Cycling - tried & tested

[skimpy]

I personally have only tried filter media and cycling with fish, but i'm interested to see what you all prefer.

 

[daniodude]

I cycled my Danio tank that way, they're doing great now.
My Betta bowls(2, only one betta though) have water from my established tank

 

[gixer]

I cycled my Danio tank that way, they're doing great now.
My Betta bowls(2, only one betta though) have water from my established tank

water from an established tank is actually useless...all the water contains is waste.

I dont prefer anyway really..its all down to what is easier for you at the time and if your in an emergency situation or not..i have enough established filters not to need to worry about this now.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Other.

I fill the new filter with media from old filters. I have many filters and a lot of material in each for this purpose and most of my tanks are fully stocked.

 

[boozybears]

i currently only have one tank (but am working on getting my hubby to let me get a 55g!! ) When i got my first one i didn't know any better so cycled with fish. It turned out ok.. that's to finding this forum the day after I bought my fish! but next time i would use the fishless cycling with mature media.

Val

 

[skimpy]

wow, i'm finding this reallly interesting, I assumed that everyone would vote for ammonia, but finding out that this is not necessarily the case. I wonder if this is just because ammonia can sometimes be difficult to find, or if it is just easier to use filter media.

Keep up the replies, its facinating

 

[pgtips]

I took clean water and mixed it with old tank water
moved some established filter media into the new tank
moved some gravel from the established tank into the new tank
put 5 barbs in

 

[gixer]

wow, i'm finding this reallly interesting, I assumed that everyone would vote for ammonia, but finding out that this is not necessarily the case. I wonder if this is just because ammonia can sometimes be difficult to find, or if it is just easier to use filter media.

Keep up the replies, its facinating

there really is no need to bother cycling with ammonia if you have old filter media or you can run a new filter in an established tank for a while... I have cycled using amonia many times..also cycled with fish..and a combination of existing media and slowly stocking with fish (doing that now) as im in no rush to stock,,,so why use ammonia?

cycling properly with only a few hardy fish and regular water changes is not cruel at all. like some would have you believe.. but sometimes it is by far the best option to fishless cycle..
like i said above..the situation determins it for me.

 

[clutterydrawer]

If I was starting a brand new tank from scratch, I'd fishless cycle with ammonia. Otherwise I'd just transfer some filter media from my estbalished tnak and add fish (not all of them! jsut some!) straight away.

 

[Da_Oz]

I fill it full of plants and forget it. But if you can get some mulm from a old tank that is IMO the best way to do it.

 

[skimpy]

Thanks a lot for all your votes.

 

[ruffmeister]

plants, snails (come with plants) and use stress zyme to add good bacteria and leave them never had a prob yet touch wood