OP
OP
That may be a little slow but not bad and at least you see a change now. It should drop about a point a day over the next 2 to 4 days to get near zero.
Fishless Cycling
- Thread starter rdd1952
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I deposited my ammonia into my tank (a 9.95% solution, worked out at 4ml to 18 imperial gallons to get approx 6ppm ammonia.) I've seen the colour shift nearer to the 4ppm shade already, but im expecting it to now hold at this for the rest of the week.
Oddly, the only item if chucked in the tank has been a filter with a new sponge (internal medium now change, but cleansed in warm water) - chances of cultivation from this fairly slim due to filter not being used for roughly 3 years and three caps of cycle (was included in a "trial pack" of their items, figured what the hey. if now drop in a while, would it be worth getting further sources and adding them?
OP
OP
I'm not a believer in the bacteria in a bottle products like Cycle. The best thing you could add to speed things up would be filter media from a cycled tank. It won't hurt to add more Cycle but I don't think it will help either.
Native American
Fish Fanatic
Man, I've always done it using the one-small-fish-at-a-time method (or putting in some hardy, live-bearing fry), along with dropping in the filter element from a friend's aquarium (until I had another up and running). As the fry grow, so does their waste output and food for the "bugs" in the N2 cycle.
And it always, always took forever...like a month or two!
Then, no additional livestock until I got the plants established, which helped lower the pH to an acceptable level, because cycling w/ those growing guppies in my hard water made the pH go up. Constant work testing pH and adjusting it until the plants settled in.
That added another month or two. I'm just cautious as all get-out, and use the test kit a lot.
Your informative article seems to give a much faster, sure-footed approach. Would've enabled me to get my largest tank set up much more quickly. Just because I found and built a big tank (it was a bargain) doesn't mean I know what I'm doing, that's for certain!
My next setup will be a fishless cycle.
v/r, N-A
And it always, always took forever...like a month or two!
Then, no additional livestock until I got the plants established, which helped lower the pH to an acceptable level, because cycling w/ those growing guppies in my hard water made the pH go up. Constant work testing pH and adjusting it until the plants settled in.
That added another month or two. I'm just cautious as all get-out, and use the test kit a lot.
Your informative article seems to give a much faster, sure-footed approach. Would've enabled me to get my largest tank set up much more quickly. Just because I found and built a big tank (it was a bargain) doesn't mean I know what I'm doing, that's for certain!
My next setup will be a fishless cycle.
v/r, N-A
The 'add and wait' method - as described by rdd1952 DOES work - as a newbie, the tank 'cycle' was the one thing I was nervous about (chemicals, testing, adding, testing, waiting etc)... only a week after first adding 6ppm of ammonia, my tank's bacteria are now munching through 4ppm in less than every 24 hour period... now I'm waiting for my Nitr'i'tes to drop... around 2 weeks... so my new tank should hopefully be fully cycled in under a month?... quicker than using a 'fish' cycle... btw, my tank was planted out with real plants BEFORE I started the cycle... they are fine and healthy... the ammonia actually seems to have helped them along?...
OP
OP
Native American, I went through the same thing with our first tank, daily tests for ammonia and nitrite and daily water changes. And lost a few fish too. With the fishless cycle, you still have to do some testing every day but no water changes and no fish to worry about. I hope it helps you.
Bogwood, sounds like your cycle is going well. Every tank I've cycled seems to tank right at twice as long for the nitrite to fall as it did for the ammonia to fall.
Bogwood, sounds like your cycle is going well. Every tank I've cycled seems to tank right at twice as long for the nitrite to fall as it did for the ammonia to fall.
OP
OP
Not exactly the most common ammonia source but I'm sure it works. How do you regulate how much ammonia you have and what do you do to feed the bacteria present to process ammonia while the nitrite spike drops?
Wanda hornsey
Fish Crazy
Ok so I am just about grasping all this with my limited knowledge one silly question tho....I have a 100gallon tank how long do you think it would take to do the cycle? also I got the tank on thursday (now sunday) and it was in use before I got it is there any chance of saving the filter medium do you think or will it all be dead?? I presume this would save me time if I could just set it up again with the old filters etc?? Help please ???...Am a newbie so please be gentle with me 
)
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OP
OP
Hello Wanda and welcome to the forum. 
Cycling time usually runs between 2 and 4 weeks regardless of tank size. Almost all of mine have been about 3 weeks. It's possible that there would still be some bacteria in the filter media provided it's been wet the whole time. Once it dries out, the bacteria are gone pretty quick. It would definitely speed the process if there are some bacteria present. What type filters are they?
Cycling time usually runs between 2 and 4 weeks regardless of tank size. Almost all of mine have been about 3 weeks. It's possible that there would still be some bacteria in the filter media provided it's been wet the whole time. Once it dries out, the bacteria are gone pretty quick. It would definitely speed the process if there are some bacteria present. What type filters are they?
Wanda hornsey
Fish Crazy
Hello Wanda and welcome to the forum.
Cycling time usually runs between 2 and 4 weeks regardless of tank size. Almost all of mine have been about 3 weeks. It's possible that there would still be some bacteria in the filter media provided it's been wet the whole time. Once it dries out, the bacteria are gone pretty quick. It would definitely speed the process if there are some bacteria present. What type filters are they?
Ummmm
) ) ) I have no idea....its all sitting in the garage at the moment and its absolutly pouring down with freezing cold rain (hey its England in the winter)........I am a total newbie to all this. we got given the tank by a guy my husband works with (it is flipping huge.) The guy had no idea about fish and he had "inherited it" when he moved in with his fiance (it was her ex husbands) they are moving house and wanted to get rid of it quickly so it was free to a good home on the notice board at work. we gave the 2 discus fish in it to a local aquatics place as we dont know anyone who could care for them properly. I will go unlock the garage and have a look and see what there is and come back with what info I can find and some pictures if I can find my digital camera.Thanks for being so helpful
OP
OP
Most likely, the filter media wouldn't be of any use in speeding the cycling process. The have probably dried out by now or mosst of the bacteria would have died off from lack of an ammonia source. Depending on the type of filter and how old it (or maybe they as it could be dual filters for a large tank) is, you will probably be albe to use the same media again and not have to buy anything else. Posting pictures of the filters would help. Do you know how to post them?
My Ammonia Cyle readings today:
Ammonia: '0' - now topping up with small amounts of ammonia to 'feed' the bacteria; 'clear' every 6 hours
Nitr'i'tes: '1.3' - dropping - but slooooowly (patients bogwood!)
Nitr'a'tes: 110 - do I need to be bothered by this or will the large water change at the end sort this?
PH: Between 7.5 and 8.0 - seems constant at present
I haven't tested for all the other paremeters... do I really need to?
Ammonia: '0' - now topping up with small amounts of ammonia to 'feed' the bacteria; 'clear' every 6 hours
Nitr'i'tes: '1.3' - dropping - but slooooowly (patients bogwood!)
Nitr'a'tes: 110 - do I need to be bothered by this or will the large water change at the end sort this?
PH: Between 7.5 and 8.0 - seems constant at present
I haven't tested for all the other paremeters... do I really need to?
Wanda hornsey
Fish Crazy
I dont sorry but if needs be I can post pics on a photo holding site so you could pop over and see them whats best?- Status
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