Just a whinge

[kirty]

I'm setting up a new 4ft tank for axolotls. New filter media, new rocks, new everything. I am doing fishless cycling, same as I did with my 4ft tropical tank which has been running beautifully from day dot. Yes it may have taken a bit longer, but it worked for me.

Anyway, I have taken my water in to be tested at TWO different LFS and both times I got laughed at and told to just put fish in the tank. I don't want to risk killing any fish and I certainly don't want to risk killing an axolotl! Just feeling a bit annoyed and starting to doubt myself. They also didn't want to test anything but pH and GH because they said it would be pointless. Really need to buy my own testing kit. :(

[CNgo2006]

You need to get yourself a new LFS! :lol:

[kirty]

Any suggestions? The last one I went to is my fave by far, but I'm a bit put off now.

[Bettarazzi]

How do you know the fishless cycle in the first tank worked if you don't have a test kit? Did you take water to an LFS to be tested? Can't you go back to the same one? I don't know how sensitive axolotyls are but I certainly don't bother cycling betta tanks. In fact I don't for guppies, endlers, bristlenose, platys, or swordtails Some species are more sensitive than others I guess. If you want to be sure that your tank is in fact cycling and not simply sitting there getting older, then you really need to get your own test kits. You want to be able to see the ammonia rising, then falling away, then nitrite appearing then nitrate. And all this is so that you know that your filter will be able to cope with the bio load that you're going to put in there. If your filter is big enough and you're not overloading your tank, it shouldn't be necessary to cycle the filter before you add fish. The tank will go through a much more natural cycle using fish poop to feed the filter bacteria. As long as you're doing water changes everything should be fine.

[Sarah]

+1 for 'Razzi.

If your LFS won't test other parameters for you, I'd find a new one.

I've cycled tanks with axolotls in them before just fine.. as long as you stay right on top of the water changes, it will be fine.

How are you doing the fish less cycle?

[briztoon]

I don't like the sound of those two LFS.

Had a customer walk in to Fishchicks on Saturday (I was bored so was volunteering) wanting to buy some plants for his tank. His tank had been set up for a week and he had taken his water to another well known LFS for testing, and they said it was fine to put fish in it.

Well, the customer didn't know anything about the Nitrogen Cycle or cycling a tank. He had bought fish from the other LFS that morning and added them to his tank. I explained to him, well of course his readings were 0, he had nothing in there to start the cycle or produce ammonia. Anyway he was very happy for the conversation and said he would definitely come back to Fishchicks.

[melbournebetta]

Kirty:

Go to subscape (http://www.subscape.com.au/) I know I spruke them all the time, but they taught me so much over the last 10 years.... and they do free tests of water chem and will explain the cycles and work out what filtration you have/need/etc

And they're got purdy fush.

x

[StephanieBell]

I fishless cycled my first couple of betta tanks by putting raw prawns from the deli in a stocking that I pegged to the side of the tank. I took them out once the ammonia was at 5ppm until i saw it start to drop, then i fed the empty tank a bit off fish food every day until I saw the ammonia>nitrite>nitrate process over in less than 12 hours (I think it was 12hours?). Something like that anyway.

I didn't worry about it with my sorority though. Instead I ran the filter in one of my healthy established tanks for about a bit longer than a month. That's what I'm doing to set up a couple of new tanks I have. I've got some sponge filters in my sorority at the moment with are hopefully collecting bacteria for my new tanks.

I don't know if either of these processes are right. That's just what I ended up doing after a bit of research and I haven't had any issues.

You do really need a test kit though. I would suggest to buy a master test kit. I ended up buying one at a time and it's cost me a lot more in the long run. If you can't afford it check ebay or online, they are sometimes a fair bit cheaper than in store.

We don't have an aquarium store where I live and all of our pet stores here are useless. I wouldn't trust them with the simplest questions. I just research online, ask questions here and make the rest up haha!

[rainbowfish]

The biggest killers of axies... swallowing gravel - gut blockages can occur its very common. Water too warm especially in the warmer months you have to think how you will keep it cool enough, some people keep ice bottles in the freezer, chillers are expensive. Larger and deeper the tank the better water temp wont rise rapidly and away from the sunny side of the house, where the sun hits walls basically coolest room, downstairs etc. Amonia spikes causes stress along with filter flow causing too much disturbance, spray bars aimed at tank wall is better water conditions show up as stress you will see it in the gills first. Adding 'tank mates' they will try to swallow anything they can fit in their mouth... other fish will nip their gills... or they will try to eat fish I made this mistake with my first axelotol I put a big goldfish in thinking it would be ok... he choked on the fish...

You could use a goldfish though to cycle the tank... make sure its healthy.