Cycle with fish food

[Moe36]

I cant find pure ammonia here (they have ingredients on the side), and my parents cant bring anything outside of their work (shes a chemist). Ive heard of fish food used as ammonia; will it work? How much do i add in a 20g high? Any particular brand?

Specs:

20g high
Whisper 20
100W heater
Sand substrate
Driftwood and rock
Lights
DIY hood
DIY CO2
Fish Food
Dechlors'

 

[Keeper]

A really good way to do a fishless cycle is to buy a raw peice of shrimp and toss it in the tank. As it starts to decay, it will produce ammonia and the cycle will be on its way.

 

[Moe36]

Really? 8O

I thought that was only for SW aquariums.
How many pieces? And how long do you leave it in..

Sorry for all the Q's.
Thanks.

 

[Keeper]

Did you read the article on fishless cycling under the SW section. If not here it is.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

It expains it much better than I could. What type of tank are you starting up?

 

[deli_conker]

I usually use a chunk of frozen bloodworms. Since they sink really well I'll usually put them in a clean coffee mug so they don't gunk up the tank/filter. The 30 gal I'm running is being done this way and after 3-4 days I have an ammonia reading of about .5 ppm.

I've heard about the shrimp method but it has one undesirable side effect; since the shrimp floats (usually) it stinks up the area around the tank as it rots. I've never done it this way personally, but I have heard stories more than once about it...

 

[krap101]

have you tried walmart? all of the walmarts around here have it. its called "clear ammonia" and its in the cleaning products/bleach isle.

actually 2/3 of them have it but its just because i havent checked the other one