how to cycle FO tank?

[Moe36]

would I need shrimp to cycle a FO tank? If so, how long should I leave it in there?....And has anyone tryed the product 'cycle'?...I heard that it cycles the tank on its own.......Thx for any help.

 

[triggers]

Shrimp don't do good in high ammonia. However if you don't have live rock (which is the best way to cycle a tank) the next best is Damsels they are very durable. You can also add things like BIO-Zyme which is a beneficial bacteria, but this only speeds the process up a little. It does not cycle your tank completely that will take time. But make sure you have something in it, whether its LR or Damsels.

 

[two11devan]

I think what Moe was talking about was using a dead shrimp, like one from the store, to cycle the tank. Many people believe that cycling a tank with fish is wrong and is inhumane for the fish. The raw shrimp from the store will cause an amonia spike in the tank to get the cycle going. Once you see a significant spike in the amonia, I believe you can remove it. I cycled my tank with LR and LS....no fish or shrimp, so I can't give you an estimate of how many days it will take.

 

[gbundersea]

Fishless cycle

There is definitely no need to use fish to cycle a new tank! It is an unnecessary and inhumane method, increasingly frowned upon by serious aquarists.

I successfully used household ammonia to cycle a brand-new 5-gallon aquarium. It is easy to do so, and the cost is almost zero.

With this method, you can immediately take the ammonia up to lethal levels far past what any fish could survive. As a result, the bacteria develop and reproduce very quickly, and in a much shorter time, you'll have a far stronger colony capable of supporting a robust population of desirable fish.

When I did it, after only 14 days the bacterial colony in that little 5-gallon tank was fully metabolizing 3ML of household ammonia each day in about 11 hours. I was very conservative, and carefuly monitored nitrite levels over the next 8 days, while adding daily 1ML maintenance doses of ammonia.

For the full story, with pictures and references, click here.
__________________

Don't miss my Jensalt sump horror story site.
__________________

Greg Bunch
http://www.gbundersea.com
Home of the Digital Lens Dock, MXTENDER, Save-A-Lens Kit, and u/w photography

http://www.reefngom.org
Co-founder and fish ID instructor
REEF Field Station of the Northern Gulf of Mexico

 

[fishfreek]

For those who are not fimular with the shrimp method of cycling the tank you can check our articles section. More specificly the following article How to cycle your tank with out the use of fish

 

[queenvee]

Can you increase the ammonia additive proportionally to a 55 gal aquarium (ie. 33 mL)?

 

[gbundersea]

No problem

Can you increase the ammonia additive proportionally to a 55 gal aquarium (ie. 33 mL)?

Absolutely! Just add enough ammonia to bring the level to 1-2ppm.

Remember: You MUST use clear household ammonia which contains ONLY ammonia and water, with NO dyes, scents, or surfactants. Make sure it states the ingredients on the label. You may have to visit more than one store to find it, but you shouldn't have too much trouble.

You can also use reagent grade ammonium chloride, which is what public aquariums use to cycle new tanks. ScienceLab.com sells 100 grams of it for $11.89.

James Koga has updated his article on fishless cycling. It now includes additional links to sites describing the techniques and results of this method.
__________________

Don't miss my Jensalt sump horror story site.

Also see how I cycled a new tank with household ammonia.
__________________

Greg Bunch
http://www.gbundersea.com
Home of the Digital Lens Dock, MXTENDER, Save-A-Lens Kit, and u/w photography

http://www.reefngom.org
Co-founder and fish ID instructor
REEF Field Station of the Northern Gulf of Mexico

 

[pufferman]

Patience is a virtue. Seriously