Quick advice on fishless cycling

[Rach88]

Ok so I have a new tank on the way (180 litre) and want to do a fishless cycle. I'm in the uk and can no longer seem to get household ammonia or the like anymore. Id rather not use the dead shrimp approach due to the smell. So I asked at my LFS today for advice and they told me to use interpet filter start or nutrafin cycle. So I done some research and found that basically neither of these products will work, which is no surprise tbh. However on further research I've found that it seems many people here in the uk use a product called "biomature" and "bacterlife" by waterlife. Judging by reviews this product seems to be effective and from what I can gather it actually contains a % of ammonia so I think it might actually work. So what I'd like to know is if anyone here has had experience with these products and wether it actually will work to cycle my tank. What do you think?

 

[librarygirl]

You can't get Boots or Homebase ammonia? I've never heard of the Waterlife products but I did a quick search and some have used it, it seems like it adds ammonia to the tank? I'm not familar with it but if you can't get anything else it might be worth a try.

 

[Rach88]

I've looked in two local homebase stores and can't find it, as for boots I've not been in store but just checked online and can't find it on their online selection. I've even checked almost every label of regular household cleaners in tesco and asda trying to find one that has ammonia in and still no luck! Did ammonia get banned here?. I'll try in store at boots when I can If not I'll go for the waterlife stuff and pray it works as its kinda expensive.. Thanks for the info about the boots one as I didn't know they (might) Do it so I'll try there first

 

[LyndaB]

Do you already have an existing tank set up? Couldn't tell by your post.

 

[Rach88]

I do BUT that tank is currently infested with ich and will be my quarantine tank for new fish once the new tank is up and running. I also have another tank I've just shut down to make room for the new tank. Were you going to suggest using the substrate or media?

 

[LyndaB]

The media...... the substrate doesn't make enough of a difference.

I would wait until about 2 weeks after ich has ended to seed your new filter with your existing media. You know, you can always use fish food to cycle the new tank, if you really don't want to use the existing stuff.

 

[Rach88]

I thought about the fish flake but I figure it'd take an awful lot of it to cycle a tank that size? I'm happy to use the media from my other tank just wasn't sure due to the ich. The media from the tank I've just shut down is still wet, if I keep it wet will I be able to use that? Also the tank that media is in had medication used in it a short time ago, could I still use it or would that be a bad idea?

 

[LyndaB]

Did you lose all your fish in the ich tank?

I know that ich needs a host fish to survive, however, I don't know if it's a wise thing to utilize that filter to seed a new tank.

Also, even though you're keeping the media wet, the beneficial bacteria needs ammonia to survive.

 

[Rach88]

Nope, i had 4 fish in the tank ive just shut down, transferred one to my other (quarantine) tank before the ich outbreak (probably the cause of the ich in this one) lost one fish after the ich outbreak and the last two are now in a quarantine tank at my LFS who kindly took them in to nurse them back to health.
In that case I'll just throw the media out rather than use it in the new tank.
But It would be ok to use the media from my quarantine tank (never had meds in) after the ich has been gone a few weeks?

 

[Rach88]

Quick update! I've just found what is possibly the best LFS in my area! They will give/sell me mature media in the form of ceramic balls taken from a matured tank. From what they told me over the phone they have a tank in which loads of these media balls are kept and they continually add a source of ammonia to keep up the BB and it is continually tested. I'm thinking this is the way to go, they also supply a small amount of ammonia for the tank with these balls. What do you guys think? Good plan?

 

[librarygirl]

Quick update! I've just found what is possibly the best LFS in my area! They will give/sell me mature media in the form of ceramic balls taken from a matured tank. From what they told me over the phone they have a tank in which loads of these media balls are kept and they continually add a source of ammonia to keep up the BB and it is continually tested. I'm thinking this is the way to go, they also supply a small amount of ammonia for the tank with these balls. What do you guys think? Good plan?

YES!!! I wish all LFS did this!!

 

[Rach88]

So do I now! I've been through 4 different LFS's since I started this hobby only a couple months ago and all of them give horrendous advice and don't inform you about cycling let alone providing established media. Their site is also really useful for help with stocking and finding out requirements for almost every fish species available. All the info you need in one place! So glad I found them

 

[maestromad]

Sounds good is a major chain or local?

 

[Rach88]

I think it's small chain. I know of 4 stores between where I live and London

Here's a link to their website if you want to take a look
http://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/default.aspx

Edit: I just checked, it's a much larger chain than I realised lol. Stores all over uk

 

[maestromad]

Ahh a maidenhead aquatics store they are a fairly large chain but the ones by me seem to look after their fish and have reasonable knowledge

 

[Rach88]

Best ones I've found, and the only one local to me which actually give good advice. I've heard great reviews about them and so far i'm extremely happy with them