Fishless Cycle Clarification

[rebrn]

Hello, I will be getting my second larger tank in the next couple of days. My first tank I did a fish-in cycle and don't want to repeat the mistake. I have read through the pinned message on fish-less cycling. I just need one thing claified. Using the add and wait method, from my understanding I do not need to do any water exchanges untill the cycle is complete. Is this correct? My second tank will be a 12 US gallon containing 4 zebra fish, which is my second question ... Can I add all 4 fish at one time once the fish-less cycle is complete?

Thanks

 

[Aliena]

Hello, I will be getting my second larger tank in the next couple of days. My first tank I did a fish-in cycle and don't want to repeat the mistake. I have read through the pinned message on fish-less cycling. I just need one thing claified. Using the add and wait method, from my understanding I do not need to do any water exchanges untill the cycle is complete. Is this correct? My second tank will be a 12 US gallon containing 4 zebra fish, which is my second question ... Can I add all 4 fish at one time once the fish-less cycle is complete?

Thanks

I'm currently doing my first fishless cycle so I am still a newbie. I have done one water change during my cycle and that was purely because I put in too much ammonia and had to get it back out again. I don't think there is any need to do water changes normally.

 

[KittyKat]

No need for waterchanges during the cycle unless you need to reduce the amount of ammonia. The four zebras should be fine in one do so long as you use at least as much ammonia as 4 fish would produce.

 

[rebrn]

No need for waterchanges during the cycle unless you need to reduce the amount of ammonia. The four zebras should be fine in one do so long as you use at least as much ammonia as 4 fish would produce.

How much ammonia would that be - my plan was to follow the fishless cycle guide on this forum.

 

[OldMan47]

So far it seems that you have this stuff figured out Rebrn. The fishless cycle wil proceed just fine without any water changes unless you have a pH crash. If you do experience a pH crash, a large water change will often get the pH back where it belongs. In your situation,you have another alternative. Cleaning the filter from your cycled tank in the water of the new tank will give you a jump start on that fishless cycle that could reduce the actual cycle to only a week or so. I have done this many times and it has never taken longer than a week yet to cycle one of my seeded filters.

 

[rebrn]

So far it seems that you have this stuff figured out Rebrn. The fishless cycle wil proceed just fine without any water changes unless you have a pH crash. If you do experience a pH crash, a large water change will often get the pH back where it belongs. In your situation,you have another alternative. Cleaning the filter from your cycled tank in the water of the new tank will give you a jump start on that fishless cycle that could reduce the actual cycle to only a week or so. I have done this many times and it has never taken longer than a week yet to cycle one of my seeded filters.

Thanks I didn't think of that, I was planning to take some gravel from my other tank and put it into the new one. But I guess it would hurt to do both.

 

[KittyKat]

No need for waterchanges during the cycle unless you need to reduce the amount of ammonia. The four zebras should be fine in one do so long as you use at least as much ammonia as 4 fish would produce.

How much ammonia would that be - my plan was to follow the fishless cycle guide on this forum.

Hmm.. not sure in terms of ammonia quantity as I use only shrimp myself.. but the equivalent of 1.5-2 large shrimp would be about right.. if I am starting to confuse you, read this.

It would also work if you started feeding as if for one or two fish and gradually increased that over a few weeks. And, of course, things are less likely to go wrong if the tank is planted.

Thanks I didn't think of that, I was planning to take some gravel from my other tank and put it into the new one. But I guess it would hurt to do both.

Gravel is good, but filter media or squeezings are better

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, if the filter in your current tank is good and mature now then you can take some of the biomedia (not more than 1/3, and I'd take less if your current tank is still pretty new) and try to fit it into the new filter. Try to place it just ahead of the new biomedia in the water path.

And I agree, doing a thorough cleaning of your current filter right in the tank water of the new tank will be loads more helpful than just moving over some gravel from the substrate. Just think.. the bacteria in the current filter are all over the debris in that filter - when its cleaned in the new tank, not only will it get sucked in and spread all over the media in the new filter but some of it will also settle down in the gravel of the new tank and perhaps gradually get pulled into the new filter, prolonging the "seeding" effect.

~~waterdrop~~