What's The Big Deal

[brian1]

What's the big deal here, or am I lucky, I set my 16+ gallon tank up with sand substrata, lots of plants etc, I leave it running for a week with no fish, I do a api test and as expected, no ammonia no nitrite and very little nitrate, I get filter medium and a few fish from my lfs; I put the filter medium in to my filter, I put the fish in as it tells me to do on here, I leave for a few days, do a 25% water change, leave it again, do a api test again, ammonia 0 nitrites 0 nitrates .05 job done in two weeks, so why a fishless cycle, adding ammonia etc.,doing lots of water changes, ............is it necessary...........

 

[fluttermoth]

Not all shops will let people have used media though, and if you don't know anyone else with a tank, then that option isn't open to you. In those circumstances a fishless cycle is best.

 

[mhancock]

....................,doing lots of water changes, ............is it necessary...........

It is necessary to build up the bacteria in the filter media to convert ammonia to nitrites, and then nitrites to nitrates. With the mature media that you got from the LFS you already had the bacteria, without this you would have needed to populate the media with both types of bacteria - this process is called cycling.

 

[brian1]

Thanks for that guy's, so if people could get filter medium,and fish to keep it fed, it would be better.....or should i say easier?......

 

[Fintastic!]

If you get a nice chunk of mature filter media from a tank at the lfs or from someone kind enough to donate it, insert it into your filter along with your media that's already in your filter, you'll be instantly cycled. You'd be safe enough to add a small amount of fish, depending on how many were in the original tank and how big the tank was. Then after a couple of weeks you could slowly add more fish as your good bacteria multiplies. You don't need to add ammonia, but do check your water regularly. Hth.

 

[mhancock]

Thanks for that guy's, so if people could get filter medium,and fish to keep it fed, it would be better.....or should i say easier?......

Absolutely

 

[brian1]

Thanks Fintastic! and mhancock, and all, a great help..........

 

[Fintastic!]

You're welcome!