another clycling question

E

EmtGuy

Small Fish
#1
Oct 22, 2002
20
0
0
#1
ok, I know that there have been a million threads about cycling on here. I would like to know if this is correct in a nut shell:

1: Get new tank and put water in it
2: let it sit for a few days to soak up 02.
3: Dump in a few fish
4: Test for ammonia, nitrate
5: Dump in all your fish when ammonia&nitrate = 0%

Is that all I need to do?? I just bought a 46G, and I've never had one this big before.
 

R

ronrca

Guest
#2
#2

Check out the articles page about fishless cycling and also the Nitrogen cycle. That should answer all your questions. If you do have some more, feel free to ask.  *thumbsupsmiley*
 

C

colesea

Superstar Fish
#4
Oct 22, 2002
1,612
0
0
NY USA
#4
"I could be bound in a nutshell and count myself king of infinate space...if it weren't that I have bad dreams..."

There is no nutshell when it comes to cycling a tank. If you can't do a fishless cycle, I usually reccommend only two fish every two weeks, doing 25% water changes every six weeks, until ammonia and nitrites equal zero. This is a slow and careful process that takes lots of patients.  BUT YOU MUST BE PATIENT AND ONLY STICK TO THE TWO FISH=TWO WEEKS.  This seems to be what works the best for my customers since I started reccommending this. Everybody that has tried to deviate from it (ie rushed and sneaked in a few extra fish before two weeks was up) found they created nasty ammonia spikes and lost fish.

Don't use feeder goldfish, they're sick and unhealthy and only make your water full of disease. Start with inexpensive tropical community fish if those are the type of fish you want. If you want another fish (SA cichlids or African cichlids) I would still say start with a nice little tropical community. Some LFS will let you trade fish in when they get bigger, and after a year, the tetra you bought for 99 cents and raised up might be a $2.00 credit towards something else.
~~Colesea
 

E

EmtGuy

Small Fish
#5
Oct 22, 2002
20
0
0
#5
alrighty, what is a good water temp that most fish will like. I know that different fish like various temps, but what is a good general temp?? ::)
 

You must log in or register to reply here.