Welcome to Koi Forum. Is this your first visit? Register
Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
    Junior Member Rank = Tosai KoiNewcomer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    20
    Thanks / Likes
    10

    fishless cycling Alfagrog

    Hi everyone,

    I’m new here and have never had a pond before. Hoping that I could get some advice.

    Background;
    I’ve inherited a large pond with aprox 8 koi and (now) 45 goldfish. There were some issues with an insecure liner and detritus in the gravel causing bacterial problems.

    The pond has been fitted with a new liner and raised up so that it is now aprox 25000 litres. The fish were treated with salt in a separate holding tank and have now since been returned to the main pond.

    The person who I paid to move the fish and treat them advised that I wait a few weeks before feeding them so that the filter can mature. Even without feeding the ammonia was 0.5 ppm today (nitrite 0 and Ph 7.4).


    Enquiry:
    I am trying to mature 15kg of Alfagrog. I’ve put the grog and an airstone in a container filled with dechlorinated water. I want to mature this media and then place it into the filter that I have to ease new tank syndrome.

    I am trying to follow an article by Manky Sanke that explains how to do a fish less cycle.

    The problem is that even after pouring nearly the entire bottle of the below ammonia into the container, my API liquid test kit won’t register any ammonia at all!

    Knock Out Household Ammonia, 500 ml https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000TAOZ...p_mob_ap_share



  2. #2
    Junior Member Rank = Tosai KoiNewcomer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    20
    Thanks / Likes
    10
    I think I may have worked out the issue by looking through old threads.

    I didn’t measure the volume of water going into the container and just put in excess dechlorinator. The dechlorinator could be interfering with the test results.

    What I will do is empty out the Alfagrog. I will then then refill the container but this time using my flow meter and in line carbon filter.

    I hope that that will be enough to get the dechlorinator out. Else I could rinse everything in tap water to try and cancel out the dechlorinator and then dose the treatment properly.

  3. #3
    Junior Member Rank = Tosai KoiNewcomer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    20
    Thanks / Likes
    10
    Update:

    Even when adding ammonia to a small jug of tap water, I can only measure 0.25 ppm.

    I’m feeling super disheartened.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by KoiNewcomer View Post
    Update:

    Even when adding ammonia to a small jug of tap water, I can only measure 0.25 ppm.

    I’m feeling super disheartened.

    To do this properly, you should only add ammonia as per the guide I gave in my article which will give you an initial ammonia reading of around 3 mg/L. This only
    an approximate value due to variations in the exact volume of water in the tank or dust bin and the ammonia strength but it shouldn't be too far out. If you don't get a value that is reasonably close to 3 mg/L then you are either doing something wrong or the test kit is faulty or the ammonia isn't the typical strength of around 10%.

    This is the appropriate paragraph from my article - the full article is on this link:
    Fishless cycling (mankysanke.co.uk

    "The precise amount of ammonia to be added can be calculated according to the volume of water in the bay or dustbin. In order to do this, the volume would need to be accurately measured beforehand and due allowance would have to be made for the volume of the media. If this is done, the correct dose rate will be 3 ml of 10% strength ammonia per 100 litres of water which will give an ammonia level of 3.0 mg/L. Alternatively, for those who prefer not to do the maths, there is an easy way to provide a suitable initial dose. Simply add half a teaspoonful of ammonia to the bay or dustbin, measure the ammonia level this produces and add an extra appropriate amount. The precise level isn’t important but 3 mg/L is a suitable level."
    Last edited by Manky Sanke; 25-03-2021 at 08:33 AM.

  5. Thanks Ajm Thanked / Liked this Post
  6. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Jussai g mac's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Posts
    1,431
    Thanks / Likes
    2641
    Quote Originally Posted by KoiNewcomer View Post
    Update:

    Even when adding ammonia to a small jug of tap water, I can only measure 0.25 ppm.

    I’m feeling super disheartened.
    Keep at it, it does work if you follow Manke's instructions. I did exactly that a few months back, not with grog but K1. It took some time and became a bit tedious, testing every day and adding a few drops of ammonia but got there in the end.

  7. Thanks Manky Sanke Thanked / Liked this Post
  8. #6
    Junior Member Rank = Tosai KoiNewcomer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    20
    Thanks / Likes
    10
    Quote Originally Posted by g mac View Post
    Keep at it, it does work if you follow Manke's instructions. I did exactly that a few months back, not with grog but K1. It took some time and became a bit tedious, testing every day and adding a few drops of ammonia but got there in the end.
    Quote Originally Posted by Manky Sanke View Post




    To do this properly, you should only add ammonia as per the guide I gave in my article which will give you an initial ammonia reading of around 3 mg/L. This only
    an approximate value due to variations in the exact volume of water in the tank or dust bin and the ammonia strength but it shouldn't be too far out. If you don't get a value that is reasonably close to 3 mg/L then you are either doing something wrong or the test kit is faulty or the ammonia isn't the typical strength of around 10%.

    This is the appropriate paragraph from my article - the full article is on this link:
    Fishless cycling (mankysanke.co.uk

    "The precise amount of ammonia to be added can be calculated according to the volume of water in the bay or dustbin. In order to do this, the volume would need to be accurately measured beforehand and due allowance would have to be made for the volume of the media. If this is done, the correct dose rate will be 3 ml of 10% strength ammonia per 100 litres of water which will give an ammonia level of 3.0 mg/L. Alternatively, for those who prefer not to do the maths, there is an easy way to provide a suitable initial dose. Simply add half a teaspoonful of ammonia to the bay or dustbin, measure the ammonia level this produces and add an extra appropriate amount. The precise level isn’t important but 3 mg/L is a suitable level."

    Thanks Manky for your advice 😀

    It turned out that the ammonia that I was using caused the issues. I tried a different brand (Dr Tim’s) and it worked perfectly.

    Though the 1 drop per lites in the bottle doesn’t seem to be accurate - either that or my flow meter isn’t as accurate as I thought it would be.

    I put in half the recommended dosage to check and ended up with ammonia off the chart. After a 90% water change that put me right 3ppm.

    It’s been a rough start but at I am moving forwards at last. I will be super careful now when adding more ammonia.

  9. #7
    Junior Member Rank = Tosai KoiNewcomer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Location
    West Midlands
    Posts
    20
    Thanks / Likes
    10
    Quote Originally Posted by g mac View Post
    Keep at it, it does work if you follow Manke's instructions. I did exactly that a few months back, not with grog but K1. It took some time and became a bit tedious, testing every day and adding a few drops of ammonia but got there in the end.
    Thank you. Yes, definitely tedious

  10. Thanks g mac Thanked / Liked this Post
  11. #8
    Mate I followed mankey sanky instructions on this I can’t remember how much it was but I know I used a syringe and measured it out Daily I done in for around 2 months! And it worked amazingly like I was actually shocked how much food I could feel it was great! I done this with k1 but sure it’s the same for grog


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  12. Thanks Manky Sanke Thanked / Liked this Post
 

 

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:41 PM. Online Koi Mag Forum
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3
Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

vBulletin Improved By vBFoster® (Lite Version), © UltimateScheme, Ltd.