Some Help Please!
- Thread starter suzanne82
- Start date
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Hi Suzanne and welcome to TFF! 
Fishless cycling does seem a little tricky to understand at first but the -doing- of it is quite easy and we consider it a fun activity in the sense that you can interact with the other members and be learning all sorts of new things and working on a plan of what fish to put in your tank during the fishless cycling time.
Start with these first actions to get ready. Start looking for a good liquid-reagent test kit to be used to measure ammonia, nitrite(NO2), pH and nitrate(NO3). Many of us like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit or the Nutrafin Mini-master Test Kit. There are others too. The important thing is that it be liquid based rather than paper strips.
Here in your thread, try to describe the exact make and model of your filter to the members and exactly what sponges, ceramics or other "media" (filtering materials) are in it. Its important that they rule out there being any chemical media that might, for instance, remove ammonia before the beneficial bacteria can get it. Sometimes filters come with "Zeolite" that does this.
Begin looking for a simple household ammonia to use to feed and grow the bacteria. The members can help with this, depending on where you are in the world. It is usually found in the mop&broom section of stores. It needs to be clear, without dyes, fragrances, soaps or surfactants (all of which are commonly added, making it sometimes tricky to find the right thing.) When you shake it you want it not to foam for the bubbles to go away in 2 or 3 seconds kind of like water. Some members say its better to think of finding the right ammonia as kind of an adventure and like to here others reports of this. Beware of believing store clerks.. sometimes you have to hunt on your own!
So a good test kit, the right ammonia and the right media in your filter are good things to get yourself ready. Then perhaps another read through of the information! The important articles within the Beginners Resource Center are the ones on the Nitrogen Cycle, the Fishless Cycle, Aquarium Setup and the Fish-In Cycling Situation. Lots of people say they have to read some of these several times because they contain such strange sounding stuff when you are just beginning!
The main problem is that the "filter" they sell you for your aquarium is really just a "hardware kit" and you need this "cycling" knowledge to know how to "set it up" and get it ready. It can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months before its ready to handle fish! The first time I read about it I thought it was really bizarre to think that what people were doing was growing two specific species of -bacteria- (!!) inside the filter of their tank! Like many, I just thought the filter was there to catch little particles of dirt! Instead it (the filter) turns out to be this all purpose tool to not only catch the particals (called mechanical filtration,) but also to hold special substances sometimes that do "chemical filtration" (on an optional basis,) and most importantly to do this crazy thing of harboring all these bacteria that "eat" the poisons that quickly appear in any tank (the whole bacteria thing is called "biofiltration" and the thing we're creating is called a "biofilter.")
Anyway I hope this helps as a post for you to look back at now and then. Its better to just ask questions one by one as you go along. I like to consider all these steps to set up a tank as a big part of the fun of having a tank in the first place. They are quite fascinating and core to the hobby and the whole hobby is so good for "quieting down" and taking time to think about and enjoy things!
~~waterdrop~~
Fishless cycling does seem a little tricky to understand at first but the -doing- of it is quite easy and we consider it a fun activity in the sense that you can interact with the other members and be learning all sorts of new things and working on a plan of what fish to put in your tank during the fishless cycling time.
Start with these first actions to get ready. Start looking for a good liquid-reagent test kit to be used to measure ammonia, nitrite(NO2), pH and nitrate(NO3). Many of us like and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit or the Nutrafin Mini-master Test Kit. There are others too. The important thing is that it be liquid based rather than paper strips.
Here in your thread, try to describe the exact make and model of your filter to the members and exactly what sponges, ceramics or other "media" (filtering materials) are in it. Its important that they rule out there being any chemical media that might, for instance, remove ammonia before the beneficial bacteria can get it. Sometimes filters come with "Zeolite" that does this.
Begin looking for a simple household ammonia to use to feed and grow the bacteria. The members can help with this, depending on where you are in the world. It is usually found in the mop&broom section of stores. It needs to be clear, without dyes, fragrances, soaps or surfactants (all of which are commonly added, making it sometimes tricky to find the right thing.) When you shake it you want it not to foam for the bubbles to go away in 2 or 3 seconds kind of like water. Some members say its better to think of finding the right ammonia as kind of an adventure and like to here others reports of this. Beware of believing store clerks.. sometimes you have to hunt on your own!
So a good test kit, the right ammonia and the right media in your filter are good things to get yourself ready. Then perhaps another read through of the information! The important articles within the Beginners Resource Center are the ones on the Nitrogen Cycle, the Fishless Cycle, Aquarium Setup and the Fish-In Cycling Situation. Lots of people say they have to read some of these several times because they contain such strange sounding stuff when you are just beginning!
The main problem is that the "filter" they sell you for your aquarium is really just a "hardware kit" and you need this "cycling" knowledge to know how to "set it up" and get it ready. It can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months before its ready to handle fish! The first time I read about it I thought it was really bizarre to think that what people were doing was growing two specific species of -bacteria- (!!) inside the filter of their tank! Like many, I just thought the filter was there to catch little particles of dirt! Instead it (the filter) turns out to be this all purpose tool to not only catch the particals (called mechanical filtration,) but also to hold special substances sometimes that do "chemical filtration" (on an optional basis,) and most importantly to do this crazy thing of harboring all these bacteria that "eat" the poisons that quickly appear in any tank (the whole bacteria thing is called "biofiltration" and the thing we're creating is called a "biofilter.")
Anyway I hope this helps as a post for you to look back at now and then. Its better to just ask questions one by one as you go along. I like to consider all these steps to set up a tank as a big part of the fun of having a tank in the first place. They are quite fascinating and core to the hobby and the whole hobby is so good for "quieting down" and taking time to think about and enjoy things!
~~waterdrop~~
shahrezsyed
Fish Crazy
dont worry well help!!!
first of all set up your tank by attaching you filters,light and other equipment like if yuo want an airstone and heater. then put the gravel(thoroughly washed) in and turn everything on let the filters and everything run for a day and if there is still silt coming from the gravel, do a continuous water change like put one hose in that is putting water in and put a hose in which is taking water out.,..then once the water is crystal clear. buy the household cleaning ammonia that is commonly used to clean stains....buy one that is free form any additives no perfume or anything just read the label and you will see.you can test the ammonia by shaking it vigorously and if it foams its not fine and if it does'nt foam up its ok to put in your aquarium
ok....now you should know that there are two types of bacteria that you wanna get growing in your filter which will grow in your sponge bioballs ,ceramic rings etc. like you should put bio balls and ceramic rings in one compartment and sponge in the other of your filter.the bacteria you wanna grow will change the basic toxic fish waste which is ammonia into nitrite and another type of bacteria will change this nitrite into nitrate.you should have zero ammonia and nitrite ion your tank and less than 20 nitrate in your tank.now put a capfull of ammonia in the tank and mix it into the water and test your water with a liquid test kit buy the API master freshwater test kit its really cheap on drs fosters and smith. now raise the ammonia level i your tank my putting in ammoniathat you bought so that the amkonia levelk reaches to 5ppm on the test kit.then test the water of ammonia and nitrite every day then one day ammonia levels will start to fall meaning that the bacteria that process ammonia are starting to grow in your running filter! then add more ammonia to keep it at 5 ppm no more!! and then after a few days nitrite will start to appear note that never let the ammonia level fall beow 5 ppm.then as nitrite will start to increase after a few days you will start to see the nitrate levels risig now dont add anymore ammonia ...just test all the water parameters to see if the bacteria have converted the ammonia into nitrate i.e. at this level there should be 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite and some nitrate which the bacteria cannot process and isnt toxic to fish on 25 ppm and below concentrations.but if there is still some nitrite and ammonia then continue with the cycle then when the ammonia and nitrite becomes 0 then to lower the nitrate levels make an 80 percent water change with water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramine from your tap water....otherwise if you dont put water conditioner then all the bacteria will die as chlorine and chloramine is highly toxic to them.never forget to add water conditioner into water when doing a water change to get rid of the chlorine and chloramines. now after you've done a large water change to bring the nitrate levels below 20...then add your first fish.add hardy fish like danios and guppies at first then wait a few months for your tank to mature before adding anything else.then just stock your tank accordingly.
i could suggest you with which fish you can keep and when and which filter to choose if you give me your tank size. and please feel free to ask any other question because that is the reason why you joined TFF.
cheers and good luck
shahrez
first of all set up your tank by attaching you filters,light and other equipment like if yuo want an airstone and heater. then put the gravel(thoroughly washed) in and turn everything on let the filters and everything run for a day and if there is still silt coming from the gravel, do a continuous water change like put one hose in that is putting water in and put a hose in which is taking water out.,..then once the water is crystal clear. buy the household cleaning ammonia that is commonly used to clean stains....buy one that is free form any additives no perfume or anything just read the label and you will see.you can test the ammonia by shaking it vigorously and if it foams its not fine and if it does'nt foam up its ok to put in your aquarium
ok....now you should know that there are two types of bacteria that you wanna get growing in your filter which will grow in your sponge bioballs ,ceramic rings etc. like you should put bio balls and ceramic rings in one compartment and sponge in the other of your filter.the bacteria you wanna grow will change the basic toxic fish waste which is ammonia into nitrite and another type of bacteria will change this nitrite into nitrate.you should have zero ammonia and nitrite ion your tank and less than 20 nitrate in your tank.now put a capfull of ammonia in the tank and mix it into the water and test your water with a liquid test kit buy the API master freshwater test kit its really cheap on drs fosters and smith. now raise the ammonia level i your tank my putting in ammoniathat you bought so that the amkonia levelk reaches to 5ppm on the test kit.then test the water of ammonia and nitrite every day then one day ammonia levels will start to fall meaning that the bacteria that process ammonia are starting to grow in your running filter! then add more ammonia to keep it at 5 ppm no more!! and then after a few days nitrite will start to appear note that never let the ammonia level fall beow 5 ppm.then as nitrite will start to increase after a few days you will start to see the nitrate levels risig now dont add anymore ammonia ...just test all the water parameters to see if the bacteria have converted the ammonia into nitrate i.e. at this level there should be 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite and some nitrate which the bacteria cannot process and isnt toxic to fish on 25 ppm and below concentrations.but if there is still some nitrite and ammonia then continue with the cycle then when the ammonia and nitrite becomes 0 then to lower the nitrate levels make an 80 percent water change with water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramine from your tap water....otherwise if you dont put water conditioner then all the bacteria will die as chlorine and chloramine is highly toxic to them.never forget to add water conditioner into water when doing a water change to get rid of the chlorine and chloramines. now after you've done a large water change to bring the nitrate levels below 20...then add your first fish.add hardy fish like danios and guppies at first then wait a few months for your tank to mature before adding anything else.then just stock your tank accordingly.
i could suggest you with which fish you can keep and when and which filter to choose if you give me your tank size. and please feel free to ask any other question because that is the reason why you joined TFF.
cheers and good luck
shahrez
shahrezsyed
Fish Crazy
sorry for the insanely confusing post and water drop explained it much better! 
but you can still ask me for stocking and filter suggestions!!
but you can still ask me for stocking and filter suggestions!!
Cycling is very easy Suzanne. Once you have the tank and filter running you just add a little ammonia to get the concentration in the water up to about 4 or 5 ppm. When the levels drop to zero, often after a week or two, you add more to get back to the same level. As time goes by, the time it takes to reach zero gets much shorter and you eventually get to the point where the once a day add is gone in 12 hours or less. That means you are done as far as ammonia oxidizing bacteria (called AOB or A-Bacs by carious people). The nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB or N-Bacs) develop in much the same way except that they use the nitrites produced by the AOB to develop. They will likely take a bit longer to become established and the levels of nitrites will become immeasurably high during the time they are developing. They will eventually develop into a nice colony that can also deal with the results of the ammonia additions in the same 12 hours or less. At that point, when both ammonia and nitrites are being removed in 12 hours, we call the tank cycled. By the time that happens, the nitrates in the water will be right through the roof so we do a huge water change to get nitrates down below 20 ppm or so before buying any fish.
All the rest of the details deal with how to measure concentrations, keeping good records so that we can be more helpful with advice, techniques we use when things are not going right, etc. Those are not things to worry about unless you run into some trouble.
All the rest of the details deal with how to measure concentrations, keeping good records so that we can be more helpful with advice, techniques we use when things are not going right, etc. Those are not things to worry about unless you run into some trouble.
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