# Going to pick up filter and other things tomorrow, then what?



## Guest (Apr 30, 2006)

More than likely im going to pick up my filter,heater, substrate etc.. tomorrow after school to get my fishless cycle started. Ive been researching on the internet and fond this simplified version of cyclying and was wondering if it was a good way. Here it is.



> Using Pure Ammonia to Cycle
> 
> Fishless Cycling of the AquariumInstead of using fish food for ammonia production, we can also introduce pure ammonia to the tank.
> 
> ...


Is this a good way to do it?

Also im planning on going with an Aqua Clear 200/50 Filter, for 20-50 gallon aquariums for my 10 gallon since i heard it was better to go with a filter specified for double your tank size. Is this a good choice.

Im going to go with Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Stress Coat to dechlorinate the water, is this a good choice?

Also, it says to add pure ammonia, but where do i get this, petsmart? And what brand do i get?

THANKS,
drew


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Do you know what fish you plan to keep? Depending on what fish you choose you may not want the excess filtration. Some fish like calm waters.


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## Guest (May 1, 2006)

Im planning on getting a group of tetras, and other than that im open to suggestions.


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

start with comets (the feeder goldfish) to cycle the tank for a few weeks, then bring the fish back, turn the heater on, do a water change, graduly add fish for the nxt 10 days, there yer tank. simple huh? its always fun


is this your first tank??


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## Guest (May 1, 2006)

yes this is my first tank


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Most tetras would be fine with a little extra filtration. Just be sure you can adjust the flow on the filter. If it ends up in the 50 gallon flow rate on a 10 gallon tank, that might be a bit much for most fish.


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

what kind of tetras do you plan on getting?

i would suggest a filter made for a ten thru 30 gallon tank. the filter i have right now sucks 80 gallons per hour, so that does my tank 8 times thru. but i am having a little bit of a problem with current cause theres bettas in the tank, plus some plants. 
if you got a filter meant for a 50 gallon and put it in with a 10 gallon tank, u get some seriuos current. what size tank you getting??

u dont need a filter too big, i could be fine with a filter that does 20 galons per hour on my tank now. tell us the size of your tank and w'ell tell ya which would be best


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## Ringo (Apr 10, 2006)

also if you go to wal-mart, or any big chain petstores (most but not all) will try and get you to upgrade to a bigger filter that costs $4-5 bucks more, ive dealt with it


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## Guest (May 1, 2006)

its a 10gal tank. Also where do i get the pure ammonia so i can start my fishless cycle? And is that stress coat a good thing to dechlorinate the water with?

thanks


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Stress coat works fine to dechlor water

Check super walmart or your local grocery store.


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## Guest (May 2, 2006)

Hey ive been thinking, and do tetras and cichlids get along? Im now thinking of a cpl cichlids and a group of tetras. Would that be a good choice?


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## RockabillyChick (Nov 18, 2005)

well, fishless cycling is good, but the instructions you posted are NOT correct.

you do not want your ammonia level to reach 5ppm. it will stall your cycle and kill the bacteria. you want the ammonia to get to about 3ppm and stay there. its best to do 25% water changes occasionally, like once a week, to keep the nitrites and nitrate from going through the roof, which can also stall the cycle.

1: fill tank with water and turn on filter
2: add enough pure, clear ammonia (should contain ONLY water, ammonia, and chelating agent. anything else will kill the fish) to raise the ammonia level to about 3ppm.
3: wait and test every few days for ammonia and nitrite.
4: if the nitrite raises above 3-4ppm, do a water change. if the ammonia drops below 1.5ppm, add a little more to get it back up to 2.5-3ppm.
5: when you start seeing nitrate, try to keep them below about 60-80ppm with water changes.
6: when you can add ammonia up to 3ppm and it reaches 0ppm within 24 hours, and your nitrites are 0 as well, do a large water change to drop the nitrate as low as possible (somewhere below 20ppm, depending on how much nitrate you have in your tap) and add your fish as soon as possible, OR keep dosing ammonia to keep the bacteria alive until you can add fish.


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## RockabillyChick (Nov 18, 2005)

drew said:


> Hey ive been thinking, and do tetras and cichlids get along? Im now thinking of a cpl cichlids and a group of tetras. Would that be a good choice?


tetras are peaceful community fish and cichlids are very agressive. it has been done, but you have to be careful about it. stick with south american cichlids, since african ones need very hard water and tend to be even more agressive.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Actually there are a lot of peaceful cichlids out there. Some are very well suited to community aquariums. You may just have to do a little searching to find what you are looking for though.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1353
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1352
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1351
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=655
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=678
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=139
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1009
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1788
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1789
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1036
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1344
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=744
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=754
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=761
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1292
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1218
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1275
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=615
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=937

Just a few to get you started.


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## Guest (May 2, 2006)

wow thanks fish_doc, i REALLY like Aulonocara stuartgranti (Cobue), and Copadichromis borleyi (Kadango), but they getkinda big, would they survuve in a 10gal?


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Aulonocara stuartgranti could probably get away with a 30 long.
Copadichromis borleyi probably about the same.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Go with rockbilly not goldfish (you don't want to start with every disease on the planet). Look for ammonia in the cleaning product sections of old fashioned grocery or drug stores. For a 10, the only cichlid/tetra cominations i'd recommend for a 10 is rams or apistos with neons or cardinals. Hope you have soft water. No serpaes!


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## Guest (May 3, 2006)

ok got my filter, substrate and other supplies to start my fishless cycle, but i left without buying a thermometer. I cant believe i did that, but do i need to buy one now, or can i wait till a few days before i add the fish to let the water get to the temp it needs to be? Or do i need to go ahead and get one?

Thanks


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## Guest (May 4, 2006)

I would get a thermometer before you put the fish in...not when you put them in. Its good to know the water temp...so its not too cold or too warm. It's hard to guess the temp with your hands.

For stocking, I suggest some glowlight tetras and a bolivian ram. I wouldn't put a pair of small cichlids in a 10g...unless they were the only fish in there. Neons and cardinals are less hardy. Glowlights aren't too hardy, but I haven't heard much about them being overly sensitive. If you stock the tank slow, by adding a few (3) fish at a time, then you should be fine. I think a good stocking number would be 8 glowlights and 1 Bolivian ram.


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