Small tank:Huge filter...is fishless cycling absolutely necessary?

[mommytron]

still not cheap but totally worth it. it will last you a pretty long time and will be vital in maintaining your tanks/fishes health.

i would test the ammonia about an hour or so after dosing, to see what it was dosed to. at the very beginning of the cycle i tested ammonia and nitrite every other to every two days until i started seeing a rise in nitrite. after that i would test daily for all 3 (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate). you will only need to start dosing ammonia back into the tank once it hits 0, which could take up to 3 weeks or so, maybe more.

 

[Stickleback]

Thanks mommytron...this is a good summary here.

So, when Ammonia hits zero after x days...when I re-dose, and it returns to zero within 24 hrs...it is cycled, am I right?

 

[mommytron]

when ammonia AND nitrite hit 0 within 24 hrs you're good to go

 

[Stickleback]

Thanks again mommytron...I have it sussed now

 

[Stickleback]

Hey folks....I posted this in Fishless for dummies, but thought I would ask it here, as you know the stage I am at Hopefully posting twice isn't too naughty....

Has anyone had any experience with Nutrafin Cycle?

I am four days into a fishless cycle, with Amm at 4ppm NO2 at 0ppm, and NO3 at 0ppm, and the guy in the local aquarium shop convinced me that I needed to add something like Cycle to the tank to kickstart the bacteria colony.

He said what I was doing was right, but that I was adding amm. to a sterile environment, and it needed the addition of the bacteria (Cycle)

When I told him I thought the bacteria was everywhere, in the air, hands, gravel etc, he convinced me that adding this live culture to the tank would greatly shorten the cycle time.

Was I sucked in? Go on...you can tell me....

When I came home, I tested the tank again...4ppm, then I added the recommended amount of Cycle, thinking it couldn't do any harm...and might just speed things up a little.

Do you think it was money down the drain?

 

[mommytron]

everyone has different opinions on the product. i know there are at least a couple users on the site that like it. but you're right--it can't hurt! let us know how it goes for you.

 

[kaiofcanada]

Hiya Stickleback....I grew up for a time in Ireland, inside Dublin...and my grandfather was an avid fishkeeper. Most aquatic stores will test your water for free. I say...let your tank cycle...feed it with an ammonia source regularly, and around 2 weeks-3 weeks take in water samples until they test your ammonia and nitrites at zero.

Save up your money though, having your own test kit will be very useful.

 

[kaiofcanada]

Hey folks....I posted this in Fishless for dummies, but thought I would ask it here, as you know the stage I am at Hopefully posting twice isn't too naughty....

Has anyone had any experience with Nutrafin Cycle?

I am four days into a fishless cycle, with Amm at 4ppm NO2 at 0ppm, and NO3 at 0ppm, and the guy in the local aquarium shop convinced me that I needed to add something like Cycle to the tank to kickstart the bacteria colony.

He said what I was doing was right, but that I was adding amm. to a sterile environment, and it needed the addition of the bacteria (Cycle)

When I told him I thought the bacteria was everywhere, in the air, hands, gravel etc, he convinced me that adding this live culture to the tank would greatly shorten the cycle time.

Was I sucked in? Go on...you can tell me....

When I came home, I tested the tank again...4ppm, then I added the recommended amount of Cycle, thinking it couldn't do any harm...and might just speed things up a little.

Do you think it was money down the drain?

You could buy the product...or you could just ask him to give you some gravel from an established/disease free tank. That is free and loaded with the bacteria that you will need to seed your tank with.

Otherwise, the bacteria will grow on their own. I would recommend raising the temp to foster faster growth to about 26.5-27.5C until the cycle is done. then drop the temp to 20-22ish for the minnows.

 

[mommytron]

You could buy the product...or you could just ask him to give you some gravel from an established/disease free tank. That is free and loaded with the bacteria that you will need to seed your tank with.

Otherwise, the bacteria will grow on their own. I would recommend raising the temp to foster faster growth to about 26.5-27.5C until the cycle is done. then drop the temp to 20-22ish for the minnows.

+1, good advice (wanted to rep you Kai but i have to spread some more around first )

 

[Stickleback]

You could buy the product...or you could just ask him to give you some gravel from an established/disease free tank.

I said to shop guy about gravel from an established tank, and he said that I wouldn't be sure what else I would get.

I bought it yesterday.
Tank was at Amm 4ppm, NO2 0ppm, NO3 0ppm, before I added the product.

Today (day 5 since I started the fishless cycle) the tank was reading
Amm 3ppm and NO2 .25ppm....so it seems to be starting !

The thing is, I don't really know what should be happening, if I hadn't started with the Cycle product.

Possibly on day 5, without seeding the tank, the NO2 would start to appear anyway...

 

[Stickleback]

Hiya Stickleback....I grew up for a time in Ireland,

nice were you born here?

Save up your money though, having your own test kit will be very useful.

I have invested already no point in asking for advice, if I am not prepared to act on it (within reason)

 

[dkpate]

Sounds like you actually have a good LFS guy and you are well on your way! I agree with him about the gravel from a tank, unless you know for SURE it's clean.

 

[kaiofcanada]

nice were you born here?
I have invested already no point in asking for advice, if I am not prepared to act on it (within reason)

I was born in the US to an Irish mother and a Canadian father hahaha. I think immigration tried to kick them out as soon as I was born because they were only there on holiday and without Visas. they drove in from Canada hehehe. I was born really premature. No one before me in my family was american. So, I have US, Ireland, and Canada passports. I live in the US now for university, but I grew up between Dublin, Marseille, FR and Saskatchewan, CA.

 

[Stickleback]

I was born in the US to an Irish mother and a Canadian father

LOL...I would think your accent is hard to pinpoint !