Fishless cycle
- Thread starter KPhilly
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To do a fishless cycle, you add an ammonia source instead of adding fish to create ammonia for the cycle. So, in a nutshell, you dose the tank to about 4 PPM of pure ammonia (I know the Ace Hardware brand is 100% pure) and wait until it is converted to nitrite, and then from nitrite to nitrate. The whole process can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks IME, but usually 3-4. When your system takes 4 PPM of ammonia and converts it to nitrate in 24 hours, then you're cycled.
You can have plants and driftwood in during the cycle. live plants might actually speed the cycle a bit.
This thread has everything you would ever need to know about fishless cycling. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/the-almost-complete-guide-and-faq-to-fishless-cycling-148283.html
It probably hasn't died by now, but those bacteria in a bottle products almost never work. Especially Cycle. I've heard good things about Dr Tims One and Only and Tetra Safestart.
It won't remove chlorine, you'll need a dechlorinator like Prime for that. Did you add the Cycle to a tank that has chlorine in it? If so, the bacteria in the bottle was probably killed by the chlorine.
They will be there until you add a dechlorinator.
I use prime - Amazon.com: Seachem Prime 500ml: Pet Supplies
But there are many others.
You could probably still use it after you add dechlorinator. But you can't start the cycle with straight tap water.
shrimpyfish
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
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- Jun 26, 2013
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Also, I suggest you acquire an API master freshwater test kit to test water parameters daily or hourly to know when or is your tank on track with cycling. I suggest you start over by refilling with new water, dechlorinate it, then add ammonia(100% pure), and test till nitrites are low and nitrates are around 1-3.
shrimpyfish
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
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- Jun 26, 2013
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Then I suggest the API master kit
CMOS
Aquarium Advice Regular
+1
You're going to need the API MASTER kit to properly test all parameters.
I also recommend Dr. Tims pure Ammonia for this cysling.
A word of caution from one who learned the hard way on my recent fishless cycle: when you being to get Nitrites, do not let this level get above about 2-3 PPM (which is hard to determine on the API Nitrite scale - it sucks). If your Nitrites get up into or above the 4 PPM level, the cycle will stall. My whole cycle took 6 weeks due to this. Once I understood what was happening, and kept my Nitrites around 2-3 PPM, the cycle was done in a week.
Good luck. I like the fishless cycle method, a lot.
CMOS
Sfgiants415
Aquarium Advice Regular
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If you have another tank that is already cycled, you can put some filter media from the established tank in your new tank and it will speed the process up. When I know I'm going to be getting a new tank, I put a sponge filter in my established tank and leave it in there for about a month and when I set up the new tank, I stick that same sponge filter in there. It will drastically shorten the cycle time.
Sfgiants415
Aquarium Advice Regular
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It's everywhere and it's already in the water. It just needs to multiply to get to the levels we need it to and for it to multiply, you need to add an ammonia source. Without ammonia, the bacteria won't multiply. If you just fill a tank with water, the bacteria won't multiply because there isn't a source of ammonia.
bud29
Aquarium Advice Addict
I would never advise anyone to pee in their tank, cycling or not.
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