This may be a dumb question but...

virginiadiver69 · 01/27/2007, 04:08 PM

I am just starting to cycle a tank with about 10 lbs of like rock. It is fresh and probably will have a lot of die off. I noticed the bottle of household ammonia in the cleaning closet and thought, hmmm?
I wonder if I can add a certain amount of this to my tank to give it a jump start. Am I way off base on this one.

bertoni · 01/27/2007, 04:27 PM

There's no value in adding ammonia to a tank with live rock. Household ammonia likely has other ingredients, as well.

Is there a lot of base rock present?

Nano Chris · 01/27/2007, 06:19 PM

I would not add household ammonia, just wait and let it cycle on its own.

SgJsg35 · 01/27/2007, 06:49 PM

I wouldnt do it.Might do more harm than good.Never know whats in it.

drummereef · 01/27/2007, 07:08 PM

Just let it cycle on its own. You'll be up and running in no time.

myfrostymember · 01/27/2007, 07:28 PM

this is done in some fresh water setups to accelerate the proccess but if you have live rock you wouldnt want to add even more ammonia to the tank so it would make your cycle start in a really slow way-- the tank would take longer to cycle because you would have an extremely large ammount of ammonia after the live rock died off a bit

plus it takes a certian type of ammonia like the previuse post says some ammonia isnt good for use even in fresh water setups

virginiadiver69 · 01/27/2007, 07:32 PM

Thanks all. This is what I figured but I thought it was worth a shot.

zebrafish · 01/27/2007, 08:13 PM

I read somewhere that in this hobby good things take time, while bad things happen quickly.

01/27/2007, 04:08 PM	#1
virginiadiver69 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Va. Posts: 4,400	This may be a dumb question but... I am just starting to cycle a tank with about 10 lbs of like rock. It is fresh and probably will have a lot of die off. I noticed the bottle of household ammonia in the cleaning closet and thought, hmmm? I wonder if I can add a certain amount of this to my tank to give it a jump start. Am I way off base on this one.

01/27/2007, 04:27 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	There's no value in adding ammonia to a tank with live rock. Household ammonia likely has other ingredients, as well. Is there a lot of base rock present? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/27/2007, 06:19 PM	#3
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	I would not add household ammonia, just wait and let it cycle on its own. __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!

01/27/2007, 06:49 PM	#4
SgJsg35 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Steeler Country Posts: 218	I wouldnt do it.Might do more harm than good.Never know whats in it. __________________ hadooun haqil khairun min sadiqin jaahil Current Tank Info: 50 gal.(50-60lbs LR) Eibl's Angelfish,Sixline Wrasse,Lunare Wrasse,Orchid Dottyback,Blacktail Dascyllus,Neon Goby,Banded Coral Shrimp,Emerald Crab,a few Snails & Hermits

01/27/2007, 07:08 PM	#5
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Just let it cycle on its own. You'll be up and running in no time. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

01/27/2007, 07:28 PM	#6
myfrostymember Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 503	this is done in some fresh water setups to accelerate the proccess but if you have live rock you wouldnt want to add even more ammonia to the tank so it would make your cycle start in a really slow way-- the tank would take longer to cycle because you would have an extremely large ammount of ammonia after the live rock died off a bit plus it takes a certian type of ammonia like the previuse post says some ammonia isnt good for use even in fresh water setups

01/27/2007, 07:32 PM	#7
virginiadiver69 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Va. Posts: 4,400	Thanks all. This is what I figured but I thought it was worth a shot. __________________ Semi-aggressive mixed reef w/ shallow sand bed 96x30x27 310gal custom acrylic w/ ext. "fail safe" overflow 125gal sump/cryptic fuge w/ 6" DSB 3 400w Plus Rite 20k MH in Lumembrights 2 250w Plus Rite 20k MH in spider reflectors VHO actinic supplementation 2 Tunze wave boxes 2 Tunze 6060 in Tunze Rocks 2 Tunze 6125 Reeflo 250 skimmer Hammerhead return on OM 4 way Aqua controller lll Leviton power panel Deltec Eco-Cooler Randy's Two part 6.5 kw generator

01/27/2007, 08:13 PM	#8
zebrafish Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Southaven, Mississippi Posts: 454	I read somewhere that in this hobby good things take time, while bad things happen quickly.