Ok How Do I Do This?

[Lizzie71]

Thanks 5teady but I already have one tank so I know a lot of this. I have got up to step 5 with the new tank - I have the tank all set up, with the stand. I will do the gravel next weekend, and maybe get my plants in (time permitting). I'm looking forward to this!

 

[backtotropical]

STEP 9. Wait, wait, wait and then wait some more.
I know, you want to add some fish. But, in order to do this right you must wait until your aquarium has cycled before adding any fish. There are ways of speeding up this process. Check out the nitrogen cycle page to learn more about starting the nitrogen cycle and how to speed it up. If you must use fish to cycle, try to get a hardier species like the zebra danio or cherry barb. You may notice your fish tank cycle kicking in gear if you start to get some white cloudy aquarium water after a few days.

I see where your confusion lies, 5teady. This article implies that leaving your aquarium to run for a while cycles it. This is not the case. 'Cycling' is the process of building up bacteria in your filter to process ammonia into nitrite, and nitrite into nitrate. These bacteria need a source of ammonia to live, it's like their food. Therefore the tank will not start to cycle until ammonia is added. Leaving the filter to run for a week or 2 actually achieves nothing at all.

Hope this helps you.

Lizzie, do you now know what you're doing? (Sorry for hijacking your thread a bit )

BTT

 

[Lizzie71]

I think I know what I'm doing! I don't need to do the whole fishless cycle thing because I have mature media already, so I'm taking 1/3 of that from the old tank to the new, then adding about 1/3 of the amount of fish. Checking ammonia over the next couple of weeks, then if all OK, gradually build up the stock.

I'll let you all know how I get on, but it might be a week or two before I'm up and running as I'm overwhelmed at work at the moment.

 

[5teady_2012]

STEP 9. Wait, wait, wait and then wait some more.
I know, you want to add some fish. But, in order to do this right you must wait until your aquarium has cycled before adding any fish. There are ways of speeding up this process. Check out the nitrogen cycle page to learn more about starting the nitrogen cycle and how to speed it up. If you must use fish to cycle, try to get a hardier species like the zebra danio or cherry barb. You may notice your fish tank cycle kicking in gear if you start to get some white cloudy aquarium water after a few days.

I see where your confusion lies, 5teady. This article implies that leaving your aquarium to run for a while cycles it. This is not the case. 'Cycling' is the process of building up bacteria in your filter to process ammonia into nitrite, and nitrite into nitrate. These bacteria need a source of ammonia to live, it's like their food. Therefore the tank will not start to cycle until ammonia is added. Leaving the filter to run for a week or 2 actually achieves nothing at all.

Hope this helps you.

Lizzie, do you now know what you're doing? (Sorry for hijacking your thread a bit )

BTT

Well you learn something new everyday - so letting it stand for a while first does something else to the water? like get rid of chlorine etc?

I never really been in to this side of the stages but im actually intrested in this all water cycle etc more now

Yeah sorry lizzie, fir hijacking the thread a bit 2

I think I know what I'm doing! I don't need to do the whole fishless cycle thing because I have mature media already, so I'm taking 1/3 of that from the old tank to the new, then adding about 1/3 of the amount of fish. Checking ammonia over the next couple of weeks, then if all OK, gradually build up the stock.

I'll let you all know how I get on, but it might be a week or two before I'm up and running as I'm overwhelmed at work at the moment.

well on that note, i hope everything is ok and good luck

 

[backtotropical]

If you want to start a new thread, 5teady, i'll gladly discuss cycling etc with you there. It's not really fair to overtake Lizzie's thread with this.

 

[Tolak]

I think I know what I'm doing! I don't need to do the whole fishless cycle thing because I have mature media already, so I'm taking 1/3 of that from the old tank to the new, then adding about 1/3 of the amount of fish. Checking ammonia over the next couple of weeks, then if all OK, gradually build up the stock.

I'll let you all know how I get on, but it might be a week or two before I'm up and running as I'm overwhelmed at work at the moment.

A mature colony of nitrifying bacteria can double in 24 hours. You have to realize the difference between cycled and mature, mature bio media has been running cycled without any problems for at least a few months. This being the case, you can guesstimate the bio load on a given quantity of media, take 1/3, as you have stated, and add that bio load of fish to a new tank with the media. It does help to fast the fish for 24 hours before pulling the mature media, and feeding lightly for the next week to decrease the bio load, giving the nitrifying bacteria a chance to catch up.

I did a traditional cycle on a 10 gallon many years ago, a fishless cycle on a 29 & a 65, the rest of my tanks are cloned. You can look in my profile to see what I have running, and see how far you can take cloning over time.