Cycling

[bigbert22fishiz]

What is the fastest way to cycle?

 

[MandyINCo]

The fastest way is to obtain some already seeded filter media, as well as maybe some substrate from a well established aquarium, and add it to your filter.

If you can't/don't want to go that route, fish less or fish-in cycling is about the same. I think some would say fish less is maybe a little faster, not to mention you don't harm any fish in doing so. You do it by getting some pure ammonia an a liquid (API) test kit (you'll need one of those anyway), and dosing the tank up to 4ppm until you start seeing the "trite" and "trate" levels increase, then slowly back your ammonia dose down. Once ammo and nitrite fall to 0, and nitrate is at t5-20ppm, youre good to go.

You could do this by adding a shrimp or a bunch of fish food also, as they will create ammonia a they decay. But less accurate.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

With seeded media. If you have enough you can instantly cycle a tank.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html