Sue's Fishless Cycle

Sorry to hear about your poor Betta Sue.

Good luck with your cycle!

No.

If I'm going to continue advising people on how to do a fishless cycle with no mature media, I've decided it's about time I did one myself.

I had no choice but do a fish-in cycle when I first got fish (or rather my sons did, fairground goldfish). We didn't have internet access back then so all I had to go by were some very out of date library books - no mention of fishless or even the best way to do fish-in. Once we had internet access and read everything I could on the subject, I finally found out what filters do.
Whenever I set up the QT, I just steal enough mature media that the tank is instantly cycled. I could do it this time and get a betta as soon as I find one, but I decided to do it the long way so I know what it's like.


I must not go into any shop that sells bettas though. If I do, I'm bound to find a betta to die for and give in and use a load of mature media 

In that case I'm going to have to try and work things through for myself. But I'll then be in a much better position to understand the frustrations others go through 

I talk to the fish enough as it is, I'm going to have to start talking to bacteria. That would be even more worrying if I got an answer 


Fish conversations run something like - get out of the way you stupid fish can't you see I want to clean there, you can't eat the tube!
So bacteria conversations will be along the lines of - where are you hiding, you were there yesterday now my nitrite has gone up again!!




Or I can bore my husband and mother, moaning when things aren't going right 

Added 24 hour 'baseline' pH in the first post.

Wow - 'Hero Member'. I am not worthy

I wonder what, if anything, comes after hero

I reckon Super Hero and then Leg End 

Day 4 (14 march)

Ammonia 1.0

I thought it was about time I actually did a fishless cycle so I know what it feels like. I'm helped by the fact I still have two tanks running so it's not like I'm staring at just one, empty tank. The only danger is if I go in a shop that has a drop dead gorgeous betta in stock. I can well imagine I'd be bringing him home, emptying the ammonia-laden water and stealing some media from one of the other tanks 


Have you seen my other thread on the betta? I think now it was lymphocystis, it was just his extra thick scaling that stopped it looking white. (Dragon bettas are characterised by this extra thick scaling). The lump did get a white-ish colour on top every few weeks, then last weekend it burst open and was horrible. There is no cure for lymphocystis. The lump was getting bigger and bigger and was touching the top of his gill towards the end. And he'd also started growing several more lumps. What would he have been like when they grew to the same size as the first? But it was his change in behaviour that convinced me the time had come. From an energetic fish that swam up every time he saw a human and begged for food, he was lying in a plant with his fins clamped up and it took him a while to realise there was food in the tank.




Euthanasia, should you ever need it -

For very tiny fish no more than a couple of cm long, you can use the icey water method. Put a tub of water in the freezer and when ice starts to form on top break the ice and drop the fish in. Never put the fish in a tub of water and then into the freezer as that takes a long time and the fish will suffer.

For all fish, especially larger ones, use clove oil. In the UK it is sold in pharmacies in small bottles - it's an old toothache remedy. Put the fish in a tub of tank water. Put 25 to 30 drops of clove oil in a screw top bottle, add some cold water and shake till the oil emusifies. Then pour the oil/water mix into the tub with the fish. Clove oil is a fish anaesthetic, and used in overdose like this it kills the fish. But first it knocks them out so leave them in the clove oil for a couple of hours to make sure they really are dead before disposing of the body.
Clove oils stinks; you won't be able to use the tub or bottle for anything else afterwards. And if you get it on your skin, it takes ages to wash out. I use rubber gloves.

Day 6 March 16

The first thing to say in tonight's update is that I know tests can be misleading.
The ammonia test can give inaccurate results under fluorescent lights, though they usually make the liquid look greener than it really is, ie the ammonia reading higher than it really is.
And the niitrate tester is the least accurate. It is difficult to make an accurate tester for use in the home.

I did the ammonia test, and because of the result, tested for nitrite. Then for nitrate.

Ammonia 0.5 (it was 1.0 yesterday)
Nitrite zero
Nitrate 10 (baseline nitrate was 5)

My ammonia level would appear to have dropped. But the nitrite tube was bright blue, not a hint of purple, ie zero. So I checked nitrate and it's gone up.

Or so it would appear.



I will not believe these results unless I see ammonia at zero and nitrate even higher. I am aware that once every blue moon a cycle occurs with no nitrite showing but I will not believe this is happening here without more evidence. One set of readings is not enough. I've seen enough progression graphs with one set of readings way off the line, and biological ones are worse than chemical ones for that.