# Why wasn't I told! *shakes fist*



## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

I just read over your cycling stickie and I had read at least five different articles on how to do a fishless cycle. Why didn't a single one of them tell me to remove my carbon filter?

What does the carbon do that's bad? Ugh.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

actually I believe step 1 on the fishless cycle sticky states the removal of carbon.


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

Hitch said:


> actually I believe step 1 on the fishless cycle sticky states the removal of carbon.


No, no. Not this forum's article, but the other four or so articles that I was going off of never said remove the carbon filter.

I have been trying to cycle for the past 2 weeks and am just wondering what negative effect the carbon filter has had on my cycling progress (which is zero).


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## clubsoda (Oct 10, 2009)

Don't worry about it, just cycle it for 2 weeks, don't forget to add the bacteria growth as directed. I have done it before with carbon, fishy didn't die...no worry...removing carbon is not in the american science jounal...lol


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

To be honest, I am still unsure about the affect of carbon on the actual cycle.....carbon doesnt remove ammonia...which wont affect that part of the cycle. Though I am unsure its affect on nitrite. 

But to be on the safe side....remove the carbon and start cycling again...the tank would be ready in about a month.


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

Thank you for the reassurance. I'm doing the fishless cycle and have been running the tank with a dose of ammonia for 2 weeks, going on 3 now with no sign of decrease in ammonia. I recently got some filter juice and gravel from a friend, but I'm not sure if their tank was cycled or not because their dad didn't seem to know what I was talking about. May go to LFS soon for more bacteria! Big Al's bio-support did nothing, waste of money, don't buy it.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

as long as the filter in that tank has been running for at least 2 months....I am sure there are a lot of bacteria in there. So you are of to a good start. 

Have you tested the nitrite levels?


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

Only 2 or 3 weeks so far. I have only tested ammonia and I don't think they have gone down, but maybe I'll test for nitrites just in case?


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

you need to test for nitrites.....since the cycle is not clear cut...its not like ammonia goes to 0 and then nitrite goes up....

There will still be ammonia when the nitrites are registering.....following the rough timing on the sticky thread......chances are you have nitrite readings already.


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

I'm only useing test strips until my paypal money is transfered and I can order a liquid test kit, but right now there are sone nitrites showing. Where the pad is white in my 1.5gal bowl, its pink from the tank water.  Wondering if I should even bother removing carbon filter at all at this point.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

personally I would just leave it in.....if anything......there are bacteria in the carbon....just consider it a bio filter and dont change it anymore.

And ya...get your hands on a liquid kit fast......strips are not reliable at all.


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

Thank you for all the help and advice 
I'll have the money on paypal next Friday, and then I'll order this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3635493#rr It's an API. Don't know how long shipping takes. But I will have the test kit before putting my fish in the tank.


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## GuppiesAndBetta (Jul 27, 2009)

Sorry, if you are dosing with ammonia, I think it should/would speed up the process. I do not think it would take more than 2 weeks. What size tank is this??

More on fishless cycling:
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_fishless.php
http://malawicichlids.com/mw01017.htm


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Violie said:


> Thank you for all the help and advice
> I'll have the money on paypal next Friday, and then I'll order this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3635493#rr It's an API. Don't know how long shipping takes. But I will have the test kit before putting my fish in the tank.


Walmart.com and .ca are two different things. You'll be dinged on customs, duty, and taxes ordering fromt he .com as it's the USA. If you order from .ca you'll be ok. I'm not sure if you can order on the .ca site. Then again the .ca site has about 1/2 the items in the canadian Wallys stores and the canadian Wallys stores have about 2/3 what that USA stores have. No you can't order up what their USA stores have if the canadian ones don't stock it. I asked before. You can basically gate up an american Wallys, barricade in and you're stocked to the brim even with defence to fend off attackers.


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

AquaNeko said:


> Walmart.com and .ca are two different things. You'll be dinged on customs, duty, and taxes ordering fromt he .com as it's the USA. If you order from .ca you'll be ok. I'm not sure if you can order on the .ca site. Then again the .ca site has about 1/2 the items in the canadian Wallys stores and the canadian Wallys stores have about 2/3 what that USA stores have. No you can't order up what their USA stores have if the canadian ones don't stock it. I asked before. You can basically gate up an american Wallys, barricade in and you're stocked to the brim even with defence to fend off attackers.


Woooah good to know. *crosses fingers*

And as for GuppiesandBetta, its a five gallon. And I am dosing with ammonia. I think I added too much last dose, would it be okay to do a partial change??


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## flyboy320 (Feb 6, 2010)

If your going to order online, try this one. It's by far the best prices, and shipping is by priority post (last week when I ordered stuff it came the next day!)


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## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

Lol, with test strips your tank could be cycled and you'd never know it  

I really dislike those strips and maintain my firm stand that you'd be better off flipping a coin than drawing a conclusion based on a test strip reading.

Just be patient... Nobody can tell you how long it'll take to cycle your tank... Read through the cycling thread and you'll see a few people who were getting impatient, thinking something was wrong because it was taking over a month to finish cycling... Sure enough they listened to the advice of people telling them to just be patient, and eventually they got their tank cycled... Adding oxygen to the water can help... Some people say raising the temperature will help, other people argue that raising the temperature lowers the amount of dissolved oxygen and will actually have an overall negative impact, I personally don't care to argue about stuff like this because one way or another, the tank will cycle as long as you're patient.

Keep adding ammonia, be patient, and wait until you get those liquid tests. Your test strip might say 2.0ppm, but your real reading could be anything really... Since any level of ammonia will encourage bacterial growth, but too much ammonia will prevent it, I would advise you to maybe aim a little low on your ammonia levels until you get a more accurate liquid test.

Also, you can always order from Big Al's online... They do free shipping for orders over a set price...


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

So you won't be shakin' them fists again I might as well tell you about another method to cycle an aquarium and it is called the silent cycle method. 
http://www.rexgrigg.com/cycle.htm


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Much much easier way to go about this is to just clone your tank off someone. There are dozens of people here. Ask someone you live near. Just get some used filter media from a really well established tank. You're cycled. Remember, all you're doing is coaxing nitrifying bacteria into making your aquarium home. Why bother when you can just abduct a few million from someone else?


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I'm about to change my filter floss pads. I have two active right now and one is about to be changed soon so if a newbie needs it for cycling the tank I can give that one out or I'll be rinsing it out and getting a few more uses out of it.

If more then one newbie needs it I'll just replace my filter floss then, then there will be two up for helping newbies out. Or 4 if I cut both in half.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

flyboy320 said:


> If your going to order online, try this one. It's by far the best prices, and shipping is by priority post (last week when I ordered stuff it came the next day!)


Is that MOPS's second site? Looks very much like MOPS with the mail order logo on the left side.


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## flyboy320 (Feb 6, 2010)

AquaNeko said:


> Is that MOPS's second site? Looks very much like MOPS with the mail order logo on the left side.


It's their "new and improved" web site...


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## Violie (Feb 27, 2010)

I'll be getting a proper test kit on Thursday, IF my local Big Al's stocks it. It's the Whitby one. And yes, if anyone has any extra filter media I would be very greatful! Also going to be looking for some java moss and maybe some other low-light low-maintencance plants like hornwort, java fern and cambomba. I'll put up a thread on the trading forum when I'm ready


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Calmer said:


> So you won't be shakin' them fists again I might as well tell you about another method to cycle an aquarium and it is called the silent cycle method.
> http://www.rexgrigg.com/cycle.htm


Hmm, I am going to have to disagree with parts of what Rexx says. Introducing a used sponge from a well established filter is still by far the easiest and best way to seed a tank. Given the right condition, your bacteria is supposed to go through a fission every 13 or 23 minutes (can't remember anymore). So it basically comes close to doubling (not exactly true as not all will go through a fission). But I think you get the idea. You can actually have a fully funtional cycled filter within 12 hours.
Plants comes second. It's really an iffy statement. It will work if you fully planted your tank like the Dutch style. Like from 0 plants to fully planted. If that is the case, yeah, you don't even need the 12 hours. 
But if you only start with a partially 1/5 planted tank and grow it to a full bloom, like most people do, your silent cycle won't work.

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