Fishless Cycling

[Squid]

Good luck lol


Anyone,

how long can the sponges be out of the water too.. i have a juwel internal filter, so removing 80-90% of the water leaves the sponges out of water whilst i quickly fill up the buckets with water.... would it be advisable to take the filter sponges out and put them in some tank water in another bucket.?

Squid

 

[dgwebster]

thats a good question. on my fishless cycle, 4ppm went down to 1ppm in under 12 hours. will see in another 12 if it zeros again.

question, what wuld be the effect if a *tiny* amount of alcohol got in the water? other than "pished" fish?

 

[rdd1952]

When I cycled my 75 gallon, I refilled it after the big water change with the python. As for the cold water, I don't think it would do any harm either. After all, Bio Spira is shipped and stored refrigerated. Adding the hot water first would probably be more of an issue. Keep in mind in both instances (the dechlorinator and the cold water) that you will have your filter off since there won't be any water in the tank to pump. Since the filter isn't running, the media will not really be in contact with the cold water or the chlorinated water. When the water level gets up close to the filter (probably 75% full), add dechlorinator and start adding the warm water (if the tap water isn't terribly cold you probably don't even need to use hot water as the heaters will warm the water back up). The sponges should be fine for the time required to do the water change. If you have a biowheel which would start drying out, you may want to just let it float in a bucket of the water you removed until you're ready to start the filter back up.

 

[Tiric]

When doing your big water change will the cold water kill the bacteria that are in the tank?

Does it need to sit and warm up to room temperature before you dump it in or can you put it in right away after its been declorinized, or will it be fine cold and the heater will warm it up to the temperature you set it at?

Did you do your cycle with fake plants and ornaments in the tank? Does it matter if you do it with your fake plants and ornaments?

 

[rdd1952]

Cold water won't harm the bacteria colony. I would try to get it reasonable close to where you want it to be (for tropicals you want it around 78F) but the heater will bring it up if it's colder than that. If you could either warm it with some heated water or warm water from the tap or let it sit, that would put less work on your heater. Be sure you turn it down to the desired temperature since you probably will be cycling with it at 85F or higher. I have cycled both with live plants and with nothing at all in the tank so it really doesn't matter. Fake plants and ornaments will be fine.

 

[Tiric]

Thanks very much. Was not to sure about that. That’s good that the colony will be fine with cold water, and eventually being heated to the correct temperature for tropical.

there were a few post on people were boiling some water and mixing it with cold to get it some what get it close to the right range for the fish. That would be fine as well right?

Though I'd probably let the heater do the work for me.
Thanks again.

 

[dwarfgourami]

bump

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

There are threads almost daily about the proper method for fishless cycling. In actuality, a Google search will result in hundreds of links and each of those will give you slightly different instructions. I wanted to cover two of the most common ones and their advantages and disadvantages.

I was going to, then didn't do the fishless cycle. The Pure Ammonia was VERY hard to find. We ended up just putting in BioSpira and then the next day 6 Zebra Danio. It was a 20 Gallon long and it know has 6 Zebra Danio, 7 Mickey Mouse Platies, and 4 Otocinclus. None have died so far and it is not a cruel way of doing cycling. We added tap water and about 70% Reverse Osmosis water.

 

[dwarfgourami]

There are threads almost daily about the proper method for fishless cycling. In actuality, a Google search will result in hundreds of links and each of those will give you slightly different instructions. I wanted to cover two of the most common ones and their advantages and disadvantages.

I was going to, then didn't do the fishless cycle. The Pure Ammonia was VERY hard to find. We ended up just putting in BioSpira and then the next day 6 Zebra Danio. It was a 20 Gallon long and it know has 6 Zebra Danio, 7 Mickey Mouse Platies, and 4 Otocinclus. None have died so far and it is not a cruel way of doing cycling. We added tap water and about 70% Reverse Osmosis water.

Nobody has suggested that Biospira is cruel. But in most parts of the world (including the UK) you can't get it, so have to cycle either with ammonia or with fish without additions. The other non-cruel way of cycling with fish is if you can clone the filter media from an established tank.

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

Nobody has suggested that Biospira is cruel. But in most parts of the world (including the UK) you can't get it, so have to cycle either with ammonia or with fish without additions. The other non-cruel way of cycling with fish is if you can clone the filter media from an established tank.

No, I meant some people say that cycling with fish is cruel. But, for me it worked. Do they sell BioSpira online? I guess it is expensive because it has to be refrigerated.

 

[Kairi]

aight- i am currently beginning to put ammonia in my new tank. i have to go to work, and the level is about .50ppm- will it be ok to sit at this til i get home? it won't mess anything up, will it?

 

[Kev_A]

Just going out to buy the necessary items needed to start this process

Very helpful!!!

 

[OohFeeshy]

No, I meant some people say that cycling with fish is cruel. But, for me it worked. Do they sell BioSpira online? I guess it is expensive because it has to be refrigerated.

It is, but you didn't cycle with fish. Biospira cycles the filter for you, you just need to add fish to keep it that way.

 

[Greg13]

Ahhhhhh refreshing!
After reading some messed up things that made me tie my hands in knots and dance around the tank chanting old indian songs at dusk half naked, this really is as clear cut as iv seen! glad to have found such a usefull place and nice, friendly people!
Greg.

 

[Nevergone815]

i wish i could of been able to read something like this when i first got my tank would of been very useful.

me too . cycling w/ fish is the biggest headache i ever got. . well wrote article . it is now bookmarked in my browser for future reference