New venture.

[esoxlucius]

An update on the perch plan. I've contacted the fish store this week and it's all been cleared to take my tropical fish to them next Saturday.

Now the sensible approach would be to re-home my tropical fish next Saturday and get the perch in the tank in the same weekend. No cycling required, completely sensible. Unfortunately it's not going to happen like that.

We're going on holiday to Greece the week after next so I don't want to set my perch tank up and then leave them for a period of time. I need to closely monitor them.

So the tropical fish will go and the tank will remain empty until we return from holiday. Then the fun can start. There's a chance I may even do a fish in cycle with the perch. Not for everyone I know, you've got to know exactly what you're doing, so it's a good job I do!

Anyway, that's it for now, hope you are all well, and I hope you're behaving jjohnwm in my absence!

 

[tlindsey]

fish in cycle

I would toss in a raw shrimp or two for a food source for the beneficial bacteria.

 

[danotaylor]

Your bacterial colony won’t completely die off in a week mate, unless you stop your filtration running. If you wanted to maintain it at full strength you could do what tlindsey suggested, or put some ammonia in, or throw in a handful of fish food, and then do a BG water change when you get back from Greece
Greece! Are you going to the Islands or staying in the mainland? Those warm turquoise waters are so inviting!

 

[esoxlucius]

I have various options regarding the BB colony. Whether I wipe the current one out and start over, or keep the current one ticking over with another ammonia source I don't know yet.

Greece! Are you going to the Islands or staying in the mainland? Those warm turquoise waters are so inviting!

We always holiday in Greece, never mainland, always the islands. I've been to several islands over the past decades but the one we go to the most now is Zante. I know the place like the back of my hand, love it.

Usually we go at peak time, when the temps are regularly nudging 40°c. This time we are going a little earlier than usual so the temps will be a lot lower, typically mid 20's which is more manageable for the wife.

 

[jjohnwm]

Nice to read about someone who isn't buying some expensive, delicate fish...throwing them into a tank that was set up and filled just that morning...and is then traipsing off for a month of fun and frivolity while leaving the feeding and care of the tank to a friend who knows even less than he does!

Esox, I think you'll find that leaving your tank devoid of fish for the duration of your vacation, and then testing the water and feeding it some ammonia when you get back will return your cycle to full capacity within a very short time...a few days, rather than weeks or months. I don't know if the bacteria simply go dormant, or if the population dies back to almost (not quite) nothing, but the generation time of the little critters is so rapid that whatever remains will quickly repopulate.

I'm looking forward to following this project. In the meantime, enjoy your vacation; whatever you do, don't fret about me singlehandedly fighting off hordes of bloodthirsty bots here on MFK while you frolic in the sun...