Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Fish-less cycle

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FreakyFish (FreakyFish)
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06 Dec 2006 14:01 #1 by FreakyFish (FreakyFish)

Fish-less cycle was created by FreakyFish (FreakyFish)

Ok, the fungus seems to have cleared, I will leave it another day or so just to be certain it wont grow back. I want to start a fish-less cycle soon, I still have not got a chance to get to a pet store to get test kits, might go tomorrow night. Anyway was just wondering how to go about doing a fish-less cycle. Is it a good idea to put a bit of fish food in the tank and let the filter take it up? I don't want to put any fish in wouldn't want them to die, I don't mind waiting. I just need a bit of advice about doing a fish-less cycle.

I don't know if it was a good idea, but I already added nutrafin cycle to the tank before I checked the parameters. :?

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KenS (Ken Simpson)
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06 Dec 2006 14:58 #2 by KenS (Ken Simpson)

Replied by KenS (Ken Simpson) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

The most common way I've seen of doing a fishless cycle is to add a couple of frozen prawns to the tank and let them rot. This will give off sufficient ammonia to get the cycle going. Best to keep them suspended in a net to stop them messing up the tank as they decompose.

Alternatively, you can get a pure ammonia source and add it directly to the tank. However, I'm not sure how you'd go about that in Ireland.

Cycle won't do any harm. However, there's a lot of debate as to whether it makes any difference to the cycling process. The test kit is a necessity to check your progress.

What size is your tank? Is there a possibility of seeding your tank with filter material from an established tank?

Regards,

Ken.

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FreakyFish (FreakyFish)
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06 Dec 2006 15:15 #3 by FreakyFish (FreakyFish)

Replied by FreakyFish (FreakyFish) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

Hi Ken, I was reading about adding frozen prawns. I read about using a net from washing tablets (good idea) to stop waste from polluting the water. Can I use any frozen prawns from the shop?

I'm not sure about the pure ammonia, I have a feeling that I would mess up and put too much in. Although if It is good, I will give it a try, no harm in trying.

As for adding the cycle, I don't know if it's any good either but as long as it doesnt matter that I added it that's Ok with me.

My tank is about 3 and half foot, it holds 275 L. I don't know anyone with an established tank. I have a tank with two goldfish, there was a filter in the tank but I think a family member has thrown it out. :roll: :evil:

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KenS (Ken Simpson)
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06 Dec 2006 15:33 #4 by KenS (Ken Simpson)

Replied by KenS (Ken Simpson) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

I think the prawns is the best way to go. I'd say 3 would be fine for the size of your tank. Just use any frozen prawns - probably the cheapest you can find.

The problem is with ammonia is that it needs to be pure. You can't use any of the supermarket ones as they have additives such as scent. I'm not sure how you would get it outside of a laboratory.

I think fishless is the way to go. It's kinder on fish and saves all the water changes. You only need to do a 50% change before you add fish.

Regards,

Ken.

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FreakyFish (FreakyFish)
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06 Dec 2006 15:44 #5 by FreakyFish (FreakyFish)

Replied by FreakyFish (FreakyFish) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

Ok, I will stick three prawns in a net and let it get to work. I think fish-less is also the best way to go, less hassle and no fish brutality

. First, I will need a kit and then the prawns and net.

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apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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07 Dec 2006 04:51 #6 by apistodiscus (apistodiscus)

Replied by apistodiscus (apistodiscus) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

You should be able to get pure ammonia from the pharmacy.

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KenS (Ken Simpson)
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07 Dec 2006 05:56 #7 by KenS (Ken Simpson)

Replied by KenS (Ken Simpson) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

You should be able to get pure ammonia from the pharmacy.

I haven't tried to be honest. I know it's difficult to get in the UK. Probably worth a try though.

Regards,

Ken.

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apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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07 Dec 2006 07:30 #8 by apistodiscus (apistodiscus)

Replied by apistodiscus (apistodiscus) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

Too much hassel, though, shrimp are cheaper and easier to come by.
I never tried but I would imagine that you'd get pretty funny looks if you are trying to purchase largish amounts- Precurser to explosives.

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07 Dec 2006 10:09 #9 by tanks_alot (Denis Coghlan)

Replied by tanks_alot (Denis Coghlan) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

I'm lucky enough to known someone in a lab so I got ammonia no problem. You can also get it the chemists plus, its very cheap. The good thing about using liquid ammonia rather then using prawns is that you can regulate the amount of ammonia being introduced to the system.

Some of the fishless cycling articles floating around the Internet come with a recipe that use liquid ammonia which are very easy to follow and you don't have to deal with a bag of rotten prawns.

I think the basis of the liquid ammonia cycle are as follows

4-5 drops / per 10 uk gallons /(roughly 5-6 PPM) Initially

Try to keep it at this level, test daily and apply as required.

When the ammonia drops from 5ppm to zero within 12 hours, you have sufficient bacteria to handle the ammonia, now you will have to wait for the nitrifying bacteria to develop.

At this stage your nitrates will be off the scales but you will need to continue to add ammonia (small amounts) to feed the bacterial colony. When you start to see nitrites you are nearly finished. Just keep adding the ammonia until both ammonia and nitrates are zero within 12 hours and do a large water change to bring down the excess levels of nitrites.

Do a quick google search and you will find more recipes

Lead me not into temptation, For I can find it myself!

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Sean (Fr. Jack)
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07 Dec 2006 12:16 #10 by Sean (Fr. Jack)

Replied by Sean (Fr. Jack) on topic Re: Fish-less cycle

Once the chlorine has gone and the temperature has stabilise, I would test it with one cheap fish, then go the next day to the fish shop and buy a selection of fish, but getting the agreement from the shop owner that I am walking out of the shop with a large fish bag with very little water full of half of his filter media, if he he thinks that is too much hassle, then he probably does not want my business any way.

That would be a ecumenical matter!!!

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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Fish-less cycle