What is a tank cycle?

[SworDTail KeePer]

I don't know what the fish cycle or tank cycle is i don't know hoe to do maybe i should ask my freinds? I must be pretty stuppid to you guys.

 

[SworDTail KeePer]

Man i fell pretty stupid asking this question to.

 

[BigFishSmallPond]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

 

[lady_tanksalot]

try reading this

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=73365

 

[nc_nutcase]

It's not a stupid question at all. More of a question of someone new to fish keeping or new to the high volume information exchange about it on the web. I've always done a mild version of cycling but have learned a ton of little things to do it better very recently (even though I've been keeping fish off and on for over 20 years).

Cycling is the process of establishing much needed bacteria. There are fishless and with fish cycling process and several methods of each. I'll let you research it on your own to learn from more experienced people than I.

The most simple explanation I can think of is cycling is setting up your tank and getting everything in place without fish, then using chemicals to produce 'stuff' your fish produce to get the bacteria started that will later eat the larger quantities of 'stuff' your fish produce when you add them. The cycling methods with fish do the same thing but use a small number of hearty fish to produce the 'stuff'.

Either way from what I understand it takes about a month to get everything established. Depending on what kind of fish you intend to stock the tank with you may be able to use them as the cycling fish.

* PS - It's not stupid to ask a question, it's stupid to let fish die because you didn't ask a question

 

[SworDTail KeePer]

Thanks nutcase fir that info

 

[SworDTail KeePer]

And every one else

 

[yvez9]

cycling is basically a way to describe establishing the nitrifiyng bacteria in your filter.

see, fish produce ammonia
ammonia is toxic to fish and most living creatures.

there is a kind of bacteria though that break up ammonia into nitrite.

nitrite is also toxic, but luckily, there is also a bacteria to break this up, this time into nitrate, which plants use as fertilisers and it is harmless to fish unless it is present in huge quantities.

these bacteria appear by themselves but as said before, they take about a month to populate your filter.