Am I Set For The Big B's

[the tigrex]

ok so heres what im going to set up with im going to buy a 70liters i put the gravel in the live/silk plants all the decos and i get the heater and filter running fill the tank up then i do the fishless cycleing witht eh add and wait method with ammonia until it goes down to 0 in 10-12hours so its cycle i then add 6panda corys and 7-8female bettas and im set? also any other equipment i need or stuff i need to know

 

[lilfishie]

you might be best to leave the panda's until your tank is a few months old as they are very sensitive

 

[bronzecat]

You're not in a hurry are you??
Fishless cycle can take anything from 4 - 12 weeks, so you'll have to be patient. Cory's are not suitable to put in a new set up, particularly Panda's as these are the most sensitive. Once the tank has cycled you cant just stick a load of fish in, in one go. The filter will crash due to sudden ammonia overload.

 

[Honeythorn]

I just saw that too Bronzecat!

TIGREX - Fishless cycling certainly doesn't take just 10-12 hours! It can take over a month!


If you want a slightly less complicated way to cycle the filter, see if you can set up the filter in someone elses tank if you know anybody with one. Leave it in there for just over a month and it should be fully cycled.

Another way is to either fully or part fill your new filter with old/used media/sponges ect from a mature filter. If you are friendly with your LFS perhaps they could let you have some? There is also a thread on here where you can ask for members to donate used media if they have any extra.

NOTE: If you can only fill part or half of your filter with old media, then you will still need to fishless cycle as normal, but it won't take quite so long because you will have at least some bacteria to start with.

 

[the tigrex]

well i was reading the fishless cycle it sed once the ammoina is done u can stick any fish in any amount so is thier any other ways to cycle but more quick without borrowing filter stuff etc

well i was reading the fishless cycle it sed once the ammoina is done u can stick any fish in any amount so is thier any other ways to cycle but more quick without borrowing filter stuff etc

 

[Keithoms]

Basically..no.

 

[the tigrex]

i never said it takes 10-12 hours u have to add amonina until it goes down in 10-12 hours aww man a month to cycle but what about that cycle stuff it sayas after the cycle time u can add fish gradually

 

[newfishy]

the way I get by cycling new tanks is too clone them, take a large chunk of mature media from a reliable source... a tank with out illness or problems, place mature media in new filter and stock the tank with only a few of the fish you plan to stock, feed very lightly, and check the levels every 12 hours, doing any water changes if levels get too high. also replace the media in the old tank with new and just keep an eye on the levels on that tank as well. once teh levels are steady for a while I can slowly start to stock more fish.

I have actualy never even had to do water changes when I clone a tank, to the new or old tank I am cloneing off of because it is cycled pretty much instantly, I also cram as much extra media in my older tanks as the filters will take, just in case I need to start any new tanks up.


the cycle brand product is junk, no bacteria can survive hot or cold conditions, it must be kept cooled adn handled very carefully. the only product that I know of that is anywhere usefull is called biospira, and that takes a few days, it normaly is not instant.

 

[bronzecat]

Using the "add and wait" method is fine It can still take a while before you get to the stage where the filter is capable of converting ammonia in 10 hours or so. If, when the filter is cycled, you add loads of fish in one go it'll cause you problems. The filter wont be able to convert the waste and you will get ammonia and or nitrite spikes, which can harm your fish. The only way to get a filter cycled quicker is to use mature filter media from another fully cycled matured tank.

 

[Honeythorn]

well i was reading the fishless cycle it sed once the ammoina is done u can stick any fish in any amount so is thier any other ways to cycle but more quick without borrowing filter stuff etc

well i was reading the fishless cycle it sed once the ammoina is done u can stick any fish in any amount so is thier any other ways to cycle but more quick without borrowing filter stuff etc

NO. After the ammonia has stopped rising and is beginning to fall, the NitrIte will start to rise just like the ammonia did. Nitrite is still very very harnful to fish, and you MUST NOT add any fish while you still have a NitrIte reading on your test kit. Once both Ammonia AND NitrIte have dropped to 0 and keep staying there, you need to do a water change to lower the remaining NitrAtes, and THEN you can add a FEW fish SLOWLY over the next few weeks. You add them in very small numbers and slowly because your filter is only just done completeing it's cycle. You've only got just about enough bacteria to cope with the waste of a few small fish. You gradually add fish 1-2 a week, to allow your bacteria enough time to grow more and cope with the extra waste from the live fish.

I also clone tanks , it's just easier.

 

[the tigrex]

well i dont think ill be buying 7bettas all in one go i will only buy the very nice females they are all small at the place i buy them anyway

 

[the tigrex]

any1 kow any cycles with fish

 

[bronzecat]

any1 kow any cycles with fish

Its the way it always used to be done. But there is no way of doing it without exposing the fish to harmful ammonia and nitrites, so its not really a humane method.

 

[the tigrex]

could i put a fish in half way through the cycle? say ive been added 5ppm ammonia for 4weeks then cud i add half way through

 

[bronzecat]

could i put a fish in half way through the cycle? say ive been added 5ppm ammonia for 4weeks then cud i add half way through

You're gonna end up killing your fish Why dont you go to your LFS and ask if they can give/sell you some mature filter media?