FishJones

Hey, I am trying to cycle a 120 gallon tank. I am getting my canister filter and Tetra Safe Start later this week or early next week. Should I go ahead and start adding the pure ammonia solution to my tank or should I wait until I get the TSS? Thank a million for anyone's help.

Lucy

Hi FishJones!
I hope John is typing at the same time I am. lol He's cycled with it.

I don't have personal experience with it, but it's my understanding you add fish at the same time you add SafeStart. If that's the case, I wouldn't add ammonia.

Dozey

As you are planning to do a fishless cycle with TSS wait until you get the TSS. The pure ammonia you will be adding will effectively taking the place of using fish.

So the TSS goes in and then add ammonia instead of fish. Good choice as fish will not endure the yo-yo mini-cycle that they normally would with TSS. And your tank should be fully cycled in ten days if everything goes right.

FishJones

Thanks Lucy and Dozey, appreciate that!! Great, I'll wait until I get the TSS. When I get the TSS, do you think I should put the ammonia in my 5 gallon water tank and add ammonia there until I get the 4-5 PPM reading and then adjust it for the tank size? Is that how most fishless people do it or do they just add it straight to the tank and then keep taking measurements until they get 4-5 reading? After I add the ammonia, how long should I wait to get an accurate ammonia reading? I really appreciate the help!!

Dozey

That is a great idea. I've been meaning to do just that in a 5 gallon pail. I personally would wait 30 to 60 minutes for first test and then wait another hour for a second reading for comparison. Please if you do that let me know your results.

What percentage of ammonia are you using and just how many drops does it take to raise a gallon of water to 4ppm. Thanks in advance.

FishJones

Great, thanks Dozey. I will definitely share my results. I'll do that right now and wait for the readings. I am using Ace Hardware Janitorial Strength Formula Ammonia (10% ammonia hydroxide). Here is the link to it. I think it will do good, when you shake it, the bubbles disperse 2 seconds later.
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...Id=34452478883

Dozey

Awesome, thanks for the link and really looking forward to the results. I’ll try to get the same product and see if I can duplicate your results. If not the same product then at least the same percentage.

FishJones

Great Dozey, if you can't get the same one or concentrate in Canada, I could just buy it for you, (cost me $2 for a quart size) and I can just put it on e-bay for you, and just send it to you, just charge the exact cost of the bottle and shipping and be cool. Let me know, be glad to do it. My dropper has ml increments so it's good for telling you how much I used. I put in 1.0 ml just now, so will check it out in 30 mins. If it's 4-5, I'll run it again and make sure that's it.

Lucy

The thing you're going to have to be careful of is adding too much ammonia that you don't over whelm and kill off the bacteria in TSS.
Remember, we use ammonia to clean and kill bacteria.

I believe the premise behind TSS is to kick the cycle and as your fish create ammonia, more bacteria grows.

Shawnie

imo, the tss isnt for the pure ammonia method..its one or the other..the bacteria isnt strong enough to withstand the pureness of ammonia hence why its made to add fish at the same time as the fish dont have pure ammonia in their waste...it takes time for both to build up and it builds at the same time....if you have the ammonia id go that route and not waste your money on the tss ..but thats my 5 cents worth (inflation you know )

FishJones

Great info, thanks Shawnie and Lucy. So shoot, wanted to do fishless, but since it's not good with TSS, I guess I will go fish now. Spent like $35 on 2 bottles (and can't return them) so want to use them. Shawnie, I know you are the Cichlid wiz, what's a good hardy cichlid that would do okay for my cycle? And how many would you get for a 120 gallon tank? Thanks!!

Shawnie

depends on if you are looking for a busy tank with a bunch ? or a tank with a few big boys? (im an oscar freak LOL but you can only have 2) so let us know which you are looking for and a bunch of us can give suggestions

and im not saying your TSS wont work with ammonia, but its not made for the strength that most pures are made of..adding smaller amounts may work but as lucy said, you take a chance of killing off the bacteria needed to cycle it....but again, these are opinions

FishJones

Definitely, but you guys know what you are talking about so i'm all ears. I wanna go with a community cichlid tank, and try to avoid too many fish that will eat each other. Want a good variety of them. Wanted a Jack Dempsey, but I know if I get one, then my future Cichlid tankmates will be limited. Thanks Shawnie!

Shawnie

I actually have 2 jacks now in my 75 gal and they are so timid, they freak when anyone walks by the tank..im hoping once they realize the oscars are gone, they live up to their name..they are amazing fish for sure but mine are babies and afraid of everything...heres a link to a thread ive been watching as angela is the cichlid expert here and im just looking for stocking help as you are...hope this helps

Calling all cichlid experts

jdhef

I'm with Shawnie on this. I would just add the SafeStart then add my fish. Don't check your water for a week. If after one week you have any elevated ammonia or nitrites, you'll need to do partial water changes until they drop to zero. (But you shouldn't have elevated levels)

FishJones

Thanks Shawnie for the help and the link and jdhef for the help. I'll get some zebra danios and use them, they are hardy. Should I get like 7-8 since the tank is bigger? Thanks!

Shawnie

hahashah stocking not stalking!! I barely have time to spend with my fish lately let alone stalk anything

dont get any fish you arent going to keep...get fish in mind that they will be part of your tank in the long run...if you are going to keep the danios , thats cool

FishJones

lol thought your "stalking" thing was a New Hampshire thing or something, funny. Right, good idea on the fish, wanna keep.

Richa610

Hey- I'm new and have something to add...
I've got a 10 gallon (freshwater) fishless cycle going and:
After adding the ammonia to about 3.0 ppm, I went to the store called 'Something Fishy' in Richfield, MN because they had the fish I want (dwarf puffers). I bought some Safestart at the advice from one of the guys, and because it was refrigerated. I've added it to the tank and now I have some pretty interesting readings:
Ammonia is slowly but surely decreasing
nitrite is constant at 2.0 ppm
nitrate is slowly but surely rising
These results would suggest that Safestart has all the bacteria necessary to convert ammonia to nitrate. I'll know for sure if the nitrite goes to zero after the ammonia goes to zero that this stuff works. I'll post anything interesting

bryan87

make sure that you keep something in there that creats ammonia