Just a few questions!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

claudiiia

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 21, 2017
Messages
27
Location
Ontario, Canada
I'm completely new to the hobby and am excited to get started, but I'm worried about tank cycling.

I ordered a 10 gal. tank recently, and am hoping to buy guppies, neon tetras and maybe cherry barbs (or similar small fish.) I've done plenty of research, and I feel confident with everything except cycling. I'm worrying about it being too difficult for me.

I plan to do a fishless cycle, and I'm patient enough to wait however long it takes. I've researched a lot about cycling, and am thinking about buying the ammonia and the beneficial bacteria, I have other options in mind, though.

Is this the easiest way to cycle? How pricey would it be?

Since I'm still young, with my mom on my back about saving money, I also had other things in mind. My tank is coming in, in about 2 weeks, and I've thought about putting water in a container, and adding fish food to create ammonia? I would do this just to kind of start it off till the tank comes in.

It sounds stupid to me though, I like to think I'm just excited lol.

Opinions? What's the easiest or cheapest way to go?

Thank you!
 
Good question about starting your cycle in a separate container in advance...never thought of that lol. What type of filter will you be using?

Any chance at all you could go for a larger tank? Not much more $, but you could have quite a few more fish with a 20 gallon. You are limited in what you can keep in a 10 gallon.

I think it's great that you are doing your research in advance! You will find lots of help here.
 
Good question about starting your cycle in a separate container in advance...never thought of that lol. What type of filter will you be using?



Any chance at all you could go for a larger tank? Not much more $, but you could have quite a few more fish with a 20 gallon. You are limited in what you can keep in a 10 gallon.



I think it's great that you are doing your research in advance! You will find lots of help here.





Unfortunately I'm unable to purchase a larger tank, unless I'm able to find a great deal. I could afford it myself, but as I've mentioned before, my parents aren't as willing. I got the 10 gallon for about $25.

I'm okay with the smaller tank and I know that my options are limited, but I also have a 6 gal which I may house a few small fish in, along with shrimp or something.

As for the filter, I have an API filter which works for all tanks 30 gallons & less. I cant provide much information about it now, as I'm away from home for a few days.
 
It just takes patience. If costs are a concern I would not spend the money on bacteria or other tank starting additives. You just have to wait a little longer and pure ammonia is not expensive you just have to find some without additives.

To cycle a tank you need tank+filter+test kit with ammonia/nitrite/nitrate tests+water

If you get your water from a central source you also need a dechlorinator.

Lastly you need an ammonia source. Either pure ammonia or a fish will work best. It is much simpler with a fish but you have to test and keep up water changes every day.

It honestly isn't that complicated once you get started.

Just don't try to do it without a test kit.
 
It just takes patience. If costs are a concern I would not spend the money on bacteria or other tank starting additives. You just have to wait a little longer and pure ammonia is not expensive you just have to find some without additives.

To cycle a tank you need tank+filter+test kit with ammonia/nitrite/nitrate tests+water

If you get your water from a central source you also need a dechlorinator.

Lastly you need an ammonia source. Either pure ammonia or a fish will work best. It is much simpler with a fish but you have to test and keep up water changes every day.

It honestly isn't that complicated once you get started.

Just don't try to do it without a test kit.





Okay, thank you so much.

How often do I test the water? I've already looked at prices, and I'm looking at the cheaper option, the test strips. I'm not sure how many to buy, though. If I need to buy plenty, I may just turn to the more expensive/better kit, like the API master test kit.. or something along the lines of that lol.

I know the test strips aren't the best way to go, but if I do use them, I plan to have a pet store test the water for me, when I feel that it's complete or almost complete.

I have everything except for the test kit and ammonia (plus the tank which will be in soon.)

Thanks again, greatly appreciated :)
 
Okay, thank you so much.

How often do I test the water? I've already looked at prices, and I'm looking at the cheaper option, the test strips. I'm not sure how many to buy, though. If I need to buy plenty, I may just turn to the more expensive/better kit, like the API master test kit.. or something along the lines of that lol.

I know the test strips aren't the best way to go, but if I do use them, I plan to have my local pet store test the water for me, using a better tester.

I have everything except for the test kit and ammonia (plus the tank which will be in soon.)

Thanks again, greatly appreciated :)
If you are doing it with ammonia will need to test a couple times at the beginning to get your initial ammonia level right and then once a week until the cycle starts moving. Eventually you will end up at a point where you will be testing more frequently.

A good liquid test kit is a worthwhile investment because most of the cheap strips don't do ammonia, nitrate and nitrate. Something is always missing, usually ammonia or nitrate.
 
Hey it's awesome that you are getting into the hobby and that you are doing research first. There is a vast amount of info and knowledge here in the community. When I am starting a new cycle from scratch I use Dr Tim's Ammonium Chloride for my ammonia source but you can also use the ammonia from Ace Hardware. The one things you want to avoid in the ammonia is "surfactants" and also want to avoid any ammonia that is scented. Just pure ole ammonia. The cycling process is pretty easy just requires a lot of patience and testing. The test strips are great but I found for the amount I would have used during cycling 2 tanks it would have cost more than the API master test kit. I have hardly put a dent in all the tests that come in the master test kit. I think Amazon has them for around 25 bucks. That $25 should last you a minimum of around 6 months. You could test every 2-4 days to start with just to monitor the ammonia level and once the cycle starts I tested every 24hrs to make sure I could keep the ammonia at a minimum of 1ppm (parts per million). Now I test weekly on Sundays and again 24hrs after my Monday water change on Tuesday to monitor where my fertilizer dose put my nitrates. PetSmart uses strips when they test water as I have seen employees dip strips in a container of water the customer brings in. Not sure what your pet store might use though. Make sure to post up some pics from the results of the water tests and someone can give you an idea of when the cycle is good to go.

-James
 
If you are doing it with ammonia will need to test a couple times at the beginning to get your initial ammonia level right and then once a week until the cycle starts moving. Eventually you will end up at a point where you will be testing more frequently.



A good liquid test kit is a worthwhile investment because most of the cheap strips don't do ammonia, nitrate and nitrate. Something is always missing, usually ammonia or nitrate.



Okay, thank you. I'll use a better test kit for sure. Although the one at my local pet store costs more than the tank itself ($40) lol.

I may look into ordering on online if I can find a good price. Though an expensive one would just give me another reason to buy another tank !

Thanks again:)
 
Hey it's awesome that you are getting into the hobby and that you are doing research first. There is a vast amount of info and knowledge here in the community. When I am starting a new cycle from scratch I use Dr Tim's Ammonium Chloride for my ammonia source but you can also use the ammonia from Ace Hardware. The one things you want to avoid in the ammonia is "surfactants" and also want to avoid any ammonia that is scented. Just pure ole ammonia. The cycling process is pretty easy just requires a lot of patience and testing. The test strips are great but I found for the amount I would have used during cycling 2 tanks it would have cost more than the API master test kit. I have hardly put a dent in all the tests that come in the master test kit. I think Amazon has them for around 25 bucks. That $25 should last you a minimum of around 6 months. You could test every 2-4 days to start with just to monitor the ammonia level and once the cycle starts I tested every 24hrs to make sure I could keep the ammonia at a minimum of 1ppm (parts per million). Now I test weekly on Sundays and again 24hrs after my Monday water change on Tuesday to monitor where my fertilizer dose put my nitrates. PetSmart uses strips when they test water as I have seen employees dip strips in a container of water the customer brings in. Not sure what your pet store might use though. Make sure to post up some pics from the results of the water tests and someone can give you an idea of when the cycle is good to go.

-James



Thank you!!!

I'll keep all of this in mind, and will look into the products you've listed. I will definitely post some pictures too. :)
 
Ouch. They can definitely be had for around $25



Yea, I'm going to definitely look into more. I live in a small town and about an hour away there are better pet stores which I will purchase better products from. I can definitely do $25.

Thanks again:)
 
I'm all for supporting small pet shops, but in this hobby amazon is your best friend for nearly everything you'll need.
 
I'll keep that in mind as well. Thank you.

Are there any brands that you'd recommend?



Sure! Depends on what you're looking for. Lots of feedback on supplies/equipment here.

For starters, as mentioned before, you really need to invest in the API liquid test kit. It is less expensive on amazon. Keep in mind that you will have initial expenses, however once you invest wisely in supplies and good equipment...it's smooth sailing from there. At least until your addiction takes over and you start getting more tanks! [emoji16]
 
Sure! Depends on what you're looking for. Lots of feedback on supplies/equipment here.

For starters, as mentioned before, you really need to invest in the API liquid test kit. It is less expensive on amazon. Keep in mind that you will have initial expenses, however once you invest wisely in supplies and good equipment...it's smooth sailing from there. At least until your addiction takes over and you start getting more tanks! [emoji16]



I surely will purchase the test kit! And I'm already thinking about bigger tanks in the future!

One thing I'll be looking for eventually is live plants. I need the right supplies and such to keep them alive and healthy.

Though this brings another question in mind, should I start off with fake plants? I don't know if I should start cycling with plants, and if I do, will live plants be a pain, or will they be beneficial in a way? Or would it be easier to cycle without them?

And as my first tank, should it be a planted tank, or should I wait until I have a bit more knowledge? I'm okay with fake plants as well, I just want the fish to be happy.
 
Though this brings another question in mind, should I start off with fake plants? I don't know if I should start cycling with plants, and if I do, will live plants be a pain, or will they be beneficial in a way? Or would it be easier to cycle without them?
I would do a fishless cycle without plants.

And as my first tank, should it be a planted tank, or should I wait until I have a bit more knowledge? I'm okay with fake plants as well, I just want the fish to be happy.
The fish will be perfectly happy with fake plants but if you want live plants, go for it. A nice planted tank is almost another hobby to itself.
 
I would do a fishless cycle without plants.





The fish will be perfectly happy with fake plants but if you want live plants, go for it. A nice planted tank is almost another hobby to itself.



Fishless cycle without plants sounds perfect to me. I'll stick with fake plants too, for now at least. Thank you for the help
 
regarding plants:
If youre going to go that route, then do some research on low light, "easy" plants. Since funding is a factor, Im gonna guess that youre not going to be able to upgrade to the fancier lighting and fertilizers needed for some of the more demanding plants. I only mention this because I dont want you to go purchase the wrong plant only to end up watching it slowly die. Its a waste of your money and might cause you to get the impression that keeping live plants is too difficult.

regarding cycling:
Im of the opinion that a Fishless cycle is easier. You dont have to do much for the first week, and then its just periodic testing and adding ammonia for the next few weeks after that. Then you just do a couple 90% water changes to remove the nitrate build up before you add fish. With a Fish In cycle you do save having to add ammonia, but the trade off is more frequent
testing and water changes... which seems like more work to me.
 
regarding plants:

If youre going to go that route, then do some research on low light, "easy" plants. Since funding is a factor, Im gonna guess that youre not going to be able to upgrade to the fancier lighting and fertilizers needed for some of the more demanding plants. I only mention this because I dont want you to go purchase the wrong plant only to end up watching it slowly die. Its a waste of your money and might cause you to get the impression that keeping live plants is too difficult.



regarding cycling:

Im of the opinion that a Fishless cycle is easier. You dont have to do much for the first week, and then its just periodic testing and adding ammonia for the next few weeks after that. Then you just do a couple 90% water changes to remove the nitrate build up before you add fish. With a Fish In cycle you do save having to add ammonia, but the trade off is more frequent

testing and water changes... which seems like more work to me.



Okay perfect, thanks :)

For now I'll stick with fake plants, and maybe later on i'll look more into it. The lowlight easy ones seem perfect.

The fishless cycle sounds best for me as well. Getting the ammonia is no problem, and I don't want any fish to die.
 
It's really up to your preference. Low light plants tend to be less expensive than silk fake plants, and create a more natural environment for your fish. Many do fine with minimal lighting, which leads to my next question...did you order one of the 10 gallon kits with LED light fixture?
 
Back
Top Bottom