How long to wait for cycle ??

[angels004]

once i set up my tank, about how long should i wait until i add fish.
i heard about 2 weeks, is this true ?
ive made like 4 topics in getting started, i hope ppl arent getting tired of me, lol. i just need to know the right way to get started!!

-Lauren

 

[bzbee]

It varies slightly according to tank size. If you provide seed bacteria from an established tank and elevate the temperature, and be careful not to stall the cycle, it should take 2-4 weeks. You'll need to dose pure ammonia to feed the bacteria colonies as they establish themselves in the tank. The only way to tell if it's done is to measure your NH3 (0ppm), NO2 (0ppm) and NO3 (>0ppm) levels daily. Check out the article on fishless cycling. It's under the saltwater section, but still relevant. HTH!

 

[malkore]

It takes exactly as long as it takes. Minimum is usually 3 weeks, longest I've seen was 8 weeks.

 

[angels004]

Thanks

 

[jersysman]

Like malkore said, there is no minimum time. Just spend the time you have to wait here and learn as much as you can about the fish that you want to put in it. My first tank took so long to cycle that I changed what I was going to put in it about 5 times before settling on a combination. Of course my lfs didn't have those particular fish that I wanted, so now I have to order online.