Fish In Cycle

[tez2k007]

If I was 2 do a fish in cycle say like chuck in 2 zebra danios for the first few weeks what is needed. How often water changes etc?

 

[Schmill]

It's highly advised against because it is a lot more work than a fishless cycle, (a quick comparison follows), but you will definitly need to get a liquid based test kit which ever method you choose.

Fish-In Cycling:
Put in dechlor water, heater, filter etc.
Put in a few 'sacraficial' hardy fish.
Monitor water stats a couple of times a day, (likely in the morning and the evening).
Any time the ammonia or nitrIte levels are giving a non-zero reading perform a 25% water change, and then repeat the tests.
Keep doing this daily routine for approximately 1 month, and if you are lucky the fish may even survive and not get sick during the process.
Once you reach a stage where the tank is sitting at 0 ammonia and 0 nitrIte you can reduce your water changes to once per week.
When you can leave the tank for a whole week ans still have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrIte you can start to add fish, just a few at a time so as not to cause an ammonia spike again.

Fish-less Cycling:
Put in dechlor water, heater, filter etc.
Calculate how much ammonia solution is needs to be added to raise tank to 5ppm ammonia, and add it.
Test the water once a day waiting for the ammonia level to reach 0.
...
Once ammonia level reaches zero top the ammonia up again.
Keep testing once a day topping up the ammonia each time it is at zero, until both the ammonia and nitrIte levels are seen to be at zero within 24hrs of adding the ammonia.
Now start testing every 12 hours, (but still only adding ammonia every 24).
Once your ammonia and nitrIte are 0 within 12 hours of adding the ammonia the cycle is complete
Check that this keeps happening for 1 week.
Perform a 90% water change to lower the nitrAte level in the tank.
You can now add fish up to the stocking level of 1" per gallon all at once as the bacteria colony in the filter has been grown to a large size.


Fishless Cycling really is a LOT less work, and although you get 'fish' in your tank quicker with the fish-in method, you will actually be able to FULLY STOCK your tank a lot quicker by doing the fish-less method.

Sometimes people think that fish-in cycling is quicker, but if you are to time from start, to the time you are fully stocked, then fishless cycling will be much quicker

 

[tez2k007]

It's highly advised against because it is a lot more work than a fishless cycle, (a quick comparison follows), but you will definitly need to get a liquid based test kit which ever method you choose.

Fish-In Cycling:
Put in dechlor water, heater, filter etc.
Put in a few 'sacraficial' hardy fish.
Monitor water stats a couple of times a day, (likely in the morning and the evening).
Any time the ammonia or nitrIte levels are giving a non-zero reading perform a 25% water change, and then repeat the tests.
Keep doing this daily routine for approximately 1 month, and if you are lucky the fish may even survive and not get sick during the process.
Once you reach a stage where the tank is sitting at 0 ammonia and 0 nitrIte you can reduce your water changes to once per week.
When you can leave the tank for a whole week ans still have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrIte you can start to add fish, just a few at a time so as not to cause an ammonia spike again.

Fish-less Cycling:
Put in dechlor water, heater, filter etc.
Calculate how much ammonia solution is needs to be added to raise tank to 5ppm ammonia, and add it.
Test the water once a day waiting for the ammonia level to reach 0.
...
Once ammonia level reaches zero top the ammonia up again.
Keep testing once a day topping up the ammonia each time it is at zero, until both the ammonia and nitrIte levels are seen to be at zero within 24hrs of adding the ammonia.
Now start testing every 12 hours, (but still only adding ammonia every 24).
Once your ammonia and nitrIte are 0 within 12 hours of adding the ammonia the cycle is complete
Check that this keeps happening for 1 week.
Perform a 90% water change to lower the nitrAte level in the tank.
You can now add fish up to the stocking level of 1" per gallon all at once as the bacteria colony in the filter has been grown to a large size.


Fishless Cycling really is a LOT less work, and although you get 'fish' in your tank quicker with the fish-in method, you will actually be able to FULLY STOCK your tank a lot quicker by doing the fish-less method.

Sometimes people think that fish-in cycling is quicker, but if you are to time from start, to the time you are fully stocked, then fishless cycling will be much quicker

ok cheers

 

[Carley_]

I've always cycled not using ammonia, just leaving it for about 2weeks adding a little fish food everyday and testing. Then i add fish SLOWLY, still testing and water and changing 25% every 3-4days depending on the readings. It's always worked out fine for us with no illness or death.

 

[tez2k007]

I've always cycled not using ammonia, just leaving it for about 2weeks adding a little fish food everyday and testing. Then i add fish SLOWLY, still testing and water and changing 25% every 3-4days depending on the readings. It's always worked out fine for us with no illness or death.

Yeah it seems a lot of people I know have done it this way and they dont recall too many problems. I am not planning to just throw in every fish I want anyway so just thinking I may go with this option.

 

[Schmill]

I've always cycled not using ammonia, just leaving it for about 2weeks adding a little fish food everyday and testing. Then i add fish SLOWLY, still testing and water and changing 25% every 3-4days depending on the readings. It's always worked out fine for us with no illness or death.

You obviously keep on top of the maintenance, and give it a little 'fishless cycle' to kick start things, (the first 2 weeks just adding fish food, but no fish), and then obviously keep up with your testing and water changes
It's not that it won't work, it's just that to me it seems a much more labour-intensive way to get there

 

[waterdrop]

I've always cycled not using ammonia, just leaving it for about 2weeks adding a little fish food everyday and testing. Then i add fish SLOWLY, still testing and water and changing 25% every 3-4days depending on the readings. It's always worked out fine for us with no illness or death.

What are the max ammonia/nitrite readings you'll allow them to be exposed to during this period?

~~waterdrop~~