This is what im useing to cycle my tank hehehhhhhe

[Deep Blue Sea]

Here:

In case you are wondering exactly what "cycling your tank" means, here is a brief description (EDIT:: and by brief, I mean long-ish.)

When fish eat, they also poop (simple enough right?) Well, that poop eventually turns into a waste product called ammonia. Ammonia is very toxic to fish and causes the fish to be burned form the chemicals. So, if you have ammonia in your water, what do you do to save your fish from burns?

The first step of the cycling process is colonizing your filter with a type of bacteria that transform ammonia into nitrIte. NitrIte is also very toxic to fish. It competes in the gills for oxygen, and causes the fish to have blood poisoning (aka brown blood disease) and causes the fish to stress and/or die. Now, you have this problem of nitrItes in your water...what do you do?

The second step in the cycling process is colonizing your filter with another type of bacteria that uses the nitrItes and converts them into a less toxic form, called nitrAtes. NitrAtes will not do as much damage to your fish as the other two forms (ammonia and nitrIte) but as the levels increase, prolonged exposure to higher levels of nitrAtes can cause organ failure, stress, succumbing to illness or infection and ultimately death. So...you have these nitrAtes building up in your tank, what do you do to get rid of them, and at what level should you be concerned?

Once nitrAtes reach a level of about 20, I do a 50% water change. The absolute highest you want your nitrAtes to ever reach to avoid any possible side-effects is 40. You will want to continue to test your water periodically for ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAtes to make sure everything is working well.

You will know your tank has fully cycled and is ready for fish, when your test readings read 0-ammonia, 0-nitrIte and the appropriate number of nitrAtes. After fishless cycling, it is common for nitrAtes to be very high, and you will likely need to do quite a few water changes before the tank is ready for the fish.

Once your tank is cycled, and you have lowered the nitrAtes to the lower level, you can start by adding a small fish or two to see how things go. Give it a couple of weeks, then you can slowly increase your stocking level. (This also depends on what "stock-load" you used when preparing your tank in the amount of ammonia you use to cycle your tank, but I am too tired to get all into that, I believe there is a great article/post here on MFK, if you just search for it.)

It is highly recommended to have a quarantine tank set up for any additional fish you may want to add to your tank. Some people don't do this, and I on occasion haven't...the one time I cut it short, my fish got infected, so that risk is up for you to decide.

I know it may seem a bit overwhelming, but it is also very rewarding when you do it right, and don't lose any fish because you didn't make them suffer through the cycling process/high levels of toxins in the water. It will also save you a lot of money in the long run.

Give him a break, everyones excited about putting fish in a new tank and think about how excited he is about that particular enclosure. I always cycle my tanks with fish, it speeds up the process.

 

[Laticauda]

Give him a break, everyones excited about putting fish in a new tank and think about how excited he is about that particular enclosure. I always cycle my tanks with fish, it speeds up the process.

This is incorrect. In fact, the exact opposite is true. When you have fish in the tank, you have to change water frequently, to prevent damage to the fish, which takes away the food from the bacteria, and makes it take longer.

This is not the fish he intends to keep, he is only "borrowing it."

If he wouldn't subject HIS OWN fish to the cycling process, why would he do it to this one?

 

[lanthony18]

Your water dragons will foul your water. I tried this years back thinking that the fish would eat whatever crickets found their way into the water. What I didnt consider was the amount of crap that the lizards would produce. How many gallons of water is in there and how are you filtering it?

 

[krichardson]

I once used a live lobster to cycle a salt tank.

 

[WckedMidas]

tanks about 125 to 150 gallons . im no where near ready filtration wise for when the lizards go in it. Right now only thing on it is a magnum 350 and a fluval4 powerhead with sponge setup. I plan on geting 2 xp5 filters for it befor i get the lizards

 

[cichlid fiend]

Nice tank...

 

[WckedMidas]

for the record i aint useing my fish because i havent found a jurense catfish for sale localy. once i get my catfish i will stock it with the cichlids and bichirs.

 

[mshill90]

This is incorrect. In fact, the exact opposite is true. When you have fish in the tank, you have to change water frequently, to prevent damage to the fish, which takes away the food from the bacteria, and makes it take longer.

This is not the fish he intends to keep, he is only "borrowing it."

If he wouldn't subject HIS OWN fish to the cycling process, why would he do it to this one?

Not to be rude, but- give.it.a.break.

We all cycle in our own way. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean you have to belittle another forum member. I am sure he is not the only one who has used a fish to cycle a tank.

And from what I am reading; the tank is cycled, he's just trying to put in a bioload to see what it can handle.

 

[Mudslinger14]

you have to change water frequently, to prevent damage to the fish, which takes away the food from the bacteria, and makes it take longer.

Who changes water while cycling? Even with a fish, a one-two month period won't be that bad without water changes. And the fish, (Depending on what it is) should be fine.

 

[Laticauda]

Who changes water while cycling? Even with a fish, a one-two month period won't be that bad without water changes. And the fish, (Depending on what it is) should be fine.

Why talk about something you obviously have no knowledge about?

Almost 100% of all fish illnesses are due bad water quality. Ammonia and nitrIte cause significant damage to fish and their internal organs. What exactly do you think happens when a tank cycles?

Just because a fish "survives" does not mean it is still healthy, and able to live it's full life it otherwise would have had.

And to the person who said "the tank seems cycled" is also terribly mistaken. Just because you have an empty tank with filters running for two weeks speaks nothing about the actual nitrification cycle that must take place for the tank to be "fish-ready."

MFK has a plethora of information to help cure this ignorance that runs rampant in the aquarium hobby.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224559