beginners questions

*Note: There are two *Koi-Lo's* on the pond and aquaria groups.

"stuarth" wrote in message
ups.com...
So when it was set up for two weeks did it had something in it to
generate Ammonia like a snail or fish?

Someone suggested the gravel was unclean. I can't see how he can have
nitrites with nothing alive in the tank...?!?!?!? The store clerk should
have pointed this out and made some suggestions as to finding the cause of
the nitrites before adding fish.

Does anyone really wait a month before setting up a tank with fish any
more?

Read this:
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html
if you really want to wait a month.

I add them as soon as a tank is set up and everything is running right.
There's no reason not to as long as a dechlorinator was used. Some utility
water contains a lot of gasses I read somewhere and should be allowed 24
hours to stabilize but that has not been a problem were we live.
--
Koi-Lo....
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Reading Headers:
http://tinyurl.com/amm9s
I did not post the rude or obscene messages on these groups.
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

Who really ****ing cares in these looser groups that are not
patronized by folks that have half a sense of decency when it comes to
advising folks on fish and aquarium care...These jerks in these usenet
groups are loosers from the world of kooks, and info is extremely
sketchy at most. Go to a web based forum and get decent corret
answers.


On Mon, 29 May 2006 09:07:12 -0500, "Koi-Lo" none wrote:
*Note: There are two *Koi-Lo's* on the pond and aquaria groups.

"stuarth" wrote in message
egroups.com...
So when it was set up for two weeks did it had something in it to
generate Ammonia like a snail or fish?

Someone suggested the gravel was unclean. I can't see how he can have
nitrites with nothing alive in the tank...?!?!?!? The store clerk should
have pointed this out and made some suggestions as to finding the cause of
the nitrites before adding fish.

Does anyone really wait a month before setting up a tank with fish any
more?

Read this:
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html
if you really want to wait a month.

I add them as soon as a tank is set up and everything is running right.
There's no reason not to as long as a dechlorinator was used. Some utility
water contains a lot of gasses I read somewhere and should be allowed 24
hours to stabilize but that has not been a problem were we live.

"Koi-Lo" none wrote in :

Someone suggested the gravel was unclean. I can't see how he can have
nitrites with nothing alive in the tank...?!?!?!? The store clerk

You don't need living things in your aquarium in order to cycle it. Any
decaying organic matter or waste will kick start the cycle. You do need a
long-term waste producer to sustain it well over time, but not to get it
started.

Old used gravel or unwashed ornaments will contain trace amounts of dead
organic material which will produce ammonia as it decays.

Bagged store bought live plant sand substrates generally come with a good
quantity of dead organic material including dead bacteria, which will
produce ammonia as it decays.

Some people add pure ammonia directly to their tank to get the cycle going.

Cat **** will cycle an aquarium--not as uncommon as you might think,
especially in aquariums that have been sitting around dry for a long while.
You could cycle it with your own urine if you're vile enough to really
consider it.

Throwing fish food into an empty aquarium will cycle it too, but you'll
have to wait for sufficient digester bacteria to accumulate before their is
significant food for nitrifying bacteria.

Probably none of these circumstances are what the original poster has
experienced, but my point is there are a lot of reasons why nitrites may be
present despite their being no fish in the tank. So long as the levels are
not very high, there is really no reason to worry about where they came
from.