How to start a cycle only using fish food

[CobaltBlue]

I'm starting a 55g Malawi fish tank but I can't get hold of pure ammonia, so I'm using fish food as an alternative . I have a 2217 Eheim classic canister filter with 2x power heads and a jäger heater. It's been a week now and my fish tank is getting milky and the food is decaying. Do you think I should leave the decaying food in there or take it out. I'm also using 9 neon tetras to kick start the process, my ammonia is at 2.0ppm with no 0 nitrites and 0 no nitrates. Will the milky look go away eventually or do I have to clean it, also I'm using seachem stability to kick start the process does this product really work?. Also What cichlids should I put in the tank when it's cycled?.

 

[Ryeseen]

I would cut down on the over feeding and just let thing happen. It takes 4 weeks or so. You can go to you lfs and get some bacteria in a bottle. So people think this does not work. But it did for me. PETCO has one called colony, worked grate!

 

[CobaltBlue]

Cheers ill get some this week

 

[shellieca]

I'm starting a 55g Malawi fish tank but I can't get hold of pure ammonia, so I'm using fish food as an alternative . I have a 2217 Eheim classic canister filter with 2x power heads and a jäger heater. It's been a week now and my fish tank is getting milky and the food is decaying. Do you think I should leave the decaying food in there or take it out. I'm also using 9 neon tetras to kick start the process, my ammonia is at 2.0ppm with no 0 nitrites and 0 no nitrates. Will the milky look go away eventually or do I have to clean it, also I'm using seachem stability to kick start the process does this product really work?. Also What cichlids should I put in the tank when it's cycled?.

An ammonia reading of 2ppm is dangerous to the fish you have in there. Are you planning to keep the fish? You should either go strictly with fish food or fish, IMO. You're already using Stability & if it used correctly it does help IME, there's no need to go buy another bacteria booster at this time but that's completely up to you. Nitrites can show up any time a week to 2 into the cycle.

 

[CobaltBlue]

Nah I don't care about the neons there like a dollar a fish. But I do know that their gills a probably burning right now but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to take. And cheers for the heads up I'll test my water next week to see if I have nitrites.

 

[CobaltBlue]

Would the cichlids eat the neons when I put them in the tank?

 

[shellieca]

Sorry to hear that's how you feel about the tetras. I don't know about Cichlids but I would imagine the would eat them if they can.

 

[Old Scales]

Cobalt, be glad your momma didn't think of you as "just a dollar baby". Sheesh!
"Respect all creatures great & small as God didn't make any junk" OS.

 

[CobaltBlue]

Alright I'll do a water change to put the ammonia down. But there probably gonna get eaten in probably 2 weeks from now because I'm putting African cichlids in.

 

[okapizebra]

There's no reason to deliberately make your fish suffer. I'd stick to either food or the fish in cycle. I doubt the neons are contributing much to the bioload anyways in such a large tank. Please have some respect for them, they may be cheap but they're still a living creature that is at your mercy.