How to cycle a fishtank

[Fbt123]

Basically what is the quickest and easiest way to q cycle a fish tank?

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[Mentat]

Your two requirements can oppose each other when it comes to cycling an aquarium. Also, the presence of live plants requires different approaches.

The fastest is by using media from a cycled healthy tank. If no cycled filter is available; then adding a culture of live bacteria to aquarium together with the aquarium inhabitants is only other option. As long as the bacteria in package are fresh and alive, they will populate filter and will feed off the ammonia produced by fish and adjust their population accordingly.

The easiest is again to add filter media from a healthy cycled tank. Or just add a very small number of your sturdy fish (can't do this with ammonia sensitive fish) and let tank cycle itself. It will take around a month for it to happen; but you can cut that in half by using a product that inoculates filter with dormant bacteria like Seachem Stability.

If you have no live plants, can add aquarium salt (1 tbs. per 2.5 gal.) to reduce the damage from ammonia/nitrites during cycling. If it's a heavily planted aquarium, the plants will consume most of the ammonia; but will still have a nitrite spike during cycling.

Do not use any ammonia neutralizing product like Amquel during cycling. They are very aggressive removing ammonia and nitrites leading to bacteria population starving death and the cycle to be interrupted. That effect will continue until the product is removed with water changes or decomposes away, making for a very long cycling period. Hope this helps and good luck !

[Fbt123]

Thanks Carlis! Im putting a gokdfish and white mountain minniws in there, will they be ok? Can i use rocksalt instead of aquarium salt?

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[Fbt123]

Also how many water changes should i do?

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[Fbt123]

Im going to buy some live bacteria abd feed a pinch of fish food every 2 days. Once the water goes slightly cloydy then it goes clean then the nitrogen cycle is complete. But how will i know when to do water changes?

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[Mentat]

Im going to buy some live bacteria abd feed a pinch of fish food every 2 days. Once the water goes slightly cloydy then it goes clean then the nitrogen cycle is complete. But how will i know when to do water changes?

Actually; that is not correct. Irrelevant of water clarity, first the Ammonia will peak and then drop to 0. Then the Nitrites will peak and then drop to 0. Once that happens the filter will be cycled. You can have a cycled tank and cloudy water at the same time. The only way to monitor is to get test kits for both Ammonia and Nitrites. Test strips are inaccurate; need liquid test kits.

Water changes will depend on factors such as water volume, filter efficiency, live plant presence, and animal livestock biomass. Initially you wait until tank is cycled (Ammonia and Nitrites are 0) and then do a 15% water change. Then use a Nitrate test kit and if higher than 25 ppm; need to increase the volume of water changed or the periodicity. You want to keep Nitrates below 25% or it will start affecting the fish.

There are lots of audio visual explanations about aquarium's Nitrogen cycle in internet if you search for it .

[Fbt123]

Thanks again carlos. What is a good test kit? Is my methid ok but i just need to get a water tester as well? This will be a fishless cycle btw

[Mentat]

Myself use the ones made by API. Can get them individually or as a kit online at Dr. Foster & Smith or Big Als .

[brian c]

****Deleted for Infraction****


DigitalPunk AKA Paul