Nogarobluenano's 20 Gallon Long Freshwater Tank

[Mikaila31]

If you planted it densely and added only a few fish to begin with, you can get around the whole cycling thing. The first couple fish would produce little ammonia, which would be taken up by the plants and not the biological filter. By slowly increasing the number of fish you have, you will eventually reach a point where the fish will produce slightly more ammonia then the plants can take up right away. A biological filter will start form and you won't have high ammonia or nitrite, because the plants are taking up the excess. You just have to be careful how many fish you add, too many and you will have high ammonia and nitrite.

You can also cycle a tank instantly by adding mature filter media at the same time you add fish.

 

[nogarobluenano]

Well I ended up not adding any fish because the lfs I went to went out of business, go figure, I won't be adding any fish or anything else until at least next Friday now.

 

[nogarobluenano]

Well after adding fish and a bamboo shrimp and going on vacation everything died, somehow, apparently the temperature went up to 98F, not quite sure how considering everything was running perfectly two weeks before I left on vacation. So RIP to all the fish that died in the great Boil of 08.