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Old 22-01-2008, 01:59 AM posted to rec.ponds.moderated
Stumpy Stumpy is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jan 2008
Posts: 9
Default Aquarium chemistry



You have a small aquarium with no fish and ammonia in the water. In
regards to your question, yes, the nitrifying bacteria which will take
the tank through its cycle will continue to develop if there is no
fish in the aquarium. These bacteria establish themselves in the
filter's sponge, so don't damage them by hard washing or replacement.
There are some other things to be aware of, but as was already
mentioned here, it's a big subject.


This is good news. I'll assume that if I wait the ~40 days I saw on the
graph, then is a good time to try again.


This still leaves a lot of unanswered questions, such as, is my
aquarium big enough or even suitable for ... and what type of
goldfish (fancy typically require warmer water, comets do better in
longer tanks etc etc). There are Goldfish FAQ if your heart is set on
a Goldfish.
http://fish.turquoisewave.com/index....26&Itemi d=37

And there is aquarium-specific advice available at the Freshwater
Aquarium
http://groups.google.com/group/The-F...quarium/topics
which can include many types of fish which may or may not be more
applicable to your setup.

ps: to rpm, sorry to pinch a poster, I was just wandering by and
thought I could help ;~)
cheers
NetMax


Thanks for the links. I'll explore Google groups. The goldfish was my
wife's idea - it doesn't have to be perfect. Just want to avoid future
health problems and trauma/drama in the toilet bowl.