Never cycled tank

[trackfast]

Would it be possible to keep a FO tank that has never cycled. Here's the thought: I add fish and water at the same time. (RO/DI, treated water of course.) I check the ammonia level and do a PWC as soon as I detect any. Is that a possible scenario? It would mean zero nitrites and nitrates also right? (This just hypothetical; I'm bored and waiting for the killer storm to hit the Midwest.)

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

It would cycle, although slowly. You'd always have some level of ammonia/nitrites, even if a test kit didn't show it, until the bacteria population caught up to the bioload.

 

[Deep Seven]

Thats a lot of work, and a lot of PWC. Hypothetically it's possible, but I think it might be easier to build a time machine, travel to the future, and come back with a robot to look after your tank for you.

Seriously though, thats a lot of work doing water changes, and a lot of salt down the drain. Depending how many fish you have, the tank may eventually cycle from the bacteria growing on the glass and substrate, so if you really wanted a tank that "never cycled" you'd have to clean it out every once in a while to get rid of the cycling bacteria.

I love hypothetical questions. They can be fun to ponder

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[Lawngnome]

All this would mean is that you did your cycle with fish. The tank will cycle on its own naturally.

 

[Dary421]

Boy that would sure take a lot of RODI water to do,.....you tapped into walmart's RODI water machine didn't you?

 

[trackfast]

I was thinking of how to do it w/o exposing the fish to high ammonia levels. Yes, it would be a lot of waste of salt, water and time. Although, I do like the idea of a time machine. I think there's an uranium machine right next to the RODI water machine at Walmart.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

You will never be able to take out all of the ammonia, and as such the tank will still cycle. Albeit slowly.

You might manage to drag a cycle out to many months!

 

[trackfast]

The scenario was not intended to have an uncycled tank. What I was thinking is if you suddenly acquired a fish that was incompatible with your tank, could you hold it in a new tank w/o subjecting the fish to a lot of ammonia. I guess one could hold it in a refugium but what if that wasn't an option.