Tank cycling!

[pondweed]

With the current heatwave, I'm so glad I'm behind schedule on setting up my tank. It's got 90l in it and still coasting along at 22c, so the babies are better off with ear breeder for now. Plus it gives me time to cycle it. Can anyone recommend an online, detailed, fishless cycle guide?

I've tested my tap water as well. Shook the nitrate testers for the recommended time but will try again because my reading was 40ppm. I understand tap water often comes with nitrates already, but if this reading proves accurate, how will it effect my cycle? If the bacteria start adding more nitrate, is there anything I can do to moderate it/prevent it from becoming too toxic?

I have an eheim biopower 200 set up. Had to go for internal in the end because it's damn hard to get hold of a decent HOB in the UK, and I don't have the space for an external yet. It seems like a fairly nifty well-built filter, though, and only uses 6w. I do have a tank fan though for if the weather gets like this again, and will drape wet towels, etc. as necessary.

 

[BramJ]

I'm using this guide now: The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community

Going very well, Just have nitrites left now, so I guess in a few more days I'll be done!

only about point 5 of that guide, he says you need 100% pure ammonia, but thats inpossible since its a gas the maximum concentration in water you can get is something like 32% I think. I used a 5% ammonia sollution. You just need to make sure it doesn't contain anything but ammonia and water

and 40ppm nitrates is quite a lot... you'll probably be doing a lot of water changes to keep it down... but since you are doing it fishless, you don't need to worry about it too much during the cycling

 

[pondweed]

Hi Bram, thank you for the link, and the info! I probably would spend ages agonising in shops otherwise.

The thing about the 40ppm nitrates - and I tested the tap water again after shaping the Nitrate test2 solution for AGES, just in case, and it's between 20 and 40 if I'm reading it correctly - is it's in... the tap water. So water changes won't really bring it down. =/ I'm going to be buying my plants next week, so hopefully they might snaffle some of it up, but I'm a bit concerned that our tap water level is that high, and what it means for my tank.

 

[layna]

Haha i was just going to say "i posted a great link a while back, here it is The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community"
When i realised its the same one *facepalm* but yeah, id reccomend that one