Ammonia?

[Natonstan]

So im gonna set up my first Tropical aquarium, do i buy the pure Ammonia from most pet stores? and how much is it normally?

[shell2909]

we've never used Ammonia with our tropical fish and they are all still alive apart from the odd couple

[Trillian]

Originally Posted by shell2909

we've never used Ammonia with our tropical fish

I should hope not! The ammonia is used in a Fishless Cycle...

Some people source it at Boots or Homebase but if you're stuck, you can order it online from African Aquatics.

[shell2909]

i meant we never put it in our tank when the fish werent in it

[Trillian]

Originally Posted by shell2909

i meant we never put it in our tank when the fish werent in it

Phew! That's alright then...

[shell2909]

i have flu at the mo so doped up on pain killers, so cant think straight. ill hold bak on giving advise until my hands co-ordinate with my brain lol
thanks for straightening that out trillian could have been nasty

[mike515]

I see the point in fishless cycling. But I've never used it myself.

I don't get the point.

If you use fish. All you need to do is extra water changes in the first few weeks.

Obviously this is just my opinion but I think fishless cycling takes longer and is just a work saving option.

Not saying it shouldn't be done. I just don't think it is beneficial. A bit of extra work when the first fish are added and there will be no effect of the fish at all. If you do the extra water changes properly then the fish will not even notice the very slight decline in water quality

[Trillian]

Originally Posted by shell2909

i have flu at the mo so doped up on pain killers, so cant think straight. ill hold bak on giving advise until my hands co-ordinate with my brain lol thanks for straightening that out trillian could have been nasty

No prob!

[Trillian]

Originally Posted by mike515

A bit of extra work when the first fish are added and there will be no effect of the fish at all.

Not necessarily. Toxic levels of ammonia and nitrite burn the gill tissue of the fish and, if they do survive the cycling process, their lifespan is considerably shortened by the compromise to their health. Even in low levels, ammonia can make the fish more susceptible to bacterial infections. See here.

I inadvertently cycled with fish as I didn't know any better - the usual wrong LFS advice - I just recently lost six of my original fish after just 18 months for no apparent reason and I firmly believe it's because they went through the cycling process.

[Juggernaut]

so just to recap...

fish = good

ammonia = baaad