Cycle huh??? mass tank confusion

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lauren

Guest
i reall dont understand tank cycling...so i guess you guys can start me from the begining. When you first get a new tank (33 gallon) tell me EVERYTHING that needs to be done. Cause im really confused...ive never heard much about cycling
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well their are probably many other people on this sight who can agree with me when I say tank cycling is by far the most dreaded part of owning any thing that lives in a cage but it is probably the most important thing to.....well the first thing I would do is rinse out the tank because their is still probably some dust and grim in their from shipping.
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..well now you place ant animals that you have in a container with water and if you have newts ,a little land, just until you get done cleaning...now all you do is plan how you are going to set up the tank and after you get done with that you have to tottaly wash everything with hot water but I wouldn't use soap if the decor you are using is just bought but you should never use soap to wash the rocks and if you use soap to wash the tank let the tank air out for about 10-15 minutes before adding any thing to it.well now you should put the rocks in after you washed them pretty well.after you put the rocks in you should now turn the tank into a masterpiece and then I would recomend letting the tank run with a filter for about 10 minutes to 20 minutes (depending on the water level) before adding the axies or newts....well glad I could help....and good luck...
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Jennifer, she already has the animals, one is currently in the fridge (other as far as I know from reading her thread under sick axie is still in the tank which may be trying to cycle or in the process of cycling).

Lauren, cycling can be a bit confusing to get your head round at first. But most importantly you shud have a test kit to test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. If u don't then an alternative method is to take a sample of water down to your petshop/aquarium and get them to give you the no.s of the water, and it will give you an idea of how your tank is progressing while you are cycling it. You will have to do this every day or every few days (testing the water, or taking it to petshop/aquarium to get tested - keep a record of the result/no.s and date tested).

I am not really the best at explaining cycling as I tend to go on a bit much, but will try to help :D.

(Message edited by kapo on May 17, 2006)
 
i have read the article...I would really like to do the "add ammonia drops" instead of brine shrimp because its quicker. Where do you get pure ammonia?
 
well you can get pure ammonia at walmart I am pretty sure that they cary it. but WATCH OUT!!!! because if you sniff that ammonia I swear that it will burn all your nose hairs strait out of your nose and it can give you a head ache for quit some time so be careful......its not a very good thing to work with in my experience...
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ok could you tell me the brand? what is it called exactly...i typed in ammoina and household ammonia and nothing came up
 
well I am not sure exactly what brand since I havent been their since last week and even then I didnt buy ammonia but I am pretty sure that when I did buy ammonia to clean my tank I am pretty sure that I got it their?....not really sure but you could ask fellow caudat members for help
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Lauren I wud be a bit weary of adding straight ammonia drops especially if your other axie is in the tank. If you do remove him/her from the tank and place in a separate tub while you cycle, everytime you clean out axie poo from either of your axies, just put it in the tank to cycle. We have cycled with and without axies in our tanks and honestly it can take between 3-6 weeks regardless. As long as you have the water tested at yourself, or test it regularly yourself if you get the test kits will see how you are going. And, if unsure post the no.s here.
 
no way would i keep my axie in there while i was doing that! dont worry lol im not crazy.
 
ok, there are soo many different methods i see...so i should empty my tank water now, fill it with water and let it filter and stuff for 24 hours...and then add axie poo and thats it? until i get the levels where i want them? thats it? another question, do you find it better to do cycling with or without anything in the tank? (like sand,decorations,plastic plants, ETC)
 
well I find it easier without things in the tank but I guess you could do it either way...
 
Leave all the stuff in the tank. The beneficial will build up on your decorations and in the substrate as well as in your filter. If you already have water in the tank I dont think you need to empty it. Just add some axie poo and start testing. You'll get there.
 
Yes there are several slight variations on starting a cycle but all with the same outcome (having never used the ammonia drops method, I can't comment on how fast it is).

DON'T empty your current tank. As you have had it running for a week or 2 haven't you? So, it may already be in the process of cycling/or starting to cycle.

DON't use anymore ph up n down while it is cycling, there are other methods once your tank is cycled to adjust the ph range, if need be.

So, I am going to assume you r removing your axie and putting it in another container of dechlorinated water (no need for substrate/sand).

If there is any waste/poo or little bit of uneaten food in tank, leave it there, it will help with the cycling!

No need to do waterchanges AT ALL in tank, as you won't have axies in tank, while it is cycling.

LEAVE your sand/decos/plastic plants/filters all in the tank - it will provide a place for the good bacteria to grow on.

If u don't have the test kits yet (they can be expensive to get the lot) then just get the petshop to do all the tests you need and make sure you write it down each time its tested so u know where you are at! If unsure, post here! Try and test every day or every 2 days.

BTW any axie poo that I was cleaning out of their temporary tub/container went straight into the tank that I was cycling. :D

Once your tank is cycled, your readings shud be (remember cycling can take 3-6weeks, it won't happen overnight or within a week):
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 20-40ppm





(Message edited by kapo on May 18, 2006)
 
ok thanks guys! How bad is it for your axie to be in a tank that is not cycled? She has been in there almost a month and i cant afford all this stuff right now cause i dont get paid for another 2 weeks....so what should i do for now?
 
ok for now, you have 2 choices:

Leave your axie in the tank, get the water tested at the petshop regularly and change the water regularly (some say 10%-30% daily or every 2 days);

or, remove your axie from the tank - put into a smaller container or bucket with dechlorinated water. (I used a bucket with a lid, but one of those smaller storage bins with lid wud do as well, or rubbermaid plastic bin). We did complete daily water changes while our axies were in the buckets. Leave the tank alone - no need to do the waterchanges, and just take a sample of water to your petshop every few days to test it.

I never bought the test kit till we were cycling our 3rd tank, when we could afford it (as it costs up to NZ$65 brand new - I was lucky enuf to get a master test kit containing all the tests thru an auction site for 1/4 of the price). Our first 2 tanks I just took water samples to the petshop for them to test.
 
I got a test kit with tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and high & low range pH for $35 AU off an online aquarium store. The store I went through only ships within australia I think but you could run a search for USA ones and see if they have something similar. So long as your axie isnt in there, daily testing isnt necessary. I didnt get my kits till right b4 I put the first axie in. I just kept putting fish food and axie pellets in the tank.
 
Have a look on ebay too for the test kits. I got mine for about $30, I went to a fish shop after i got it and the same identical one was $65. I got mine from Mt Barker Fodder Store on Ebay, they have horses and stuff so they sell all their aquarium stuff really really cheap cos they dont need to make a profit (cos of the huge profit from horses). They will post within Aust and if you buy more than one thing they combine postage. Just an idea
 
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