The LFS condemned fishless cycling!

[ryorgason]

I was in there looking at fish today, and mentioned I was doing a fishless cycle with ammonia. The owner (I think) then proceeded to tell me how much better it is to cycle with fish, and how adding chemicals will hurt the fish, how he has 30 or 40 years experience and only cycles with fish, blah, blah, blah. So I continued looking at fish as he talked and I thought 'yea, whatever.' I told him I had done a fishless cycle before, but that only made him more determined to change my mind. Oh well, I came home to find seed material in my mailbox (thanks to LandGhoti), so I am proceeding with my humane fishless cycle as planned.

 

[tropicalfish]

You normally should not trust what the LFS guy says,... they just want you to buy the fish or salt or whatever and so that they can make money.

 

[LandGhoti]

Yay seed material! I hope it does the trick.

I have had hit or miss with LFS employees, and I actually can believe someone with that much experience would say something like that. I think some might get callous to the business after awhile. Last weekend I was at my LFS looking at a tank of turquoise rainbows. One was swimming upside down and falling to the gravel, obviously dying. The guy who always helps me was waiting for me to make up my mind and I told him there was a fish in there dying. So he reaches in, grabs it, pulls it out of the tank and holds it behind his back. 8O Like, if I don't see it, it's not happening. We proceeded then to have an argument about humane ways to euthanize a fish. He finally dropped the fish back in the tank. I'm sure if I'd not said anything, he would've tossed it in the trash and left it to thrash around until it suffocated... 8O 8O 8O

 

[SparKy697]

It's just so unlike the LFS people to have a different opinion than people on this forum!

 

[severum mama]

But of course... then he wouldn't have an excuse to try to sell you Cycle or some other such product!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

But of course! With a fishy cycle he sells you:

Cycle
Ammo Lock
pH down (because I'm sure that he'll find your pH to be off and that's what is killing your fish, not the immense ammonia)
25 fish
Several bottles of test strips
Tons of dechlorinator (for all those water changes you will be doing)

With a fishless cycle he sells you:
One bottle of dechlor
Freshwater Master Test Kit

 

[LandGhoti]

But of course! With a fishy cycle he sells you:

Cycle
Ammo Lock
pH down (because I'm sure that he'll find your pH to be off and that's what is killing your fish, not the immense ammonia)
25 fish
Several bottles of test strips
Tons of dechlorinator (for all those water changes you will be doing)

With a fishless cycle he sells you:
One bottle of dechlor
Freshwater Master Test Kit

LOL

 

[coldmachineUK]

Oh Good Lord, Cycle...don't get me started! I had the same thing at my LFS when I did a fishless cycle on my cichlid tank (primarily b/c the fish all had to be introduced at the same time to avoid territorial disputes).
I got yelled at, accused of 'poisoning' my tank, and all sorts. And that 'cycle' product was mentioned more than once - just as it had been before by the LFS employees.

Were they right? Not at all...
The fishless cycle worked spot on, cycled in 11 days, and all my fish were fine!

Don't always trust the LFS :S Sad as that is...

 

[ryorgason]

As it was, all I bought there was a bag of dog food, which is all I planned to buy today. I already have dechlor and a test kit. I think he was really trying to get me to buy a few fish, but instead he convinced me to look around some more and see what other aquatics stores there are around here. The fish there did look nice and healthy, and the tanks were all clean, but I don't appreciate it when someone tries to start an argument with me. Maybe he is just set in his ways and doesn't think any new way of cycling could possibly work.

I learned not to trust an LFS back when I got my first little tank and wanted a betta for it. I went to a couple of aquatics stores trying to get advice, and didn't learn a thing. My betta ended up dying of ammonia poisoning because I had no idea what cycling a tank was.

 

[theotheragentm]

I've never done a cycle with fish, but if you had a huge tank, would it be possible to cycle with one fish? Like if you had a 30 gallon tank, would one Platy have any problems? I'm just curious.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

ryorgason- Fishless cycling is a relatively new idea. It could be that he's never heard of it too. Regardless, he shouldn't have started an argument with you if he doesn't know the process. That's great that you stood your ground and didn't give in.

theotheragentm- Yes, you can. But it will take a lot longer than just fishless cycling.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Fishless cycling can be done, like Fishy said, but why go through the hassle? It's slower, more work, more money, etc. Much easier to just plop a raw shrimp or some ammonia in there, kick it back for 3-4 weeks, and be all done with it.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Linds- I think you mean FISHY cycling can be done.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Linds- I think you mean FISHY cycling can be done.

Errm, yeah. Thanks!

 

[7Enigma]

Can you see the hypocrisy? Unless this guy has never mentioned any of the products Fishyfanatic stated I would have laughed in his face on the spot. But I can guarantee you if someone sold an ammonia product and called it "Safe-cycle" or some other product he would sell that too. Probably to people cycling with fish!

And fishless cycling is still a very "new" method in the hobby. Many well respected members of the community outright dismiss the method as being a viable option. Some people even say its bad (like your store owner).

But that's when you know you've got something. For it to be attacked so vigorously it means you're hitting a keystone belief that they have a very adverse reaction to. Rather than looking critically at the new method, its much easier to dismiss it.

Just like it was once thought the world was flat, there was such a thing as spontaneous generation, and the Earth was the center of the Universe, people will look back on the barbaric method of cycling with fish with similar disdain.

 

[theotheragentm]

But that's when you know you've got something. For it to be attacked so vigorously it means you're hitting a keystone belief that they have a very adverse reaction to. Rather than looking critically at the new method, its much easier to dismiss it.

You could also be an idiot. Believe me. I've been that idiot so many times, thinking that all the people just wanted to see me proved wrong and that was it. In this case though, there is a valid point using the nitrogen cycle and measuring with a test kit.

 

[JTAM963]

Is cycle really that bad? I've used it when starting up my tanks and haven't lost much fish...jw

 

[tropicfishman]

I've never losta fish doing a cycle with fish, they never been harmed, all you have to do is stay on top of everything so the fish doesn't get harmed or die, its not hard

 

[Burks]

Fishless cycling is a good thing.

But breeders, who many admire and respect, have done tank cycling with fish for years. Just stay on top of the water parameters and there isn't much to worry about. Although I don't suggest this, I've also done it.

There are different ways of setting up a tank. We still, normally, end up at the same place.

 

[Berserkr]

What about other cycling agents like Turbo Start or Bio-spira? I've heard many mixed opinions, and will be getting ready to cycle tank in two weeks or so.