Advice please!

[METAL]

Hello, this is my first post on MFK but I have visted these forums many times for advice.
I am looking to get 2 Electric Blue Jack dempseys in my 48 gallon, however my question regaruds the cycling process.

While I read many articles suggesting that fishless cycling is better, my dad having had lots of previous sucsess with the old standby of using fish to cycle, talked me into doing it that way.

I have a 48 Gallon tank with a heater set to 76. I am using a Bio Ball sump system.

In order to cycle my tank I did not want to use the "feeder" gold fish as i have heard a ton of negutive things about them. Instead i got 1 betta (they dont mind the heat and are very hardy) and had him in there by himself for a week, then on friday I added a 4 line catfish.

I have been testing the ammonia daily and tracking my results. Today it has peaked at 1ppm. Basically my plan was that I will track the ammonia level every day and it will continue to rise untill the 'good' bacteria builds up, and the level begins to fall back down untill it reaches 0ppm, at which point the tank is cycled.

My question is, WILL THIS WORK?! And if so, when can I expect to see some results?

Thanks
-Sam

 

[creepyoldguy]

Thats exactly how I've cycled tanks before. Many ppl might jump ya for using fish and say its cruel and all that other crap, but as long as your keeping your ammonia levels in check and keep up on the water changes to keep the ammonia levels down, you're fish will be fine. You're tank should cycle completely in 4 wks or so depending on bioload. Also, if you use one fish to cycle the tank and after the tank is cycled, throw a bunch of fish in, you'll have an ammonia spike. Are you using the ebjd to cycle? I have no experience with them, but have heard they are fairly fragile when young and would probably advise against using them just for the simple fact that they may not handle the process as well.

 

[Loves severums]

EBJD are very fragile when they are young....

 

[METAL]

I am not using the EBJD to cycle.

I am using a betta fish and a 4 line catfish, i dont care about the betta but have grown fond of the 4 line ;P

You mentioned the water changing, I know you have to change the water at least once weekly when your aquarium is ready and set up. how often should i change the water while cycling though?

 

[creepyoldguy]

I've no experience with the pims, but I imagine they are hardy like many other catfish. Basically keep an eye on ammonia levels and how your fish are acting (specifically with breathing). Generally, you want to keep the ammonia below 1ppm (obviously, it will be at 0 after cycled), but fish can handle some ammonia for short periods. Just test water every day, keeping a close eye on ammonia at first, then watch for nitrites. You're nitrates will come last.

 

[brich999]

best and easiest way to cycle is to get a bunch of like black skirt tetras ( hearty and cheap) prob about 20, make sure your LFS will buy fish off people, throw them all in and over feed the hell out of them. yes the water will spike and yes it will get smelly, but all of the sudden, one day WHAM everything is crystal clear, and you wont get more spikes when you add more stuff. sell the tetras back to the LFS for store credit on something cool.

 

[brich999]

or yes about 200 comets will do the trick and then keep dead ones in there rotting and same thing happens, but the water looks horrible. also depends a lot on the filter. this is what i did for sumps, but i didnt notice much biological filtration with HOB filters.

 

[Juxtaroberto]

While I read many articles suggesting that fishless cycling is better, my dad having had lots of previous sucsess with the old standby of using fish to cycle, talked me into doing it that way.

You will have great success with either method. Seriously, ammonia is ammonia no matter the source. However, it is unnecessary to subject any fish to the conditions present in a tank during a cycle.

 

[aclockworkorange]

Use Seachem Stability... I've cycled with some of the most sensitive fish you can keep and all my fish are fine. You can use prime with it to neutralize any ammonia... it's not as "safe" as fishless cycling but I've never lost a fish from it. Search for some threads on here about it. I've also done the fishless cycling too and I always have a mini cycle when I add fish.

 

[METAL]

I appreciate the advice!

So what im thinking is that I will add a 4 or 5 of those black tetras that brich mentioned.

after doing so keep letting the Ammonia level rise untill it falls back down to 0ppm.
Think that will do the trick?