. My question is, what exactly should I ask for? Can they just give me a handful of gravel from any one of their tanks? if they do give me some gravel, can they just put it in a bag and it will stay established until I get home? How do i put it in my tank?

Any help would be appreciated

 

[Mr. Limpet]

You could ask, I've heard mixed reviews trying it. Some LFS will, some won't and I think there was a thread where someone got something from the seeded material (ick?). My best suggestion is to get a bundle or 2 of anacharis and toss them right in (don't rinse). BB attached themselves to everything, including plants and they're a natural addition. You might see a slight drop in ammo (plants like it), but if you keep an eye on ammo and no2, you'll know what's using it.

Either way, good luck!

 

[firteen888]

now I'm more confused than ever, lol. You're saying getting established media from my LFS isn't a good idea? Everyone else seems to say otherwise. No offense, I appreciate the response but maybe I can get the opinion of others as well. I'm new to this whole thing and don't plan on putting real plants in my tank.

 

[Hobgob]

Getting some filter media is fine there's just those chances. The store might say no, you could get some desease from it but it would help with cycling really good IMO

 

[Hubert90]

now I'm more confused than ever, lol. You're saying getting established media from my LFS isn't a good idea? Everyone else seems to say otherwise. No offense, I appreciate the response but maybe I can get the opinion of others as well. I'm new to this whole thing and don't plan on putting real plants in my tank.

Well what mr limpet is trying to say is that if ur LFS filter media contain any sorta disease it will be passed on to u. Frankly, I agree with him too. I'm sure u are close coz last when i last did my fishless cycle it last for just over 4 weeks. Throughout Those weeks my parameters stayed the same then one day it dropped to 0 (cycled) . My nitrite lvl through out those period was a constant 0.

So that may happen to u too

 

[Mr. Limpet]

now I'm more confused than ever, lol. You're saying getting established media from my LFS isn't a good idea? Everyone else seems to say otherwise. No offense, I appreciate the response but maybe I can get the opinion of others as well. I'm new to this whole thing and don't plan on putting real plants in my tank.

The plants are simply to help seed your tank with bacteria. You can simply toss them out once your cycle has kicked into high gear. I suggested anacharis for a couple reasons, it's cheap (I get bundles for .99), it's natural and they don't need to be planted since they can be floated.

As I (and others) indicated, your LFS store may not even sell media to you, much less give you any and like plants, gravel holds a limited amount of bacteria but it also carries with it all possibility of disease. Everyone of my LFS never plants Anacharis so you limit contact with the substrate and there's no question about getting any.

 

[Pecktec]

The plants are simply to help seed your tank with bacteria. You can simply toss them out once your cycle has kicked into high gear. I suggested anacharis for a couple reasons, it's cheap (I get bundles for .99), it's natural and they don't need to be planted since they can be floated.

As I (and others) indicated, your LFS store may not even sell media to you, much less give you any and like plants, gravel holds a limited amount of bacteria but it also carries with it all possibility of disease. Everyone of my LFS never plants Anacharis so you limit contact with the substrate and there's no question about getting any.

Yea although you may be fine with fish store gravel or filter parts those places (some not all) are like factories moving fish in and out all week so there more likely to have exotic issues that say a buddy with an established tank won't have. That being said it sounds like you’re like me with not a lot of fish pals and hey its better than nothing. The plant part is a good idea for bacteria but they don’t really like ammonia as much as people think they eat the end product of the cycle Nitrate. One of my favorite tricks is to get a piece of drift wood in one of the displays as they carry a lot of the good bacteria as well. Most of my other tanks have Bio wheels so I float them in new tanks or swap them out if it will take a bio wheel as well. What kind of filter are you using?

 

[firteen888]

What kind of filter are you using?

It's the aqueon 30 (I have a 29 gallon tank). Unfortunately I don't know anyone with an established tank who is willing to give me anything, so I guess i'll just wait another week and if I don't see any change, I'll start over with a fish-in cycle. At least I can say I gave it a try, lol.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Yea although you may be fine with fish store gravel or filter parts those places (some not all) are like factories moving fish in and out all week so there more likely to have exotic issues that say a buddy with an established tank won't have. That being said it sounds like you’re like me with not a lot of fish pals and hey its better than nothing. The plant part is a good idea for bacteria but they don’t really like ammonia as much as people think they eat the end product of the cycle Nitrate. One of my favorite tricks is to get a piece of drift wood in one of the displays as they carry a lot of the good bacteria as well. Most of my other tanks have Bio wheels so I float them in new tanks or swap them out if it will take a bio wheel as well. What kind of filter are you using?

Not so true IMO/E. Plants will eat most anything they can including ammo, they just process no3 better and in an established tank there's more no3 than ammo. Anacharis in particular will use ammo quiet readily and that's one reason why I suggest it over other plants, plus it cheap .

DW in a LFS tank is a good idea, or a rock. But most times there isn't one and if there is, they may not sell it.

If the OP wants to give something else a shot, I've heard mixed reviews of Tetra SafeStart. My LFS only carries that as a bacteria in a bottle concoction and they keep it refrigerated so the BB stay dormant until it's ready to use. The rest are nothing more than snake oil IMO.

 

[James_in_MN]

As I (and others) indicated, your LFS store may not even sell media to you, much less give you any and like plants, gravel holds a limited amount of bacteria but it also carries with it all possibility of disease. Everyone of my LFS never plants Anacharis so you limit contact with the substrate and there's no question about getting any.

I don't think I'd be willing to go the gravel route. Not only could it have diseases, but you could also get pest snails, planaria, nemotodes, or some other not-so-special hitchiker.

Filter media would be your best option IMO.

 

[Hubert90]

U can try java moss! They too like ammonia

 

[firteen888]

What could the reason be that my tank isn't cycling? I'm doing everything right, I just don't get it.

 

[Fishy123]

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.

 

[firteen888]

Beginning to think this fishless cycling thing is a joke fish keepers play on newbies.

I'm with you there. It seems like every newbie around here has problems and can't get their tanks succesfully cycled. I'm really trying to do this the right way but it seems impossible. There's not much more I can do other than what I've already done.

 

[Pecktec]

Unfortunately it really is a waiting game. Fish in or fish out both work. I normally do fish in, but because I have so many aquariums I have lots of bacteria to add. And I do it slowly with just one guppy. I had the same problems with my first tank so ever since I keep extra media in my filters or get filters with exchangeable media (Bio Wheels, sponges) to start up new tanks. And my ammonia never goes very high at all.

 

[MonsterfishGuy]

I do the same!!
Ask your lfs some old foam or polywool from a demo tank, Less chance of ick or something else.
If there is no demo tank, ask for one in a tank where the fish does'nt sell well so Less risk.

But the best of all is to wait, its long when you dont add bacteria.
Do you remove chlorine?

 

[doublenerds]

I also don't have a friend I can mooch some media off of, so I went to my lfs and I asked if I could buy a bag of used media from them. They were very pleasant about it and they gave me a bag of ceramic tubes from one of their canister filters.

I have been watching this store closely for probably 7-8 weeks now, and the fish have been consistently healthy and the tanks clean and well cared for. I know that doesn't guarantee that the media is disease-free...but heck, I'm gonna buy fish from them later and I can't guarantee that THOSE won't bring disease to the tank either!

I am cycling 2 new tanks right now - one has a power filter and the other has a canister filter. I opened the used media bag and pulled out about 10 ceramic tubes and put them in the power filter, making sure they are submerged or in the output flow but not clogging anything up. I then put the rest of the bag in my canister filter on the other tank, right where it is supposed to go

Actually, firteen, I think you live on Long Island, right? I got mine from Aqua Hut in Coram. They charged me a couple of bucks for the bag, basically to cover cost of replacement.

Good luck!

 

[firteen888]

Actually, firteen, I think you live on Long Island, right?

Yup, I've been meaning to go to Aquahut. I'll give them a shot. Thanks

 

[Pecktec]

I also don't have a friend I can mooch some media off of, so I went to my lfs and I asked if I could buy a bag of used media from them. They were very pleasant about it and they gave me a bag of ceramic tubes from one of their canister filters.

I have been watching this store closely for probably 7-8 weeks now, and the fish have been consistently healthy and the tanks clean and well cared for. I know that doesn't guarantee that the media is disease-free...but heck, I'm gonna buy fish from them later and I can't guarantee that THOSE won't bring disease to the tank either!

I am cycling 2 new tanks right now - one has a power filter and the other has a canister filter. I opened the used media bag and pulled out about 10 ceramic tubes and put them in the power filter, making sure they are submerged or in the output flow but not clogging anything up. I then put the rest of the bag in my canister filter on the other tank, right where it is supposed to go

Cool deal. The filter material will help a lot and probably safer than the gravel.

 

[doublenerds]

The plant part is a good idea for bacteria but they don’t really like ammonia as much as people think they eat the end product of the cycle Nitrate.

OK, this is nit-picky and technical but the studies I am aware of demonstrate that the majority of aquatic plants prefer ammonia to nitrates, and can also take up ammonia as much as 5 times faster than nitrates.

It is true that in ammonia will inhibit the uptake of nitrates and plants actually seem to grow better if they use nitrates....but they still like ammonia better