Tstone's Cycle Log

[eaglesaquarium]

A fishless cycle is made up of one thing really... patience. Just remain patient. If you were doing a fish-in cycle it would take just as long (probably longer) and you would be doing daily water changes for quite a long time, and the fish would be suffering through ammonia and then nitrite poisoning.

 

[Tstone]

What's your opinion on stress coat and stress zyme instead of cycling?

 

[Tizer]

instead of cycling? what?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Stress Coat is a great dechlorinator. Its my second favorite after Prime. But that has nothing to do with cycling.



Stresszyme, IMHO, is a waste of money. I know you are eager to have fish, but in all honesty, these products don't work as advertised, and you will find yourself in a fish-in cycle doing large daily water changes to keep your fish from dying of ammonia poisoning. Please don't fall for the hype, because that is all that it is.

 

[Xraymark]

During fishless cycling should the filter media still be given a clean in a bucket of tank water?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

There is no need to do that, because there is no solid fish waste that builds up on the filter media. That only comes with fish. So, just let it sit as is during the cycle. In fact, there isn't a need to do it for about 2-3 months into having fish either. This build up will take some time to occur and leaving the media be will enable the bacteria to really become entrenched. After the initial swish, you want to do it about every month because the swish won't remove all the stuff. And when there is stuff already there it can clog more easily. Just keeping it free from major clogs is the goal. For the filter to work properly, water needs to flow through it, or else the bacteria will be starved of ammonia, oxygen or both.