cycling
- Thread starter saltwater4life
- Start date
4 to 8 weeks for a full cycle.
You have to add an ammonia source to start the cycle. Try adding fish food or PURE ammonia from the store. Once you get the ammonia levels up to .50 let them sit until they go back down to 0. You will start to see the nitrIte levels rise. Once they start to go down and you have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and a bit of nitrate, your cycle has finished.
You have to add an ammonia source to start the cycle. Try adding fish food or PURE ammonia from the store. Once you get the ammonia levels up to .50 let them sit until they go back down to 0. You will start to see the nitrIte levels rise. Once they start to go down and you have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and a bit of nitrate, your cycle has finished.
You would need an ammonia source unless you have put live rock into your tank. If you put fully cured live rock you will barely see a cycle but bear with it and don't add anything untill everything comes out zero. Most live rock will start the cycle, but it will only build bacteria enough to take care of what is in there......remember go slowly and only add animals fish etc a little at a time to ensure you don't get a spike as the bacteria need time to adjust to the added bioload.
Well... it is no longer the commonly accepted practice... that's pretty much a fact.
So, at the very least the statement that is it "outdated" is a fact, rather than an opinion.
Additionally, by your own admission, it is cruel since the fish will likely die. So... in a hobby where the idea is to keep fish alive, it would, at least on the surface, appear "stupid" to put fish in a situation where they will likely die...
So, at the very least the statement that is it "outdated" is a fact, rather than an opinion.
Additionally, by your own admission, it is cruel since the fish will likely die. So... in a hobby where the idea is to keep fish alive, it would, at least on the surface, appear "stupid" to put fish in a situation where they will likely die...
there is no point in arguing the merit of this practice, I am not trying to be mean, but when you give someone incorrect advice who is just getting into the hobby it is detrimental to their experience and is why practices like cycling with fish continue when there is absolutely no need. As to it being cheaper than buying live rock this is true, but even cheaper than buying a fish is buying a large cocktail shrimp and throwing it in the tank, it will have the same effect. And while the fish may not die, it is none the less a stressful and unpleasant experience, which is what we try to avoid in this hobby.
hm thx ya i knew it'd take longer then a week but i just thought something would of changed every time i checked my stuff it was the same and was right for SW but i got some LR and a few hermit craps i would like my cycle to finsh before my birthday in Nov so i could get some fish or something well i guess thats it
Thank you so much for all your help XD
Thank you so much for all your help XD
if you buy established LR it comes with hitchhikers and an established bacteria colony. if you do that, you could add a tine bit of ammonia, or maybe a couple hermits to add to the bacteria #s, but it is mostly cycled when you get it. when i got my fully establidhed rock, i had no ammonia, or nitrite spikes, and i already had nitrate. i think i had nitrates because i also used sand from an established tank. when is your B-Day?
joe not to be mean or anything but your probably one of the last people i would take advice to seeing how many fish you have lost in such a short period of time.. i know u say some of them weren't your fault but you probably should have read up some more on the stuff you put in your tank before they started eating your fish.. cycling with fish is just mean as stated before there are tons of ways to do it with out fish!
hey here is my test i cant really tell if it's 0.25 or 0.50 this is for ammonia
ImageShack - Hosting :: sep300003wr5.png
Thanks kinda crapy pic i just hurryed and took it because i wasn't sure
ImageShack - Hosting :: sep300003wr5.png
Thanks kinda crapy pic i just hurryed and took it because i wasn't sure