Cycling Completed?

[itiwhetu]

Is there actually such a thing as a completely cycled tank?

A tank that is going through the cycling process reaches a time when it can sustain life, a point where we add fish. But has the cycle been completed.

No not really the tank keeps on changing Bacteria keeps growing and dying and therefore the tank keeps cycling. We add fertilizers and medications, New fish and plants, and most importantly feed the fish. All things that alter the tank. And change the position of the so called cycle.

We tend to shudder at people who do what I do, which is add whole lot of plant and a week later start adding fish. But I would argue that my tank is cycled it has reached a point where it can sustain life. Is the cycle complete no and it never will be, as the tank matures it ability to accommodate more fish will increase, the cycling process is at work.

We need to be careful not to make that process go backwards, therefore be careful of what we add to our tanks and what we take away, there is always no action without a reaction.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I think you could guess my answer on this one...and it is no, I don't ever believe a tank is completely cycled.
It can be cycled to the point where everything is working and it's safe to add fish, but I strongly believe that as it's a living ecosystem, it cannot and will not be static.

It is true that a well-balanced tank will and can continue without much intervention from us, bar observation, but it always will be a dynamic system. Sometimes, this state of balance can be interpreted as the cycle being completed. Full stop. Then we move onto 'maturing' and so forth.

In a lot of ways, managing an aquarium ecosystem is a lot like gardening...it is always a work in progress.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

The cycle is a modern phemonenon...assisted by the boffins who discovered that they could bottle bacteria and charge extortionate amounts for it

Back in the day when I was a kid and my dad had fish there was no such thing as a cycle (apart from the one you rode and, of course, the cycle of life - born/live/die)

And we never used water conditioners or any other additives & meds

Oh for the (return of) the simple life of filling the aquarium with water and plopping the fish into it

 

[itiwhetu]

The cycle is a modern phemonenon...assisted by the boffins who discovered that they could bottle bacteria and charge extortionate amounts for it

Back in the day when I was a kid and my dad had fish there was no such thing as a cycle (apart from the one you rode and, of course, the cycle of life - born/live/die)

And we never used water conditioners or any other additives & meds

Oh for the (return of) the simple life of filling the aquarium with water and plopping the fish into it

Some of us still live in the dark ages and spend way to much time trying to figure out why everything is so complicated now.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Some of us still live in the dark ages and spend way to much time trying to figure out why everything is so complicated now.

Don't know about dark ages...more like prehistoric

I mean all this cycling malarky....is it actually a step forwards (bearing in mind that humans are rarely capable of waiting weeks for a cycle to complete and have to sit watching a fishless aquarium waiting for that bell to "ding" telling them "your aquarium is ready" )

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

The cycle is a modern phemonenon...assisted by the boffins who discovered that they could bottle bacteria and charge extortionate amounts for it

Back in the day when I was a kid and my dad had fish there was no such thing as a cycle (apart from the one you rode and, of course, the cycle of life - born/live/die)

Whilst I see your wink, I also hear your belief that it's a modern phenomena.
I have aquarium keeping books from the 1960s and 70s and all refer to cycles.
In the 60s, the role of plants and the photosynthetic cycle was well known as a positive contributor to aquarium health.
There was also the concept of balance, wherein fish died in an over-stocked tank, until a natural balance was acheived.
It was also common for quality aquariums to have 'mature' water* and much was described as to how to obtain this.

In the 70s, these ideas developed into a knowledge and requirement for 'good' bacteria, with development of the undergravel filter to facilitate bacterial 'filtration'.

In the 80s, ideas and science developed further. One unfortunate consequence of this was the rise in the pet superstore and big industry taking an interest, resulting in a plethora of chemicals and medications and a general exploitation of the general public. That said, within 'proper' aquarist circles and within the quality magazines of the time, the Nitrogen Cycle was widely acknowledged and encouraged. This took old ideas of 'maturing water' and explaining it by the now-known science of the Nitrogen Cycle.
Around this time, great ideas were coming from West Germany, relating to plant growth and promoting the care and role of plants and tying these into undergravel filters and then big externals.

And we never used water conditioners or any other additives & meds

...And fish died by the dozens.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Well....dad and I didn't lose fish due to not using conditioners etc

My first fish dates back to when I was a kid on the Isle of Wight...and dad long before then when they lived on Portland (dad was a prison officer so was posted alot to various places around the country) We also had fish when living in Brixton, Huntingdon and Bedford and we never used additives. I still don't use them but then my tapwater is disgusting anyway so I use bottled water.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I mean all this cycling malarky....is it actually a step forwards (bearing in mind that humans are rarely capable of waiting weeks for a cycle to complete and have to sit watching a fishless aquarium waiting for that bell to "ding" telling them "your aquarium is ready" )

I'll bite...
You've just described one of the many negative issues of our consumer-driven, modern society, where the self-entitled dominate and all want it and WANT IT NOW!
Patience in most things is a necessity. Many, many humans are capable of exercising patience, although those that are incapable also tend to be the loudest.

Taking into account the changes I've discovered this year, I can confidently predict that within the next decade, people will be able to order online a complete fishtank, containing all necessary equipment and 'cycled' substrate and filter media...and fish will be able to be added immediately.

 

[itiwhetu]

I don't understand the modern cycling using ammonia in an empty tank and sitting for like 6-8 weeks for something to happen, that method of cycling makes no sense to me and I really don't know why anyone would do it unless you are a masochist.

I agree that the nitrogen cycle has always been there and that a balanced aquarium has always been understood, but what some people are doing now is loosing the reality of what that is all about.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Taking into account the changes I've discovered this year, I can confidently predict that within the next decade, people will be able to order online a complete fishtank, containing all necessary equipment and 'cycled' substrate and filter media...and fish will be able to be added immediately.

Actually...that would make someone a millionaire quickly

Have everything done to order (since substrate/media only has a very limited bacteria life away from the water in an aquarium).......what a brilliant idea

That would save alot of aggro, waiting, impatience etc

(You would need pretty good third party liability insurance though cos there will always be those who do not read the instructions and then try to sue cos their fish died)

 

[itiwhetu]

Actually...that would make someone a millionaire quickly

Have everything done to order (since substrate/media only has a very limited bacteria life away from the water in an aquarium).......what a brilliant idea

That would save alot of aggro, waiting, impatience etc

(You would need pretty good third party liability insurance though cos there will always be those who do not read the instructions and then try to sue cos their fish died)

Maybe the three of us should patent that idea quickly, and then make our money off the selling the patent.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Maybe the three of us should patent that idea quickly, and then make our money off the selling the patent.

Too late...the patent's pending. The breakthrough was the effective bottled bacteria.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

You could charge more if the fish were included too....have "specials" with different fish to go with the various different sized aquariums

 

[itiwhetu]

You could charge more if the fish were included too....have "specials" with different fish to go with the various different sized aquariums

Bruce loves the Arowana in the 20 gallon, wasn't it

 

[Deleted member 149562]

The Instant Aquarium....

Box includes :

Aquarium
Heater
Filter
Filter media, substrate and a choice of ornaments/plants pretreated with all the lovely bacteria (needs water to activate)
Plus a choice of colourful, easy to care for fish

All for........including shipping!