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[aqua hobbyist]

How much ammonia am I supposed to add for a 10 gallon filter?

 

[christine2012]

Paytertot left you a really good article on fishless cycling. Definitely read it it explains everything.

 

[paytertot]

There's also a calculator for ammonia at the bottom of the page at
http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm

 

[christine2012]

Your tank will need to be empty for this, aside from plants. Do you know someone with a healthy tank? If so, see if you can nab some of their filter media. I've cycled a tank in 3 weeks this way.

 

[calfishguy]

Some lfs will give you media for free if you ask.

 

[aqua hobbyist]

Could I just use my old filter media,i save them every time I replace my cartridge, would I be Ble to use those?

What do you mean my tank needs to be empty

If I used an old filter cartridge, do I still need to use the ammonia?

 

[Bubbles0oO]

If the cartridges are dried out then all rhe BB has died. And your tank cant have anything living in it ( excluding plants) and yes you need to use ammonia with an old filter cartridge, it feeds the BB

 

[paytertot]

If I used an old filter cartridge, do I still need to use the ammonia?

try to only post once at a time for simplicity's sake, if you need to add more, you can use the edit option.
to answer your questions:
1. if they were kept wet and had oxygen, yes you can use them.
2. if you are doing a fishless cycle, then it needs to be just that: fishless.
3. you still need to add ammonia if you use old media, the ammonia is the food source for the BB (beneficial bacteria) it keeps them alive and multiplying.

 

[paytertot]

read the two articles i linked you to. then you may want to read this one too..

Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

 

[aqua hobbyist]

When I started my first tank, I never cycled it and all the fish did fine.

I'm going to choose to do cycling with ghost shrimp, since I won't have to buy ammonia and I will add fish slowly.

Can I just cycle the tank with no ammonia, new filter cartridge, and just add food into it?

 

[paytertot]

I'm going to choose to do cycling with ghost shrimp, since I won't have to buy ammonia and I will add fish slowly.

good luck with that, shrimp dont have much of a bioload and they can be sensitive. i can gaurantee you will lose some fish. ammonia doesnt cost very much, and if you arent willing to spend even that much, i dont think you picked the right hobby. jmho.

 

[aqua hobbyist]

Can I just cycle the tank by restarting the tank and just add fish food in?

 

[Bubbles0oO]

No fish food makes too small of an impact. If yiu truly wan a fish tank then read the Fishless cycling and fish in cycling articles, they are the right way to do it. There is no other proper ways.

 

[aqua hobbyist]

How much does ammonia usually cost, I'm going to get it, how do I know if I'm done cycling?

 

[paytertot]

Can I just cycle the tank by restarting the tank and just add fish food in?

Thats messy, inacurate, takes longer, and requires more water changes. why are you making this more difficult than it needs to be for yourself? and us... honestly...
serious question, why can you not just buy the ammonia and do the fishless cycle? and be honest, have you read any of the 3 articles i posted for you? because you need to. this isnt high school , you really cant get away without doing your homework. lol

 

[Bubbles0oO]

Idk, but it shouldn't be expensive.

 

[christine2012]

Literally 2 dollars

 

[paytertot]

How much does ammonia usually cost?

lol. bro. i dont really know, it depends on where you live and where you get it from. ACE brand janitorial ammonia is around $6 a gallon. it has to be pure ammonia.

 

[aqua hobbyist]

Why would I need a gallon of ammonia, I thought it was just a bottle or something!!!

 

[paytertot]

Why would I need a gallon of ammonia, I thought it was just a bottle or something!!!

it was just an example! they also have a quart for like 4 bucks or something