How Many Fish To Cycle Tank?
- Thread starter Dr_Shakalu
- Start date
I would never use goldfish to cycle a tank unless thats what your planning on keeping. I use guppies or smaller fish. But my LFS store said they would be more than willing to give me a bag of water.
I would suggest getting some cycled water from a fellow fish keeper or LFS. If you have other tanks, I would use the substrate and filters from your other tanks.
Years ago, I used feeders to cycle tanks, but no more. Feeders are just too much of a risk. You can also use chemical additives to help the process.
Years ago, I used feeders to cycle tanks, but no more. Feeders are just too much of a risk. You can also use chemical additives to help the process.
There is not enough (if any) beneficial bacteria in cycled water to support the bio load of fish. If you were to do this, and add fish, your tank would start a cycle in the next 24-36 hours. Use established filter media, or as knifegill said, squeeze a bunch of gunk out of your filters into the new tank. Either way has worked for me.
Buy some Stability by Seachem and throw your fish that you want to keep(not the said feeders, fish you plan on wanting) in and do what the bottle says. Come back if there's problems, which if done properly there shouldn't be any. Have a nice day.
Please don't flame me... I'm not that knowledgable about cycling... but just had a random thought...
Fish waste is what helps grow the beneficial bacteria correct?
By that same logic, couldn't someone just pee in their aquarium to help cycle it?
Fish waste is what helps grow the beneficial bacteria correct?
By that same logic, couldn't someone just pee in their aquarium to help cycle it?
Clay;4625597; said:
^^Agree^^
Save yourself a potential ich invasion or worse, anchor worms. Cycle it with either some precolonized media or live sand/substrate from a donor tank.
My local fish guy always has a HOB or two hanging on his display tanks for customers. They are seasoning their filter media.
Cycling a tank is merely colonizing the filter media. Buy a media bag and fill it with media, maybe a bag of substrate and take it to your LFS and ask if they will let you put it in their set up for a couple weeks. Sure beats 6 weeks of feeding goldfish.
What are you going to do with a couple dozen goldfish later anyway after all is said and done? Good luck taking them back.
Justmy2¢
