For new monster keepers like me

[SageTheKeeper]

Now I’ve finally been able to get my tank to stabilize so I want to go over a few things. First was my biggest mistake. Don’t buy all your monsters at once! I have a 1000 gallon pool/pond now. Managing a tank that size does not come close to a 75g, 125g etc. cycling this tank(1000g) took way longer than others. Going on 3 months now and I’m finally cycled. I made the mistake of buying all my fish at once(tsn, 5 peacocks, 2 aros, clown knife) all of those were 2-5” and it spiked my ammonia over night and they died. That was about 1.5 months of “cycling” when they were purchased

I went with the route of a drip system after the deaths, that much water changing is just too much time for me. A drip system is very simple or complex depending on how you want it setup. Mine consists of running water lines from my hot and cold with a mixing valve to 82° all through drip irrigation lines then to a 3 stage water filter. I drip 18 gallons per hour. Then you install an overflow that leads to a drain(mine leads to a drain tile in my basement). Overflow diy is quite simple and I use two overflows in case one fails.

I also would like to add that the easiest way I found to cycle was “sacrificial fish” I first started with 12 guppies which was definitely not enough so I went up to 48 guppies. All survived the cycle without water changes. In between the 12 and 48 was when I added my initial “monster fish” which all unfortunately passed. Now your tests may seem cycled like mine did but as others here have pointed out there may not be enough beneficial bacteria built up yet and that’s where my mistake lies. No water changes were done during the cycling. I can’t say this enough cycling a tank this size takes a lot longer than cycling a smaller tank.

When you finally believe your tank is ready purchase your cheaper fish first. Then slowly but surely build your stock up.

My advice is as a novice monster fish keeper, there are many amazing people here with much more knowledge than me that can help you a lot more! Any other tips that some experts have can be found throughout this site! Cheers folks and enjoy your fish!

 

[duanes]

In 1,000 gallons, 48 guppies is a drop in the bucket, and may hardly equal the ammonia output of 1 or 2 semi adult Pbass.
When I first cycled my 180, I used about 2 dozen mosquito fish, as sacrificial fish, but also added lots of plants to125 gal sump, (and in the main tank) which also consume ammonia nitrite, and nitrate. In the end no mosquito fish died, until eaten by the cichlids later.
To me, 3 months is not long for a dead drop cycle for that volume of water.
When I finally added the intended fish after the initial cycle, no new fish were over 4", (most were in the 2" range) to coincide with the amount of ammonia produced by the 2 dozen mosquito fish, and heavy planting.
So I agree, adding the amount of fish you did in the beginning easily overwhelmed the amount of ammonia produced by those guppies.

 

[Trouser Cough]

Don’t buy all your monsters at once!

Absolutely correct.

Cycling this tank(1000g) took way longer than others. Going on 3 months now and I’m finally cycled.

I'll post what may be an unpopular opinion and it is that in my view it doesn't have to do w/ the size of the tank, it has to do w/ the volume of fish in that tank which dictate the volume of ammonia, etc.

I made the mistake of buying all my fish at once(tsn, 5 peacocks, 2 aros, clown knife) all of those were 2-5” and it spiked my ammonia over night and they died. That was about 1.5 months of “cycling” when they were purchased

Time is not a predictable component of cycling. If you had 48 guppies in there for ten years you'd have still been at huge risk of killing all your new fish when you put them in all at once. Cycling is directly related to the volume of beneficial bacteria in your tank which is a byproduct of the fish you have in the tank, not the fish you want in the tank.

I went with the route of a drip system after the deaths, that much water changing is just too much time for me. A drip system is very simple or complex depending on how you want it setup. Mine consists of running water lines from my hot and cold with a mixing valve to 82° all through drip irrigation lines then to a 3 stage water filter. I drip 18 gallons per hour.

As long as I'm spouting off unpopular stuff I might as well jump in w/ both feet. A drip system is xlnt at keeping tanks topped off but I rarely consider them a replacement for water changes. Your example suggests that you're adding 480g to that 1000g tank every day so it is likely to work out however, for those considering a drip of your own note that you have to be adding a huge volume of water often in order to come close to the value of a traditional WC. The reason is that your overflow is also dumping water you just put in the tank.

When you finally believe your tank is ready purchase your cheaper fish first. Then slowly but surely build your stock up.

Cheap fish or spendy fish are all the same. The key is to not overwhelm your tank's ability to respond. Your 48 guppies weighed a few grams and produced a commensurate amount of waste. When you replaced them w/ a few pounds of carnivorous fish the bio-load produced was relatively huge. A guppy typically eating plant detritus and an occasional bit of larvae might produce 1/3 the volume of waste per pound than that of a carnivore.

The key is to analyze what went wrong in order to understand the mistake. We've all made some pretty good sized errors and have been spanked for it. Welcome to the club.

Now there's one thing that hasn't been touched on and it's that once your tank is up and running and has a mature cycle you'll want to add a fish at some point. Usually that's a complete non-issue in a big and established tank whereas dumping the identical specimen in a 10. 20, or 55 would often cause an instant problem.

Waste in the water column is pollution and the solution to pollution is dilution.

 

[Berts46ers]

I usually prefer to use a few raw prawns or something like that to cycle the tank, as opposed to
Seems to work well, if it gets a bit smelly then change the prawns out for fresher ones.
Once you believe the tank is cycled then try out some cheap fish or start to add your final stocking, slowly, as you would normally anyway.

I have not done it on a 1000 gallon tank but I can’t see why it could not be scaled up.

This is how I will be cycling my 500 gallon later on in the year once I get it.

 

[Parka]

I'll post what may be an unpopular

Not Me! I'm just gonna ask a question instead. Serious question!
Now, I am ready to fill Chicago and I wanted to ask about filling with water from a water change from Akron Aquarium. At the moment Chicago has about 8" of tap water circulating through the undergravel filter. If I use already safe cycled water from Akron with equal amounts of treated tap water, will that be like having an already cycled tank?

Also about the rate a tank cycles: If all things are equal in proportion, fish load, water flow, temp, etc., wouldn't a 2,000 gallon tank cycle at about the same length of time as a 20 gallon tank?

 

[Parka]

solution to pollution is dilution.

Bark Barkington!

 

[deeda]

Not Me! I'm just gonna ask a question instead. Serious question!
Now, I am ready to fill Chicago and I wanted to ask about filling with water from a water change from Akron Aquarium. At the moment Chicago has about 8" of tap water circulating through the undergravel filter. If I use already safe cycled water from Akron with equal amounts of treated tap water, will that be like having an already cycled tank?

Also about the rate a tank cycles: If all things are equal in proportion, fish load, water flow, temp, etc., wouldn't a 2,000 gallon tank cycle at about the same length of time as a 20 gallon tank?

Using the water from a tank that is cycled does not help a new tank set up as the bacteria/organisms are not free floating so won't be transferred. Mature filter media, plants and gravel/sand can help with the cycling process but aren't a sure fire way to 'make' the new tank cycled.

As far as the rate a tank cycles, I think there are a lot of variables but I don't see why they wouldn't cycle in a similar time line as long as you provide the proper amount of nutrients to follow the steps in the cycling process.