Alright so my friend has a 350g tank cycling for stingrays (friend lives in montana) and he wanted me to ask everyone how long he should cycle it for before adding the fish. I told him a minimum of 1 month but the LFS told him 2 weeks so what do you guys think?
Cycling for a Stingray Tank
- Thread starter Deep Blue Sea
- Start date
the answer is usually in the tests. soon as you start seeing nitrites go down and nitrates go up i believe
A month would be better.. Check the parameters before adding the fish in.. and probably.. i would throw in a few test subjects to ensure all is good.. as much as we r expierenced fish keepers.. we do make blummers here n there dont we..?? 
About 40 days (varies a bit), less if jump starting or dosing with stability. Make sure params are 100% in check before adding ray(s).
let it cycle at least a month... if his nitrites are down in two weeks, and nitrates up, then do a 30% water change, then in two more weeks, check the nitrites and nitrates. If the nitrites are at "0" and nitrates in a safe range, then you are good.
I know you want to get excited and add the ray.... but its better to wait and get it rt then to add to soon and lost the ray and the money you spent on that ray...
I know you want to get excited and add the ray.... but its better to wait and get it rt then to add to soon and lost the ray and the money you spent on that ray...
A month huh? Based on what ammonia source, starter fish or pure ammonia? If going fishless what concentration of ammonia added at what intervals? Based on what temp? Based on what filtration? Yet again: you can't blindly throw out a specific amount of time...
whatever it takes it takes,
from what I hear there is no specific time line.
just tell him to wait it out and don't rush the ray into its new home until he's 100% sure it's ready.
from what I hear there is no specific time line.
just tell him to wait it out and don't rush the ray into its new home until he's 100% sure it's ready.
along with what gshock and austin said why not just go get some bio media that is being used and throw it in the filter system to help the tank cycle(or even better if you can throw a filter with good bacteria on it). You need the bacteria to be fed still though by adding ammonia.