I'm about to set up my 20 gallon long tomorrow and I have never done a fishless cycle, can someone give me a walkthrough?
Can someone give me a guide on fishless cycling please?
- Thread starter Swiftwater
- Start date
Swiftwater;2325869; said:
Congratulations on choosing fishless cycling. Fishless cycling is a superior method to build up the beneficial bacteria in your filtration system without harming any fish. Here is an article that gives step-by-step instructions on fishless cycling.
http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html
You will need a freshwater master test kit such as Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (API) Freshwater Master Test Kit. Be aware that the nitrate test is very technique sensitive. You must follow the instructions exactly, or you will have an inaccurate reading. The second reagent bottle must be shaken vigorously for 30 seconds before adding ten drops to the test tube. The test tube must then be vigorously shaken for a full minute.
Here is a good price for a master test kit. Some pet stores will charge twice as much for this kit.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...freshwater+master+test+kit&queryType=0&offset=
The other thing you will need is a source of pure ammonia. Dollar stores or hardware stores are good places to find pure ammonia. Be aware that ammonia comes in many concentrations, so it can be tricky when you add the ammonia. If the ammonia is really diluted, you will have to add more than if it is concentrated ammonia. I suggest that you add 5 drops of ammonia to 1 gallon of water and test it. That will give you a good estimate of how much ammonia you have to put in your tank to get a reading of 4 ppm ammonia. If you use the API test kit, don't go over 4 ppm ammonia (the readings go from .25 ppm, .50 ppm, 1 ppm, 2ppm, 4ppm, 8ppm) or it will take a long time for the ammonia level to come down.
It is very important and useful to keep track of how many drops it takes to get a reading of 4ppm. If it takes 100 drops of ammonia to get a reading of 4ppm, then when you have a reading of 1ppm, it will take 75 drops to get it back to 4ppm. The whole beauty of 4ppm of ammonia is that you are developing hugh colonies of beneficial bacteria that will more than handle the bioload of any fish you put in your tank.
You need to keep a log to track the cycling progression. Here's the log form I made when we fishless cycled our 300 gallon tank. Feel free to use it if you want.
It is also helpful to seed your tank with beneficial bacteria. As the article states, you can use gravel or filter media from an established tank. There are also biological additives that you can purchase that can help expedite the cycling process. Most fishkeepers have nothing good to say about "Cycle" and "Biozyme", but I used both products successfully (used copious, excessively liberal amounts in my 300 gallon tank) Most fishkeepers state that refrigerated Bio Spira is the only biological additive with any merit. There is also Dr. Tim's One And Only (he was the creator of Bio Spira, but now has his own company). http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=18986
The main thing is to be patient. Most of us were very eager to get our tank cycled so we could move fish into the tank. It is amazing how quickly the ammonia begins to drop. Like the article states, it seems to take forever for the nitrites to start dropping. I definitely agree with the article that the nitrite-consuming bacteria take longer to colonize than the ammonia-consuming bacteria. My nitrite test was very dark violet for the longest time. Once they are colonized, though, they are very hardy. We have never had a nitrite reading in the tank since it was cycled. (We have had low ammonia readings after a power failure)
Again, congratulations on choosing fishless cycling. For me, it's the only way to go.
Susan
Don't mean to hyjack this thread, but I have a question too. Pacu mom, thanks for the information and article. I am going to do a fishless cycle also. The article answered one question about being able to have plants while doing a cycle, but what about snails? Can Japanese Trapdoor snails live through it? Thanks!
chester said:
Ammonia at 4 ppm, while good for colonizing beneficial bacteria, would not be a good thing for your snails. I'm glad to hear that you are also fishless cycling.
I would highly doubt that you completely cycled a tank of any size with seachem stability in 8 days. I could be made a beleiver ,all you have to do is post a picture of your test vials at a water test to show that you have no nitrite or ammonia and that you do have a significant source of nitrate. I will check back and see. thanks alot------------------seachem stability and a few others like stable,etc have been tested and found that they do not contain both types of bio bacteria needed to maintain healthy aquarium. And the only store bought additive known to work is bio-spira which is refridgerated to keep the bacteria alive longer. And even this has a short shlef life.brianp;2326889; said:
Thanks pacu mom and everyone else, but what happens if I put too little ammonia? would putting less be better than overdosing it? Could I keep any plant while cycling? all I really want is java moss lol.
putting in to little ammonia would be better than putting in to much. The reason being is because you can then just put in more. LOL----------------------4ppm is just the ideal number. IF you put in less it will take longer and if you put in more it will take longer.
it is best to get used media from a friend or LFS ....this helps speed up the cycling. but patience is what you need......never rush ait and once you have it all set up.....your tanks and filter is stable as all hell!
i don't think the "bottled" bacteria work very well........i use prime 2-3x recommended dose and do not change water during cycling.......took me 3 weeks for a 300g tank
i don't think the "bottled" bacteria work very well........i use prime 2-3x recommended dose and do not change water during cycling.......took me 3 weeks for a 300g tank