Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fishtank Filtration and Cycling => Topic started by: Cazzybaby on April 22, 2014, 09:10:41 AM
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I was looking up in the net options on how to do a fish less cycle. One if the options was to use safe start, I have ordered it as I am new to this and it sounded the easier way for me to do it. Does it work ok? I have a testing kit.
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Yes, it's fine - it's a well established product and other members have used it as it often speeds up the process.
http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,419.msg4797/topicseen.html#msg4797
Is a thread where it's been discussed by other forum users :cheers:
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The first thing to ask is, what kind of test kit - strips that you dip in or one with bottles and test tubes? The strips are not very reliable and don't test for ammonia which you need to.
Tetra safe start is the only one easily available in the UK that has the right kind of both species of bacteria. But if it has ever been kept at the wrong temperature (too hot or too cold) since it was made, it won't work. Since there will be lorries and warehouses involved in its journey to your tank, anything could have happened en route.
But as you have ordered it, use it. However, since there is the possibility it won't work, use it to do a fishless cycle. If you get fish, you could find yourself stuck with doing a fish-in cycle. If it does work, you'll zip through a fishless cycle in no time.
Ammonia can be bought from some branches of Homebase (in the cleaning section) or from Amazon/Ebay. Look for Jeyes Kleen Off household ammonia.
And once the cycle is finished and you have fish, don't bother buying more to add at every water change, you won't need it.
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Thanks for the replys . It's a test tube kit with lots of bottles. I used to work as a lab technician years ago so I hope I can manage it lol! So if I use the safe start then I won't need to add any ammonia if all goes to plan?
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If you use the safe start, I would also use ammonia and follow the instructions here (http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,483.0.html). If you don't use ammonia, and your bottle of safe start is one that has been handled badly you'll find yourself doing a fish-in cycle. That involves measuring ammonia and nitrite every day and doing a water change every time you see either of them above zero. This could mean several water changes a day for several weeks if you get a lot of fish to do the cycle.
Using ammonia will check if the safe start has worked. If you get zeros for both ammonia and nitrite within a few days, you'll know it has worked. If you don't get zeros quickly then the safe start isn't working and you'll need to continue the fishless cycle. That's a lot easier than doing a fish-in cycle. Especially if you have worked as a lab technician ;)
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Ok thank you. Every time I read something I find I have a new question. My filter is an elite stingray 15. It has carbon inserts and sponge. Is this an ok filter ? I have read about the carbon being unhelpful, I have already ordered new carbon and sponge before joining the forum .
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I've just looked at the manual for the stingray and it appears to have an arrow shaped sponge and a pair of cartridges which contain carbon and zeolite. Zeolite's function is to absorb ammonia. This sounds good until you realise that when new, it will absorb all the ammonia so that you'll never grow any filter bacteria. And it ties you into replacing the zeolite before it gets full for ever. If it isn't replaced in time it gets full and stops absorbing ammonia - and with no bacteria the ammonia just shoots up. The fishkeeper doesn't realise why his fish are getting sick - after all the filter removes ammonia so it can't be that. But it is.
My advice to is to force the cartridges open and fill them with sponge. Any make sponge, cut it to fit inside the cartridge. Then you can leave it there till it falls apart. The arrow shaped sponge should also be kept till it falls apart. Sponges just need rinsing in the water you take out of the tank during a water change to remove the goo that will build up. Squeeze the sponges gently, they'll never look like new again.
I've also heard of small fish getting trapped behind the stingray. If you are worried about this, just buy some filter wool or floss and put a pad of it between the filter and the glass, blocking access to the narrow gap.
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Would it be better I buy a new filter or would I be wasting my money? Do you know of a good one that won't break the bank? I have a 75 litre tank.
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If you want the best quality filters, look at Fluval's U series, Eheim aquaball and Eheim biopower. I have an aquaball in my 50 litre and a biopower in my 180 litre tanks. Other people rate the Fluvals.
With aquaballs, you'd be looking at the 160 model, and with biopowers also the 160 though this does have a bigger turnover (water volume pumped per hour) that the aquaball of the same number. Fluvals, look at U2. But with the fluval, again replace the carbon sponges with plain sponge.