Originally Posted by hazyreality

yes the tank will be toxic but it will settle and at the end of the day, i cant think of a single customer that we have that has had a problem with the idea. i also cant think of a single customer that would wait for 4 weeks before they put a single fish in their tanks. some of them want fish the same day(which i spose i better add we will not allow). we also find that we refuse to sell them fish and they go to the other 2 aquatics centres near us, dont tell them about the status of their tanks and buy fish without being questioned! they come back to us when they have problems. we also offer a free water testing service so they can monitor their tanks.
if the fish are healthy and hardy there is no reason to think that they will die. some fish including siamese fighters and gourami's have evolved to live in toxic dirty water, and so they can now air breathe, making them a hardy fish.

everyone has their own idea's and this is mine and the view our shop takes, i appeciate if everyone has different ones. use what works for you.

But as you say, each to his own.

*Heidi*

Originally Posted by magpie

Hon, all I know is that since I’ve had my fish I’ve been on a fair few fish & aquarium forums and I’ve yet to come across a single experienced person who recommends cycling a tank with fish. I’ve also seen more people than I can count coming onto those forums after owning their fish for a few weeks or months, who have sick and dying fish, and it inevitably turns out that the fish have ammonia poisoning because the tanks weren’t cycled fishlessly beforehand.

But as you say, each to his own.

Originally Posted by magpie

Hon, all I know is that since I’ve had my fish I’ve been on a fair few fish & aquarium forums and I’ve yet to come across a single experienced person who recommends cycling a tank with fish. I’ve also seen more people than I can count coming onto those forums after owning their fish for a few weeks or months, who have sick and dying fish, and it inevitably turns out that the fish have ammonia poisoning because the tanks weren’t cycled fishlessly beforehand.

If you and your customers have never lost a single fish that way then fair enough, you must be doing something right. Personally though, I’d never recommend someone cycle a tank with fish - cause its no fun to lose your new pets after only owning them for a few weeks (which I know could easily happen), and I don’t think its fair to subject fish to live in dirty water just because someone is too impatient to wait a couple of weeks for the tank to cycle.

But as you say, each to his own.

Originally Posted by Pleccy

Well said, this might also be of some interest, Frequently asked questions on fishless cycling | Practical Fishkeeping magazine.

Originally Posted by hazyreality

ok, i give up on this debate. i've lost count of the times i've said agree to disagree so i think i should just carry on doing what i've been doing that has worked and the same to you and pleccy and end the debate here? we/I also dont agree with alot of what practical fishkeeping have to say now, all the winners etc are the ones that pay the most, will never buy a copy of it. also sorry to steph for taking over her post
*Heidi*