Tag Archives: ammonia

The Nitrogen Cycle: Starting Fishless

The safest way to cycle your tank is without any fish in the water! It can be hard to wait several weeks without fish in your aquarium, but if your fish die in the process, you’re wasting your money. So how do you start the nitrogen cycle in your tank without fish? Here are some options: Use fish food. As uneaten fish food decomposes, it releases ammonia and/or ammonium into the water. If you’re using fish food, you’ll need to keep “feeding” flakes into the tank to keep the decomposition process going. Use your water test kit to monitor your … Continue reading →

What Is In Your Tank Water?

The water in your tropical aquarium is more than just hydrogen and oxygen — there is a lot of other stuff going on in your tank. Understanding some basics will help you provide a safe and healthy environment for your fish. There are two types of bacteria that may live in your tank: aerobic and anaerobic. The aerobic kind of bacteria needs oxygen to live. The anaerobic kind of bacteria can live without (or just does not need) oxygen. You will want to invest in an aquarium testing kit (or separate kits to test for separate things) that checks for … Continue reading →

Cleaning Tips

Try these ideas to make cleaning simpler. Non-Stick Cooking Spray It makes sense to use non-stick cooking spray before cooking, but what about after? When you have a stuck on mess, spray cooking spray directly onto the problem area. Allow it to soak in for a few minutes and it will begin to release cooked on food. Scrape away as much of the debris as possible, rinse, and then scour as usual with your favorite dish washing liquid. Ammonia Straight ammonia, not just a cleaner that contains ammonia, is one of the best weapons against waxy build up. It will … Continue reading →