New Tank Step By Step Guide Please?

[CruX]

So people breathe for long periods of time but it is not the right thing to do

The CO2 that people expell can provide a 'source of food' for ocean plant life to photosythesise and grow. Which in turn provides food for ocean life, which in turn becomes food for larger fish, animals and humans eat fish, other animals and humans eat the animals that eat the fish who produce CO2.

A rather simplistic cycle of life

If you are set on doing a cycle with fish then thats fine but you seem to be trying to justify it with non arguments like, costs too much, takes too long etc. Just be bold and tell people you want to cycle with fish because it is ultimately your choice.

 

[RiiCKYOMD]

Thanks

SO what your saying is bretahe into me tank and the fish will be good?
Jokesss

 

[mommyof2bettas]

I would agree with everyone else and say do a fishless cycle!!!!
When you do a fishy cycle, your fish suffer a lot, it can take longer than a fishless cycle, you will probably see a lot of your fish die, and I don't think it will be fun to see your fish suffer
As for it being expensive, ammonia and a test kit aren't too expensive. You'll need a test kit anyways as every aquarist should (imho) have it on hand. Ammonia doesn't cost much. Also, when fish are suffering, their immune system is weaker, so they are more susceptible to diseases, so they might get sick, so you'll have to buy meds, and spend money! Meds usually cost a lot.
It's much safer to spend a couple of bucks on ammonia, and a test kit (which you'll have to buy anyways) and wait the extra month, and do what's (in my opinion) right.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Sorry, I did do a little bit of a gander on the questions and posts, but if you want any more information I got a link in my sig. Its a little on setting up a new aquarium!

 

[Musho3210]

Lol fishy being faster? Wheres the proof in that?

Fishy cycle made me do 50% water changes every day (without those my params would have spiked, even with 50% daily my nitrite got up to 1.0) Such powerful water changes could take out the food for the bacteria. And then the problem after the fishy cycle was that i had to very slowly stock, and all the fish that cycled the tank died for no aparent reason after the cycle.

With fishless you add ammonia, and leave it, and add again, and leave it, and maybe once or twice more and your done. No need for water changes, you can use a lot of ammonia and stock half of your stocking levels at once and the other half not too long after that. With fishy cycle, buy fish, aclimate, test for ammonia every day, if levels exceed .25 do a 25% water change, if the exceed .50 do a 50% water change, higher than .50 do two 50% water changes on 6 hour intervals, and thats only day one, day two same thing, day three same thing, test, empty, refill, test, empty, refill. You are constantly on alert of your tank as well. If you do a fishless if you forgot to add ammonia for a few days and nothing happens except maybe some bacteria died but those are quickly replaced. in fish cycles, you forgot to do a water changes for a few days then too bad for you, you lost your fish. Whats easier, taking out half of your tanks water then refilling, EVERY DAY? or dropping a drop or so of ammonia in the tank once every few days? Plus fishless is faster since you dont need to go on with the water changes and testing and worrying and the dissapointment when your fish die. You just cant beat a fishless cycle. Its amazing that it is still an option. In the salty side if you even mention doing a fishy cycle you can get hated and flamed and all this other stuff....

keep the fish out of the tank. You want to cycle a tank naturally? Well ok, go to your grocery store, buy a dead prawn/shrimp, frozen, put it in your tank, let it cycle, and take it out. Its natural since the prawn comes from waters, if you want it even more natural find a freshwater prawn....

people have been having goldfish in bowls for thousands of years, it has been proven it is bad, now they are not that frequently seen. Same goes with fish/fishless cycle. Just because they have used it for a long time doesnt mean you have to continue it. Incandescent light bulbs have been used for a hundred years, but fluorescents are the better ones but they are newer, what should you pick?

Fishless cycles costing more is... well i wont say it. Fishless you buy ammonia test kits (but dont need to test as much) and a bottle of ammonia that cost like 3.99, so 3.99 ammonia and 9.99 for test kit. The ability to watch your without so much death, priceless, theres some things money cant buy, for everything else, theres petpals savings card. Thats a total cost will be around 12.98. Done, fish cycle, ammonia test kit, 9.99, fish 6 dollars, bottles of amquel and other detoxifiers 10 dollars, water changes and dechlorinators 5 dollars, replacement fish, another 3-6 dollars. So.... 33.99-36.99. And the more expensive and more work one is the cruel one. Which one do you chose?

You cant overdose ammonia on a fishless cycle.... what can go wrong if you overdose your ammonia, you just have a high ammonia level.... If you dont do a water change or something on a fish cycle and you overdose your ammonia (the fish are the dosers) then you have a problem. Fishless cycle you dont need to do anything except add ammonia, thats it, no water changes, if you overdose just live with it. I hope you listen to this post since ive spent a while typing this. But ultimately it comes down to you. DOnt listen to us and have us not take you seriously on your other posts, and be cruel and spend more time, or do listen to use, sacrifice maybe a month or less without fish, have us take you seriously, know that you arent cruel, and enjoy your tank faster.

If you dont listen to what we have to say, what makes you think we are going to give you answers properly? Why ask us something when you know no matter what we say you will still do what you want?

 

[Tolak]

Either way you will need a test kit, because either way you will need to test for ammonia, nitrite, & nitrate. You can get a bottle of ammonia at the dollar store for a dollar, and for a dollar you aren't doing daily large water changes for a few weeks as you are for a traditional cycle. You aren't damaging fish with a fishless cycle, and the fish you need to cycle the tank will probably cost more than a dollar. You are ahead time wise as well as money wise with a fishless cycle, and you aren't putting any fish at risk.

You do have to watch how much ammonia you add, you are trying for 5ppm. Anything in excess of this will actually inhibit cycling, especially when the nitrite spikes severely due to excess ammonia being converted. It will take at least a few days for ammonia to be converted to nitrite, so when you initially set up your tank add enough ammonia to bring it up to 5ppm, and leave it be for a few days. When you see the ammonia level start to drop, test for nitrites, and add enough ammonia to bring it back up to 5ppm. When you have to add ammonia daily to bring your test results from zero to 5ppm, and you test results are zero with nitrite, and you have increasing nitrate, your cycle is complete.

Here's a little chart that may help you understand this a little better;

 

[Musho3210]

and ammonia is great at cleaning things so when your done using it with your tank....