Do You Need To Cycle Your Tank?

[CTGoldfish]

Im buying a tank between 50-65 gallons for guppys,mollys,swordtails,and platys.I want to know if I have to cycle the tank.If so how long should it take for a fishless cycle?

 

[SimoUK]

Firstly, Welcome To TFF You came to the right place, and made a good decision to ask first

Every New Tank, if not using mature water and filter media, should to be cycled, here are some helpful linkies that you should have a look at:

Whats's Cycling:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=175355

Fishless Cycling

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

Simo

 

[razer121]

No but you will have so many problems if you dont cycle it.

 

[CTGoldfish]

Thanks for those links
I'll be sure to cycle my tank I'm thinking of doing the "Add Daily" Method
CtGoldfish,

 

[ajs2294]

For healthy happy fish then yes you MUST cycle your aquarium or do constant large water changes to the point it will drive you insane. If you don't care about your fish and there health then by no means do you have to cycle a tank

 

[Spanerman]

I would fishless cycle.

but I would do it with a bare tank, no gravel or decorations/plants

And leave the lights off

Sam.

 

[CTGoldfish]

I would fishless cycle.

but I would do it with a bare tank, no gravel or decorations/plants

And leave the lights off

Sam.

I thought lights speed up the process for the bacteria growth?

 

[OldMan47]

I am sure there are bacteria that grow faster when exposed to light. An example is blue green algae, a cyanobacteria. Unfortunately light is the enemy of the bacteria that we are trying to grow.

 

[Spanerman]

And the ones we dont want to grow, thrive on light

Sam.


Ps. they mostly live in the dark filter anyway

 

[waterdrop]

Virtually everyone here does the Add&Wait method, not the AddDaily method and the advice of the members as you proceed week after week can be quite helpful and important, so I recommend that you not do the AddDaily method. I also agree with Sam's comments - the bacteria like the dark and algae can be a significant problem so some people actually wrap the tank if its in a very light place. Periods of light so that you can examine and work on the tank are fine of course. Everyone's situation is different. Some have kids and it helps to have decorations and even sometimes plants, but a bare-tank fishless cycle does have some advantages in terms of algae.

A fishless cycle is extremely unpredictable in length. It can take anywhere from one to two months to even three. Some people are able to get mature media from a friends filter or elsewhere and that can drop a fishless cycle to only a few weeks.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[CTGoldfish]

Virtually everyone here does the Add&Wait method, not the AddDaily method and the advice of the members as you proceed week after week can be quite helpful and important, so I recommend that you not do the AddDaily method. I also agree with Sam's comments - the bacteria like the dark and algae can be a significant problem so some people actually wrap the tank if its in a very light place. Periods of light so that you can examine and work on the tank are fine of course. Everyone's situation is different. Some have kids and it helps to have decorations and even sometimes plants, but a bare-tank fishless cycle does have some advantages in terms of algae.

A fishless cycle is extremely unpredictable in length. It can take anywhere from one to two months to even three. Some people are able to get mature media from a friends filter or elsewhere and that can drop a fishless cycle to only a few weeks.

~~waterdrop~~

I guess I'm changing my method then!
Can you buy mature media?And how would you clean filter pads without risking killing the bacteria?

 

[Jenste]

you can ask a trusted friend for some if they have it, or take a chance by taking some from an LFS.....I find this risky because so many fish in the LFS come with diseases that you risk having introduced into your tank...


and you literally keep your filter pad until it starts to fall apart. but to clean it, take it and swish it around in a bucket of old tank water that you are removing during a water change. then put it back in. do not "rinse'' it in fresh tap water - - most tap waters contain chlorine which kills the bacteria you are trying to grow.


when it does come time (months if not years) from now to change the filter pad...stick a new one IN WITH the old one for a few weeks while a bacteria colony forms on the new one

 

[hellog0odfriend]

Is there a specific place for the mature media to go to, or is placing it anywhere inside the filter fine?

 

[Tolak]

Is there a specific place for the mature media to go to, or is placing it anywhere inside the filter fine?

Anywhere in the filter where there is water flowing is fine.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Here's a thread from the "planted" section resources section...
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/299827-why-we-should-not-fishless-cycle-planted-tanks/

which gives a slightly different view on things