Cycle question

[tlfphoto]

I have 6 tanks only one is set up at the moment because I have had to move. Anyway I have never cycled any of my tanks and have yet to have any of my fish die because of it. How is this possible? If I do it how come other people can,t.
Currently have a 45gal planted that is my baby. I will set up others when I moved again.

 

[depthC]

Visit the Freshwater beginner Forum and check out the fishless cycle sticky on top.

BTW, can i get the details on you 45g, such as dimensions,lighting,substrate, plants? Thanks im just looking into everyone elses setups of 45g High to leech off and set up a successful planted tank.

- depthC

 

[Davy]

Do you mean you didn't fishless cycle? Any tank will fish in cycle even if you are not aware of it. It just might take some time. What fish do you have in the tank?

 

[FroggyFox]

...the high levels of ammonia and nitrites are usually diminished by having live plants in the tank, so if you've always had planted tanks then that would explain why you didnt lose fish when setting up tanks.

Another interesting point is that a lot of people are of the opinion that petstore/tank bred fish these days are weaker because of inbreeding and more susceptible to dying because of smaller things.

 

[jd_energy]

When I first started keeping fish, I got a 5 gallon hex and all I did was got the tank setup, washed the rocks off and put them in, put ornaments, set up hob filter, added water(with 1 tbsp. salt), Dropped in chlor-out, turned light and filter on, went to the store and got the fish and dropped them in. All in about 3 hours.Only 1 out of the six fish died. I wouldn't do that now, but I did get pretty lucky, 1 guppy, 1 cory, and 4 small danios. It was one of the danios that died.

 

[tlfphoto]

Tank Specs

Here are my tank specs.
45 gal
Lighting: 2 48" 6500k 40w ultra daylight flo tubes and 2 48" 5000k 40w wide spectrum flo tubes. On for12 hours a day.
Filters: Emporer 400 using standard filter refills and in one of the refilable media inserts I use carbon and the other I use Zeolite. I have a 126gph power head with filter feeding a 9 watt UV Sterilizer that I run every other week or when I need it.
Heater: 200 watt Ebo-Jager. Tank is a nice 76 degree's.
Substrate: 70lbs of medium grit sand blasting sand.
Water additives: Seachem Prime, Stress Coat, Aquirium Salt 1tbls per 5gal of water. PH stay between 6.8 and 7.2.
I do a 30 percent water change every week.
Ferts: All SeaChem products. Flourish, Potassium, Iron, Excel, & Trace elements.
Decor: 12lbs of driftwood and river rock.
Plants: 15 or 20 Amazon Swords, Hygro, Bacopa, 3 Aponogeton Crispus, 1 Red Tiger Lotus, 2 Banana Plants, & something I don't remember the name of.
Fish: 1 Brushy nose Pl*co, 1 Pictus Catfish, 1 Golden Algae Eater, 1 Male Beta, 1 Female Beta, 4 Rosy Barbs, 4 Clown Loaches, 2 Blue Gouramis, 1 Austrailian Rainbow fish, 10 Neons, 1 Platy, 2 Danio's, 2 Hatchet fish, 2 Black Skirt Tetras, 1 Pristilla Tetra, 1 Headlight Tetra, & 1 Brown African Ghostknife.
This is whats up and running now I have had to move twice in a month so I gave all my Livebeares away, there must have been 100 or more of them. So I kept these fish and just set up the 45gal. My 55 was cracked during the first of the 2 moves so I kinda had to get rid of some fish.
My Plants a recovering from the 2 moves in 1 month so I will post pics in a few weeks when they recover. All in all the 45 is at my sisters house and can stay for a while so it should be in tip top shape again soon.
I love my fish!!!!