BiggTexx
Fish Crazy
Hi all! New to the forums and the larger scale freshwater scene, but enjoyed going through all of the journals and thought I would share one of my own.
While my 'normal' cycling process may be considered taboo to most, it has treated me very well over the years and I decided that I should stick with a process that I know for my new setup.
To make a long story short, I acquired a cheap 60gal (I believe it is technically a 58gal) that was new in the package. Anyways, it is what I have always called a 'wall hugger' tank, which is tall and long, but relatively narrow in width, around 24" high x 12" wide x 48" long. While I was a bit concerned with the dimensions at first, it turned out to be a perfect fit for my newly built, remote office. I live out in a rural area of South East Texas, so my primary water source comes from a 450' deep well on the property and the water quality has been outstanding for my tanks thus far. I'm currently starting out with silk/plastic decor and will eventually expand out to live plants/driftwood.
For the first week I ran a fish-less cycle using pure ammonia and recovered media from a cycled tank, and have since added in 6 zebra danios and 6 red eye tetras to finish out the process (I am now in week 3). I am currently running a Marineland C-360 Canister filter (which seems to be processing better than some of the smaller fluval canisters I have had) and monitoring the water levels up to twice daily.
With the charting I have been doing, I am confident that I may be reaching a full cycle this week! Next readings are due in roughly an hour, so I will update as soon as possible. Pictures to come soon!
As a side note, I know that using fish during a cycle is seen as taboo, but I would like to say that I have not lost any of my fish to date using this dual-process method.
While my 'normal' cycling process may be considered taboo to most, it has treated me very well over the years and I decided that I should stick with a process that I know for my new setup.
To make a long story short, I acquired a cheap 60gal (I believe it is technically a 58gal) that was new in the package. Anyways, it is what I have always called a 'wall hugger' tank, which is tall and long, but relatively narrow in width, around 24" high x 12" wide x 48" long. While I was a bit concerned with the dimensions at first, it turned out to be a perfect fit for my newly built, remote office. I live out in a rural area of South East Texas, so my primary water source comes from a 450' deep well on the property and the water quality has been outstanding for my tanks thus far. I'm currently starting out with silk/plastic decor and will eventually expand out to live plants/driftwood.
For the first week I ran a fish-less cycle using pure ammonia and recovered media from a cycled tank, and have since added in 6 zebra danios and 6 red eye tetras to finish out the process (I am now in week 3). I am currently running a Marineland C-360 Canister filter (which seems to be processing better than some of the smaller fluval canisters I have had) and monitoring the water levels up to twice daily.
With the charting I have been doing, I am confident that I may be reaching a full cycle this week! Next readings are due in roughly an hour, so I will update as soon as possible. Pictures to come soon!
As a side note, I know that using fish during a cycle is seen as taboo, but I would like to say that I have not lost any of my fish to date using this dual-process method.
