What types of ammonia products can be used when cycling?

[kilnakorr]

I'm almost ready to start cycling my tank.
I would prefer a 'pure' ammonia source instead of organic matter.
Question is, if there are any 'house hold' products I can buy that would be useful?
Not living in US, so things like dr. tims etc. isn't available.

 

[DED65]

Pure household ammonia only. You cannot use any type that contains detergents or scents. I was only able to find it at a hardware store, it was called janitorial strength and I believe it was 10% ammonia. Can you order through Amazon?

 

[kilnakorr]

Pure household ammonia only. You cannot use any type that contains detergents or scents. I was only able to find it at a hardware store, it was called janitorial strength and I believe it was 10% ammonia. Can you order through Amazon?

I see what I can find at the hardware stores (although covid might have them shut down until 2021). We don't really use ammonia for 'householding' here, so might have to ghost feed instead


Edit:
Seems we do have it, we just have a wierd name for it.
But seems we have 25% NH4Cl solution at local stores, which should be the same thing.

 

[brandon429]

A cycling chart applies anywhere we add feed and a known source, if you input three pinches of fish feed, a bottle of bac specifically for cycling and not cleaning aquariums, and wait twenty days then change out water you can begin. Any tank that presents rock and sand to this mix has met both the timeframes stated on bottle bac and the timeframe from a cycling chart. Can’t fail, no matter what tests said.

tedious testing only applies when we want to speed up the known time variable already logged in duration. We don’t have to test to ensure a basic cycle will complete, solving for the time axis on a cycling chart is very reliable after the beginning water change to level out the start

let stew twenty days change water will work always. It’s ready before twenty days, you’re likely doubling the needed wait time. (how many days does ammonia take to control on a cycling chart)

 

[DED65]

When I cycled my last tank, I went with ghost feeding. It was easier as I was feeding the other tanks anyway. Also I did not have to measure out the ammonia and did not have the temptation to smell the ammonia

 

[brandon429]

Dr Reef round in his study the bacteria we buy like carbon from feeding

ammonia isnt as diverse as feed vitamins and protein which eventually must break down into ammonia anyway, the reason systems still cycle off ammonia is because carbon still gets in

without our help, because a tank is a big magnet for funk

take some clear packing tape and loop it backwards along the wall behind your aquarium. Where it’s a ten foot strip but only the edges are curled back to tape hold to the wall, the actual strip is adhesive out, so you can catch carbon.


let that exposed clear tape sit out two weeks and don’t touch it.

on day 20 post up close macro pics of the tape sticky side formerly pristine slick, with strong window light in the background


it will look like the civil war but in extreme miniature flecks of floc and aerial dander smashed adhered and some gnats if it’s my house lol terrarium bowl pumps them.

when all those goodies land in a huge vat of warm water, we are set one way or another.

 

[kilnakorr]

A cycling chart applies anywhere we add feed and a known source, if you input three pinches of fish feed, a bottle of bac specifically for cycling and not cleaning aquariums, and wait twenty days then change out water you can begin. Any tank that presents rock and sand to this mix has met both the timeframes stated on bottle bac and the timeframe from a cycling chart. Can’t fail, no matter what tests said.

tedious testing only applies when we want to speed up the known time variable already logged in duration. We don’t have to test to ensure a basic cycle will complete, solving for the time axis on a cycling chart is very reliable after the beginning water change to level out the start

let stew twenty days change water will work always. It’s ready before twenty days, you’re likely doubling the needed wait time. (how many days does ammonia take to control on a cycling chart)

I almost agree.
But, we cannot always trust whatever bottled bacteria we use, or know if it has been handled incorrectly (left out in the sun or freezing cold).
It might just be for my own piece of mind, but I would like to test some ammonia first, and test zero later on just to be sure.

I'm just gonna add some food to the tank, and start dosing the bacteria as per directions (using microbacter7).
Since I already have the testkit, I might as well use it

 

[brandon429]

That’s long enough to cycle even if your bottle bac are inactive. Cycle charts are written for self inoculation, we are waiting that long above-double redundant.


in no cycle thread have I ever seen inactive bottle bac. I saw Dr Reef report that one mailed to him was dead, but it’s not happened in threads I’ve seen. We never believe the ammonia test kit when in doubt, that’s key. Once we see some nitrate plus time we know for sure where the params line up, testing to calibrate the kits against the known readings is wise

 

[kilnakorr]

That’s long enough to cycle even if your bottle bac are inactive. Cycle charts are written for self inoculation, we are waiting that long above-double redundant.


in no cycle thread have I ever seen inactive bottle bac. I saw Dr Reef report that one mailed to him was dead, but it’s not happened in threads I’ve seen. We never believe the ammonia test kit when in doubt, that’s key. Once we see some nitrate plus time we know for sure where the params line up, testing to calibrate the kits against the known readings is wise

True. Waiting a few weeks and test for nitrates would confirm active bacteria.
Would confirm no ammonia though, which inhabitants won't like.