On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:47:26 CST, "Stumpy"
wrote:

Let me say right up front that you are welcome and on topic here when
talking about fish and fish health. Most of us have fish and ponds of
different sizes and different filtering systems and we sometimes have
different ideas about keeping fish, so hang around, we are mostly
friendly.

I set up a small aquarium and used de-chlor. Waited a week and bought a
goldfish.

I use city water treated with chlorine, not chloramines, and I used to
fill my aquarium 10 gal with city water put in a chlorine remover and
replace fish immediately. I could set aside 10 gallons of city water
and leave it sit at room temperature overnight and use it without
chlorine remover without ill effects to goldfish.

After one week it had Ich, used malachite green and raised tank
temperature to 80 deg., it recovered. Then at it's 2 week mark the goldfish
looked ill and had its tail corroding - I assumed with tailrot. Took a
water sample to a petstore and wanted to buy an anti-biotic. The aquariaist
said that the sample had high ammonia and that it was not tailrot, would
not sell the antibiotic. The fish died that night.

Let's assume the clerk was right and let me say, I'm sorry you lost
your fish. To prevent this happening in the future, may I suggest
you get your own aquarium test kit. A good one can be purchased where
I am for between $20 and $30. It includes pH, GH and Ammonia tests.
Mine also includes Nitrite and Nitrate tests, but I've never received
a positive with either of these in my pond, so I tend to ignore them.

http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html

My question is - with no fish in the tank to continue producing nitrogen,
will the cycle shown in the graph on the link above continue as depicted?
Or will the cycle be interrupted until I install a new fish to produce new
nitrogen? My preference would be to leave the tank alone until day 40 and
then feel much better about putting in a new fish.

I think it is difficult to answer your question without knowing the
tank. Mine was an under gravel filter (Some time ago.) and needed
frequent cleaning compared to some of today's aquarium filtering
systems. I had to learn to change water more frequently than most
aquarist do these days and still am not in favor of such long waiting
periods without fish.

My opinion is to clean the tank and filters remove anything that
removes ammonia. (These items, once saturated release ammonia back
into the water.) Use a chlorine remover adjust the temperature and
replace fish immediately. Use my test kit weekly or daily when
problems occur, and rely on water changes to help me regulate the
balance of the water. (I would use chlorine remover in the new water
if I changed more than 20% of the water.) I would also suggest
goldfish feeders,(cheap) until you feel more comfortable with managing
the water. I trust others here will offer their thoughts.
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb