New To The Fish Tank

[Bev S.]

Hi All !

I am "ignorantly" (is that a word???) new to the aquarium arena . . . . I've read a bit about fishless cycling but it still sounds greek . . . . . . guess I'll go back and read it again and again and again till it makes sense.

This seems like a great place. . .

Bev

 

[Tolak]

Welcome to TFF! Fishless cycling sounds complicated, it's nothing more than living things eating & producing waste.

Fish eat fish food, produce ammonia.
The first bacteria eat ammonia, produce nitrItes.
The second bacteria eat nitrItes, produce nitrAtes.

Ammonia is bad for fish, nitrItes a little less so, nitrAtes are tolerable up to a certain level. You remove nitates through water changes.

With a fishless cycle, you are adding ammonia instead of the fish producing it. This keeps fish from being exposed to anything harmful, as well as building a larger bacteria colony.

These bacteria take time to grow & establish themselves, here's a little chart that gives a bit of a timeline;

HTH, & once again, welcome!

 

[Qays]

Welcome to the forums!

Yes, if you want to fishless cycle, you will need a source of ammonia and a test kit for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

Good luck!

 

[GuppiesRGr8]

PERSONALY I WOULD DO A FISH CYCLE WITH A PLATY IT WORKS WELL.