Noob here made a mistake, hoping you guys/gals can help.

[cichlidpaul]

Cycling takes forever, but it's worth it in the end. Thank all of you for the invaluable information you have provided me. We should do something about those darn lfs

Now that a good call as some lfs stink in just talking about that on here with someone else
I would shut some of them down tomorrow and not loose any sleep

 

[WendiDell]

They aren't stupid questions. It was a stupid sales person that gave you the standard bad advice. And you were smart enough to look elsewhere for the right answers.
Ask all the questions you need to. That's why AA is here. To many stores give bad information so they can make a bigger sale.
At this point don't even ask the store about cycling your tank. They will instantly try to sell you all kinds of things with bacteria or to colonize bacteria or whatever. It's all a waste of money, there are NO additives that will cycle your tank. It just takes time.
Unless you know someone with an already established filter that they will loan to you. Run it and yours at the same time. The used filter will help bacteria grow in the new filter and in your gravel and on the fake plants & decorations.
Nothing the store will sell you can do that.
The store makes a lot of money selling CRUD that is useless, to the new fish keepers.
Before you buy, ask if it works here on AA. It can save you hundreds of dollars. I wish I had known about AA when I first started. I get nauseous if I think about how much money and how many fish I lost in the beginning, just from asking the "expert" at the store.
Good luck to you and welcome to AA your soon to be favorite place to hang out.

+1

I wish on had AA before I got my tank. I got the same advice you had. "24hrs before you add fish"

I bought 3 bottles of stress zyme and it did nothing. After the first one did nothing they said try another then another.

If you know some one with an established tank you can borrow some gravel or filter medium and put it in your water flow. This is the best way to speed things up.[/QUOTE]

One thing that new tank owners can do to help is to make their own seed materials. I've done it for extra seed in case I have to completely clean a tank because of disease or death. And in 1case, when the city water had something in it that made my new fish in QT, die in two hours after a PWC. It was only one day that the water was toxic (not to humans) and I just happened to do a PWC in 2 of my tanks. The water killed 6 young Danio in the 10g QT and made an Angelfish and Gold Pleco violently ill. I was shocked when they made it through the night. But I had 25g of Bottled water to use instead of tap (emergency water), so I took everything out of the QT and rinsed the tank and everything in it, in clean fresh water. Filled it up with the Bottled water and put the 2 surviving fish in the QT to see if I could save them, I did.
But I also had to do the same with the 55g tank, there by destroying all the nitrAtes in it. But because I had my 5 gallon bucket that does nothing but grow nitrAtes with extra filter media and gravel I was able to cycle my tank in 5 days, instead of a month. The 10g Qt was way to small for the Pleco and Angelfish, the bio load was to much for the filter and even with twice a day PWC the Ammonia wouldn't stay below .25ppm. The fish had already been burned by the bad tap water. The last thing they needed was ammonia burns on top of it. So I needed to get them into a cycled tank fast. Waiting a month wasn't an option.
Anyone that wants to build a new tank can start the bucket for almost nothing. I got an old used 5g bucket, sterilized it. Then went Walmart and bought their cheapest heater. No way to change the temp, but who needs to on a bucket. Also got the cheapest 2-10g internal filter and a really cheap bag of gravel. Set it up under my cichlid tank, out of the way, fed it and just let it grow. As soon as it had nitrAtes I added spare filter media for each of my filters. So they sit there and grow more nitrAtes.
If you set it up before you set up your new tank, you will have NitrAtes ready for your new tank and it will cycle much quicker. Plus it's safer than using someone else's filter media, you know it's disease free.
It's a way to speed up the cycle process. The only real way I've found that works and doesn't cost a lot like the garbage they sell at FS, that doesn't do anything. And it's always available to you in an emergency.

 

[Deckape]

What is what i have done lol on my 120th tank been going on a cycle now for three weeks or just over and in still not close but no one said it was easy all good things come to those that wait i guess

120th kinda made me believe you had 120 tanks

 

[TaiN]

One thing that new tank owners can do to help is to make their own seed materials. I've done it for extra seed in case I have to completely clean a tank because of disease or death. And in 1case, when the city water had something in it that made my new fish in QT, die in two hours after a PWC. It was only one day that the water was toxic (not to humans) and I just happened to do a PWC in 2 of my tanks. The water killed 6 young Danio in the 10g QT and made an Angelfish and Gold Pleco violently ill. I was shocked when they made it through the night. But I had 25g of Bottled water to use instead of tap (emergency water), so I took everything out of the QT and rinsed the tank and everything in it, in clean fresh water. Filled it up with the Bottled water and put the 2 surviving fish in the QT to see if I could save them, I did.
But I also had to do the same with the 55g tank, there by destroying all the nitrAtes in it. But because I had my 5 gallon bucket that does nothing but grow nitrAtes with extra filter media and gravel I was able to cycle my tank in 5 days, instead of a month. The 10g Qt was way to small for the Pleco and Angelfish, the bio load was to much for the filter and even with twice a day PWC the Ammonia wouldn't stay below .25ppm. The fish had already been burned by the bad tap water. The last thing they needed was ammonia burns on top of it. So I needed to get them into a cycled tank fast. Waiting a month wasn't an option.
Anyone that wants to build a new tank can start the bucket for almost nothing. I got an old used 5g bucket, sterilized it. Then went Walmart and bought their cheapest heater. No way to change the temp, but who needs to on a bucket. Also got the cheapest 2-10g internal filter and a really cheap bag of gravel. Set it up under my cichlid tank, out of the way, fed it and just let it grow. As soon as it had nitrAtes I added spare filter media for each of my filters. So they sit there and grow more nitrAtes.
If you set it up before you set up your new tank, you will have NitrAtes ready for your new tank and it will cycle much quicker. Plus it's safer than using someone else's filter media, you know it's disease free.
It's a way to speed up the cycle process. The only real way I've found that works and doesn't cost a lot like the garbage they sell at FS, that doesn't do anything. And it's always available to you in an emergency.

I must say this is really good advise. Im in the middle of seeding a tank right now and was looking for this very information.

+1

 

[Deckape]

I really think that is very clever and great info. You get cool points from me!

 

[WendiDell]

I really think that is very clever and great info. You get cool points from me!

Thank you Deckape, I like points at my age.
But, I hope it helps people starting out, and those who have doing this awhile too.

I really hate to ask this of anyone but, if my advice does help, would you mind adding to those little green things. Just to show I helped someone.

 

[Deckape]

You have given more tools for the tool box. Thanks again

 

[Deckape]

Thank you Deckape, I like points at my age.
But, I hope it helps people starting out, and those who have doing this awhile too.

I really hate to ask this of anyone but, if my advice does help, would you mind adding to those little green things. Just to show I helped someone.

Got you hooked up.... No one seems to remember that, but I do!

 

[WendiDell]

You have given more tools for the tool box. Thanks again

Always happy to help where ever I can. Tools are a good thing. No matter the job, you can never have to many tools.
I love power tools, my ex used to put power tools in my stocking at Christmas.
I was like Tim Allen on Home improvement, " More Power".