Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!esosun!seismo!uunet!psivax!nrcvax!nrc-ut!andre From: andre@nrc-ut.UUCP Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.pets Subject: Re: Nitrification... Message-ID: <355@nrc-ut.UUCP> Date: Tue, 1-Dec-87 20:18:22 EST Article-I.D.: nrc-ut.355 Posted: Tue Dec 1 20:18:22 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 5-Dec-87 18:40:39 EST References: <7044@pur-ee.UUCP> <155@bacchus.DEC.COM> <2426@gryphon.CTS.COM> Reply-To: andre@nrc-ut.UUCP (Andre' Hut) Distribution: usa Organization: Network Research Corp. Salt Lake City, UT Lines: 38 Keywords: How long??? has this been going on. duh duh, da da da da da da. Xref: hoptoad alt.aquaria:47 rec.pets:2006 In article <2426@gryphon.CTS.COM> richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) writes: >In article <155@bacchus.DEC.COM> gringort@decwrl.UUCP (Joel Gringorten) writes: >>In article <7044@pur-ee.UUCP> tom@ee.ecn.purdue.edu (Tom McCain) writes: >>> I was under the impression that it only took a week >>>maybe two. >> This is a discussion about salt water tanks. The only real way to tell how long it takes is to measure the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels in your tank. There are a number of good test kits. It takes some ammonia to get things started however. I have heard recommendations that ammonia be added to the new (no living anything) tank, and monitor the ammonia cycle. The solution I have used most often, is to start with a fish that can take the ammonia cycle, such as salt-water catfish. Put in a couple of these babys, add some of the nitrifying bacteria and monitor the chemical cycle. Once the nitrite level has subsided (can take many, many weeks), add a few more fish (don't go overboard yet), and keep monitoring the cycle. It will go up and down as you increase the number of fish. Start with the more docile fish like blue-tangs, and get the more aggressive (and more expensive) fish later. Stay away from damsel fish. They are real cute, but aggresive fish, and eventually all your other fish will stop eating. Don't fall into the trap of getting a bunch of the nitrifying bacteria, and a boatload of fish and hoping that things will work out. I tried this when I first started out in salt-water fish, and it worked for about two weeks. Then I had about $120 worth of dead fish. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- sdcsvax-\ ihnp4-\ \ \ Andre' Hut sdcrdcf!psivax!nrcvax!nrc-ut!andre / / / hplabs--/ ucbvax!calma-/ / utah-gr!uplherc/ Network Research Corporation 923 Executive Park Dr. Suite C Salt Lake City, Utah 84117 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------