Start cycling while gone for 2 weeks?

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99RedSi

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 22, 2004
Messages
42
Location
Central Illinois
I am going to be out of the country at the end of October for a period of 2 weeks. I planned on starting the cycling of my 10g tank at the end of next week. Since I won't be around to monitor or anything during the two weeks - is that safe to do?

I just want some peace of mind if I can gain 2 weeks of boring cycling time while I'm gone :) (if it is indeed safe).
 
Nothing dangerous about it, lol!

I guess you mean can the cycle go on without you, and the answer is yes, and no. If you want to go ahead and start a fishless cycle you could do so using a raw shrimp or a block of vacation feeder to supply ammonia while you are gone.

If you were planning on cycling with fish, I would not leave town during the process, because the fish might likely be dead when you return.
 
So I just drop a shrimp in and go? It's probably going to start cycling a week or two before I go (using ammonia - 5ppm, etc).

Is it cool to just switch when the time comes and pop a shrimp in?
 
That's what I'd do, but just for the sake of experimentation! Maybe pop it in there a couple of days before you go, still adding the ammonia, so it has a chance to begin to decay.

(Could you hear my sigh of relief that you are cycling fishless? :wink: )
 
Haha :). I would NEVER think of doing anything other than fishless cycling! I would rather have the very best tank I can have ready and to me, that is fishless cycing.

Thanks for your help TankGirl! You are always so willing to post replys - I appreciate it!
 
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