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<channel><title><![CDATA[Aquarium Advice - Comments for article: Tips and tricks for your fastest fishless cycle!]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles</link><description /><language>en-us</language><copyright><![CDATA[http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles]]></copyright><generator>N/A</generator><webMaster>zagz@accesscomm.ca</webMaster><lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:43:24 EST</lastBuildDate><ttl>20</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #1]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment5</link><description><![CDATA[This was most excellent. I will be setting my tank up with my son every other weekend (divorce) this gives us plenty of time to cycle. I had no idea so much was involved. With my last tank (many, many, years ago) the only thing I was instructed to do was to make sure I had a UGF - a good filter - and a few fish to sacrifice. Fortunately the sacrifice fish never died, in fact they outlived several of my prized fish. Thanks again .. warped1<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Warped1 at 7:32 pm, Mon 24th Mar 2008)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Warped1)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:32:03 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment5</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #2 (Reply to Comment #1)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment7</link><description><![CDATA[Glad the article could help! But please remember this article was created for those that just have to have fish as fast as possible.  All the little additives and changes are not needed in 90% of the cases.

All you really need is a food source for the bacteria (pure ammonia or something to rot), and enough current in the water to keep it oxygenated.  Everything else is just icing on the cake.<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 7:06 am, Tue 25th Mar 2008)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:06:24 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment7</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #3]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment14</link><description><![CDATA[thank you, this in an excellent description of the necessary process. I've never seen one with the degree of detail I wanted.<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by monique at 1:27 pm, Thu 22nd May 2008)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (monique)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 22 May 2008 13:27:44 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment14</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #4]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment30</link><description><![CDATA[Thank you so much this will help i got my tank last week and wanted to get fish in a week from today or so.  Now i can actually cycle it without hurting my fish and get everything set for them.  Thank you so much!!!! Also i am just going to use a substrate from another tank.  Should i have an undergravel filter for that or will my HOB filter i have  be ok.  I am going to get an undergravel filter this friday but i just was wondering!!!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Ashley Shell at 8:37 am, Sat 14th Feb 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Ashley Shell)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 14 Feb 2009 08:37:06 EST]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment30</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #5 (Reply to Comment #4)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment31</link><description><![CDATA[I would recommend against the UG filter, and stick with a nice HOB (as long as it is adequate in size for the tank).  The substrate from a previous tank will be perfect as long as you do not have any diseases you do not want to transfer to the new tank.  Otherwise, make sure the tank has been dechlorinated prior to adding the substrate as it will have a large amount of beneficial bacteria that will cycle you tank quickly.

Goodluck, and glad I could help!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 12:35 pm, Sun 15th Feb 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:35:50 EST]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment31</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #5 (Reply to Comment #4)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment32</link><description><![CDATA[Very well explained article. Thank You. I would be interested in your reason against UG filter.
Thanx<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Kevin Gelenius at 12:59 pm, Sun 15th Feb 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Kevin Gelenius)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:59:56 EST]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment32</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #5 (Reply to Comment #4)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment34</link><description><![CDATA[UG filters operate by using the substrate (sand/gravel) to house the beneficial bacteria and convert the ammonia to nitrAte.  The problem is that you create a nitrAte factory within the substrate and under the plate that builds up very high levels.  With coarse gravel you can have waste material fall through the cracks which then rots underneath or in the substrate, and with fine gravel/sand you can have poor circulation.  But the worst thing of all is in order to clean the filter you basically need to tear the entire tank down to get to the plates under the substrate.  This is a messy ordeal that is not fun and what typically happens is people just never do this and you will have steadily increasing nitrAte levels regardless of water changes.

With a HOB you just remove the inserts, wash them in some tank water and stick them back in.

HTH<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 7:59 pm, Wed 4th Mar 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:59:36 EST]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment34</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #8]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment33</link><description><![CDATA[I am starting a fishless cycle and have had it up for a week now with no drop in ammonia?? But I believe that your article has solved my problem, I have extreamly soft water and have brought the KH up to keep the PH stabilized but I bet I need to add some Phosphates for my bacteria. Very informitave article! Thank you!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Deana at 10:52 am, Tue 3rd Mar 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Deana)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:52:31 EST]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment33</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #9]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment35</link><description><![CDATA[Great article, well i whas wondering about another technique involving vodka. Alcohol is supposed to be superfood for nitrifying bacteria. I personally have had good results with it. (Only 1 or 2 drops in the filter media). Could this be considered a trick to make it go faster?<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by JG2480 at 9:59 am, Fri 6th Mar 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (JG2480)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:59:22 EST]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment35</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #10 (Reply to Comment #9)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment36</link><description><![CDATA[I have never heard this.  These nitrifying bacteria are feeding off of nitrogen compounds, while alcohols are hydrocarbons that do not contain any nitrogen.  So alcohol by itself could not be "feeding" the nitrifying bacteria.

I do not believe it would have a beneficial effect as an additive, but it is a energy containing compound so it could be supporting a secondary function for the bacteria (cell membrane construction perhaps?).  Typically, however, alcohols are used to kill or inhibit the growth of organisms so obviously in higher amounts than the 1-2 drops you mentioned it is probably harmful.

If you have any sources for this, however, I would be extremely interested in reading about it. I did a quick 10min google search and the only thing to support this theory was a paper on increased growth rates of certain bacteria in the intestines when  exposed to alcohol.....so you may be on to something!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 11:03 am, Fri 6th Mar 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:03:17 EST]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment36</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #11]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment37</link><description><![CDATA[thanks for the tip about light during the cycle, my ammonia levels have been staying really high and nitrite levels only just began to show after 3 weeks. i couldn't figure out why! planeria started appearing and algae, and now i know why.<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by wendy at 2:48 am, Fri 20th Mar 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (wendy)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:48:24 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment37</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #12 (Reply to Comment #11)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment38</link><description><![CDATA[Yep, the planaria are feeding off the algae. You'll always have algal spores and other microorganisms present in the water no matter what you do, but if you cut out the light during this cycling time there will be no food supply for the little critters.  If in a room that doesn't have a window you can just try to keep any lights off and that should be good enough. If in a well lighted room you may need to wrap the tank in a blanket or thick black plastic trashbag.  If you need to do this, however, make sure you are properly aerating the tank using an air pump or if using a hang on back filter (HOB) that you keep the top off to allow for gas transfer.

Glad the article could help<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 5:44 am, Fri 20th Mar 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:44:02 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment38</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #12 (Reply to Comment #11)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment39</link><description><![CDATA[Too early in the morning for me without coffee. Wanted to edit my above comment to say that planaria don't eat the algae, rather they eat the microorganisms that eat the algae. Bottom line still holds true; cut out the light and they will disappear.<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 5:48 am, Fri 20th Mar 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:48:32 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment39</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #14]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment43</link><description><![CDATA[Thank you for the information!  I will reduce light, increase temperature and add some fish food to my aquarium today.  Two days ago algae started growing in the tank.  What would you recommend to do about it?<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by yev at 1:21 pm, Thu 14th May 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (yev)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 14 May 2009 13:21:57 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment43</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #15 (Reply to Comment #14)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment49</link><description><![CDATA[Hi Yev,

True algae requires light for photosynthesis.  Without light, the algae dies.  Since our bacteria do not require light to grow, that is why we recommend keeping it dark to prevent algae from growing in the first place.

Now all new tanks will get diatoms which are not algae, but a brownish powdery (when rubbed off the surface) organism, which feeds off the silicates present in new tanks (glass and plastic surfaces).  These may look like algae to the untrained eye, but is easily identified when removed from the surface.  

Best course of action? Wrap a black plastic garbage bag around the tank to prevent light from getting in.  If you have a Hang-on-back (HOB) filter you can get away with lower the water level a bit to get enough oxygen in the water for the beneficial bacteria. If using a canister filter, it is probably a good idea to add an air pump to make sure there is enough desolved oxygen.  Keep the room dark if possible, tank lights off and don't peek for a week.  After that time the algae should be gone.<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 6:57 am, Tue 19th May 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 19 May 2009 06:57:03 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment49</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #16]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment50</link><description><![CDATA[5 days ago I added water conditioner, a little fish food (PH = 7.5), heater (80F), air pump, and covered aquarium with a blanket.  So far there is no change in ammonia level (~5ppm) or algae.  I do remove the cover every day in the morning for a few minutes to check the ammonia level.  

The "algae" is indeed brown, but this is not a brand new tank.  It was used by the previous tenant in the apartment where I live.  I think she had gold fish.  It didn't contain any water when I got it.<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by yev at 2:59 pm, Wed 20th May 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (yev)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 20 May 2009 14:59:11 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment50</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #17 (Reply to Comment #16)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment51</link><description><![CDATA[Yev,

See my last post again. You CANNOT peak for at least a week. Algae is a very sneaky thing.  Just like we can "survive" on water for weeks, algae can survive for quite a while even with brief amounts of light.  You have to keep the tank sealed from light at all times for at least a week and your algae problems should be mostly fixed.

Also, if you didn't start with a seed material (filter material or gravel from another tank), 5 days will not be enough time to show any change in the ammonia level.  

My recommendation would be to wrap it up completely (since you have an air pump), and ignore it for at least a week.  Then you can test the ammonia level (but if possible try to do it in the dark! :)<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 7:00 am, Thu 21st May 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 21 May 2009 07:00:23 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment51</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #18]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment68</link><description><![CDATA[Wow... Great article!
Just curious what effect would Human Urine have on a tank? (using it as a source of ammonia of course, not recreation.) I just thought this might speed the process up.<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Aaron at 10:22 pm, Sat 4th Jul 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Aaron)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:22:35 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment68</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #19 (Reply to Comment #18)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment69</link><description><![CDATA[Aaron,

While Human Urine (in a healthy person) does contain the equivalent of a low dose fertilizer such as Seachem's Flourish, I would recommend against using it for cycling purposes.  Depending on the person's hydration level you could also be adding in quite a bit of salt, not to mention difficulty in quantifying how much nitrogen you actually put in the water.

To top it off urea (main nitrogen compound in human urine) is more difficult to metabolize for the bacteria than ammonia, and it is possible a different strain of bacteria is required which would not benefit the cycle.

Either way, stick to the pure ammonia at the $0.99 store, just make sure it does not contain surfactants (soaps).  If you look at the label it will often under ingredients say surfactants, but the surest way to test is after buying shake it up and pour some out.  If it heavily foams you don't want to use it.

Goodluck, and keep the urine in the toilet, or at least not on edible vegetables.  I hear shrubs and flowers love it. ;)<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 8:02 am, Mon 6th Jul 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:02:54 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment69</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #20]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment78</link><description><![CDATA[Thanks for all the wonderful tips! I'm all set to cycle my tank, but cannot find pure ammonia for the life of me! Any suggestions on where I might look? Also, I'm wondering if the nitrifying bacteria they sell in pet stores for use with live-fish cycling would work for this process as well? It seems like it would be more sterile, and less apt to indroduce disease than filter media from an established tank if it could be used.  Any thoughts? Thanks again for the great article! --Kerry<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Kerry at 1:23 am, Fri 11th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Kerry)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:23:59 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment78</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #21]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment79</link><description><![CDATA[Hi Kerry,

Do you know if your tap water has chloramine instead of chlorine? If so you could use that (with a dechlorinator such as Prime).  My understanding is that Prime will dechlorinate the water while detoxifying the ammonia (but leaving it able to be consumed by the bacteria).  Otherwise dollar stores, and maybe ethnic grocery stores (if nothing around you has it). Trust me its out there, just not always easy to find.

As for the cycling, the only product I know of that has been proven effective is a product known as BioSpira. This product contains live bacteria for the cycling of a tank and *can* be extremely effective. However it needs to be stored refrigerated, and DURING all times prior to you buying it. And that is typically the problem. Somewhere in shipping someone may not treat it properly and you'll spend a bunch of money for nothing, and risk killing your fish (since they recommend adding all of the fish and the BioSpira at once).

Stick to used filter media.  While diseases CAN transfer, most will not be viable due to the long period of time between cycling and fish addition.  Remember most of these parasites and diseases require the fish/snail host to thrive. Take that away and they "starve".

Goodluck and thank you for reading the article!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 6:34 am, Fri 11th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:34:27 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment79</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #22]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment81</link><description><![CDATA[I was wondering what your suggestion would be if I didn't have anything from an old fish tank to use in the new fish tank?  The only thing my fish has in there now is his house, a clear tube and a few plants and I am not even sure if those have any bacteria on them since they have only been in there for 5 days.  Thank you for your help in advance!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Darby at 4:28 am, Fri 25th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Darby)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:28:03 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment81</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #23]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment82</link><description><![CDATA[Darby,


What size tank and how many and what kinds of fish do you have in there?

First things first, stop feeding the fish.  This will only contribute to the ammonia problem, and they can easily fast for several days without hurting them (they are coldblooded after all and have much slower metabolisms than us).  I would feed a VERY small amount once every 3-4 days until you no longer detect ammonia/nitrIte.

You need to get a liquid ammonia/nitrIte/nitrAte test kit and keep an eye on your levels.  Before even that though you need to start doing large water changes as you are definitely getting ammonia and nitrIte buildup since you don't have a cycled tank.

I would recommend 50% at least once a day until you get the test kit.  After that you can check and do water changes when your levels get above 0.25ppm ammonia/nitrIte.

I would also recommend going to the fish store and asking for a handful of gravel (if they have gravel in some of the tanks). Or see if you can get a couple plastic plants or decorations from the tanks (they will be coated in beneficial bacteria).  If those options fail buy a couple low light plants (real plants, I don't know if what you have now is real/fake), but monitor them carefully. If the plants start to wilt or loose their leaves, get them out ASAP or they will contribute to the ammonia problems.

I would keep your lights on for ~8 hours per day.  You will likely get an algae problem but that will be beneficial to the fish since the algae will be consuming the ammonia.  

Please make sure you are using a good dechlorinator such as Seachem's Prime when you do water changes, and make sure the temp of the water matches the temp in the tank.

Hope this helps, but please remember you need to be very active right now to keep the water conditions safe for the fish!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 10:34 am, Fri 25th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:34:02 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment82</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #24 (Reply to Comment #23)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment83</link><description><![CDATA[For now I have a 20G tank with one Black Ghost Knifefish.  The temp in his tank is 78 deg.  I am working on moving him to a 60G tank in the future.  The plants I have in there are real and there are 6 of them, (they are still faily small, 5 in tall)  I used one of the test strips (which I have been told are no good) and everything was low and still is except for the NO3 went from 0 to 10 in 5 days.  It is okay to change the water in the tank?  Do I need to make sure that the new water is the same temp as the current water in the tank?  Also, we recently rereleased some catfish, and the tank that they were in still has about 20 gallons of water and some gravel, (there could be pieces of old earthworm in there though), was wondering if I would be able to use that gravel for the new tank?  Thanks so much for your help!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Darby at 4:53 pm, Fri 25th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Darby)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:53:00 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment83</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #25]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment84</link><description><![CDATA[Darby, please reread my reply to your original post.  In that I mention water changes are to be done with water that is the same temperature as the tank temp, and dechlorinated prior to adding the water to the tank (I use a 5 gallon bucket).  The test strips are junk.  Go and get a good liquid test kit such as the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals kit (~$15-20 and includes all the tests you need).  Now the best part: That gravel is PERFECT for what you need. It will be coated in beneficial bacteria that will quickly cycle your 20G tank.  What you need to do first though to avoid a possible ammonia spike due to uneaten worms is to wash the gravel in USED TANK WATER. Do NOT use tap water. The chlorine/chloramine in the tap water will kill the bacteria and make it all but useless.  Instead, save your water in the 20G tank when you do your water change and use it to wash the gravel gently.  Lighter debris such as uneaten food, poo, and other particles will get stirred up in the gravel and then you can just pour off all of the water.  I'd recommend draining all of the water from the gravel before adding it to the 20G tank.  As long as you don't let the gravel dry out the bacteria will be fine.  If you like the look of the gravel just evenly spread it out on the bottom of the 20G tank.  If you already have nice gravel or don't want the stuff from the catfish tank you can put the gravel in a mesh bag (they sell these at pet places for holding ceramic beads, carbon, etc.).  I and many other people just use a cut up piece of NEW pantyhose (cannot have been washed with detergent!).  You just need something to hold the gravel but it needs to allow constant water flow through to establish the bacteria. Goodluck!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 8:04 am, Mon 28th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:04:38 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment84</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #26]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment85</link><description><![CDATA[I have been doing water changes every day, 25-50%, and my amonia level is still 1.0.  I have the cycling started in the 70G (thought it was a 60G) and now am trying to find a temp home for my BGK so he is not stuck in the middle of the cycle in the 20G.  Taking him back to the pet store is not really an option, since I think the 100 mi journey would kill him.  I got myself a liquid test kit and have been doing that 1-3 times a day.  I finally fed him and he went BANANAS!  I could have fed him out of my hand if I had something big enough!  He was actually sucking the bloodworms right out of the syringe, so I know none got away and are leftover in the tank.  I have done 2 vacuums and the first time there was a ton of old food in the gravel.  I now know I was overfeeding him....Unfortunately I already tossed out the gravel from the catfish because other people told me it was sitting too long to have any bacteria in it.  (It sat for 6 days).  In the tank that's cycling I have a plant from ext. tank, gravel in a new pantyhose and some fish food.  I didn't go the ammonia route because the only stuff I could find had surfactants in it.  Thanks for your help!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Darby at 3:19 pm, Mon 28th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Darby)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:19:42 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment85</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #27]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment86</link><description><![CDATA[Do me a favor and test your tap water for ammonia.  If you detect any ammonia you will know your water has chloramines.  Chloramines are more stable in water and so do not evaporate quickly (and therefore are great from a water safety standpoint), but for us aquarists it poses a problem because you can't just let water sit out to release the chlorine.  When the chloramine molecule reacts with something, the amine is released (which becomes ammonia).  So basically what I'm saying is if you are using a proper amount of dechlorinator when adding new water the amount of ammonia you detect in your tap water can be subtracted from your tank level since there is no way you'll have zero ammonia (well unless you have lots of plants and do very infrequent water changes).  That amount of ammonia in the tap water has been neutralized and so doesn't count towards your toxic ammonia level.

If you don't detect any ammonia in the tap water you need to do MULTIPLE back to back large water changes (25-50% is not large enough).  It is quite possible your level rises faster than your water changes.  Say you had an ammonia level of 1.0 and your BGK (even fasting) generates 0.5ppm a day. If you do a 50% water change you're only lowering the level from 1.0 to 0.5, but in that time the BGK raised it back up to 1.0.  So if you continue to only do 50% changes a day the BGK will be in very bad shape (possibly irreversible gill damage).  I highly recommend (again if you don't see any ammonia in your tap water) that you do 75-90% water changes until you get a value BELOW 0.25ppm ammonia.  That is the max safe level I personally recommend during cycling.  Once you get it down to a detectable level you can see just how much waste the BGK is producing and tailor your water changes to it.  It is not uncommon for people to have to do multiple (2-3) large water changes A DAY until the bacteria multiply to a large level.  Yeah it stinks, but it needs to be done.

And remember the larger the water change the more important that you have VERY close temperatures between the tank water and the water you are adding.  Added stress from temp swings is NOT good when already in a weakened state due to the ammonia.

In the meantime PLEASE keep the feedings to very infrequently (once every 3-4 days), and then only a reasonable amount.  While hungry, the alternative (ammonia or nitrIte poisoning) is much MUCH worse for the fish.

Goodluck and keep up on the water changes!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 7:38 am, Tue 29th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:38:58 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment86</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #28 (Reply to Comment #27)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment97</link><description><![CDATA[OMGosh! I'm in awe! I've never had anyone explain the whole process of how to measure ammonia readings when you start with tap water that already has ammonia! Brilliant! That makes wonderful sense and sets my mind at ease as I blunder through trying to do a fishless cycle with dechlorinated tap water that has ammo! A million thank yous! I can now plaster over the hole in the wall where I've been banging my head! Yay! :)<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Meely at 6:43 pm, Sat 10th Oct 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Meely)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:43:25 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment97</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #28 (Reply to Comment #27)]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment99</link><description><![CDATA[Glad I could be of help.  Actually one nice thing about having tap water with chloramines present is if you ever decide to use live plants.  Every time you do a water change it's like giving them a small amount of fertilizer (nitrogen only of course). Free is good!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 7:17 am, Mon 12th Oct 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:17:49 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment99</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #30]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment89</link><description><![CDATA[Thanks so much!  I don't have any ammonia in my tap water, I did check that.  I got his ammonia down to .5 yesterday and haven't checked it yet today, I am about to do that now.  Should I take him out while I do a 90% water change?  I am cycling the new 70G for him right now and I hope it hurries up lol!  I want to get him out of this 20G.  Too bad his owner is an idiot and didn't do this before I bought him!  He is still swimming around and was doing MUCH better last night than he has been.  He was actually playing in the bubbles!  I will keep doing what you suggested, I don't care if it takes me all day to do water changes, I just want to make him happy!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Darby at 4:59 pm, Tue 29th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Darby)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:59:37 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment89</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #31]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment90</link><description><![CDATA[No need to take him out during the water change. As long as he has enough water to be fully submerged he'll be fine.  What I'd recommend though for reducing the stress is to have some water ready to add (dechlor, same temp) when you drain down that low. That way as soon as you are done removing the water you can add the water back so he's only in that really low water level for a minute or two. And don't worry, he'll thank you for the reduction in ammonia!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by 7Enigma at 7:07 am, Wed 30th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (7Enigma)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:07:45 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment90</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #32]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment91</link><description><![CDATA[Thanks for all your help!  VERY much appreciated!  Keep up the good work!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Darby at 8:31 am, Wed 30th Sep 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Darby)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:31:03 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment91</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Comment #33]]></title><link>http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment95</link><description><![CDATA[Great article!!!  I just restarted the tank after a 5 year break and completely forgot about the cycle.  Thanks for all the great info.  Very helpful!!<br/><br/>
(Comment posted by Wayne at 3:49 am, Thu 8th Oct 2009)]]></description><author>no@spam.com (Wayne)</author><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:49:08 EDT]]></pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html#Comment95</guid></item></channel></rss>