Tank cycle

[RyanBenson]

Why do most people prefer a fish less cycle over a fish in cycle??? I'm trying to decide which one to do for a 55-60 gal tank I'm getting this summer and I'm getting at least 3 rainbow sharks.

 

[marsh]

Personally as an amateur I researched both and the ammonia method seemed way faster and more efficient. That's how I cycled my freshwater tank.

Later I got a salt water tank and tried the fish in method but also used dr Tim's one and only. Had plenty of live rock from a lfs and my cycle was complete in less than a week(before I could test, with 1 sailfin Molly in a 55) never saw ammonia or nitrites but added more fish over months safely.

Most recently I purchased a reef tank and used live rock from my other tank in the sump and added ammonia and dr Tim's one and only and added fish and inverts and corals the same week.

 

[RyanBenson]

Personally as an amateur I researched both and the ammonia method seemed way faster and more efficient. That's how I cycled my freshwater tank.

Later I got a salt water tank and tried the fish in method but also used dr Tim's one and only. Had plenty of live rock from a lfs and my cycle was complete in less than a week(before I could test, with 1 sailfin Molly in a 55) never saw ammonia or nitrites but added more fish over months safely.

Most recently I purchased a reef tank and used live rock from my other tank in the sump and added ammonia and dr Tim's one and only and added fish and inverts and corals the same week.

Ah, so would you recommend the no fish cycle then??

 

[RyanBenson]

Personally as an amateur I researched both and the ammonia method seemed way faster and more efficient. That's how I cycled my freshwater tank.

Later I got a salt water tank and tried the fish in method but also used dr Tim's one and only. Had plenty of live rock from a lfs and my cycle was complete in less than a week(before I could test, with 1 sailfin Molly in a 55) never saw ammonia or nitrites but added more fish over months safely.

Most recently I purchased a reef tank and used live rock from my other tank in the sump and added ammonia and dr Tim's one and only and added fish and inverts and corals the same week.

And since you mentioned it, is salt water harder to take care of than freshwater??

 

[librarygirl]

Actually rainbow sharks should be alone; they can get aggressive toward other sharks of their own kind.

There are pros and cons to both fishless and fishless cycling.

Fishless Cycling Pros
– No fish are at risk or exposed to dangerous toxins
– Very little maintenance during the process. Limited water changes, adding pure ammonia and testing your parameters is all that’s involved.
– The ability to (usually) fully stock your tank once the tank is cycled instead of adding fish very slowly over time
Fishless Cycling Cons
– Requires patience
– You’ll have an empty fish tank sitting around for a while
Fish-in Cycling Pros
–You can have a few fish in the tank immediately
Fish-in Cycling Cons
–Fish are at risk of ammonia / nitrite poisoning if not properly cared for
–Requires absolute responsibility and dedication in order to keep your fish healthy
–Water changes and testing daily are often required (also there is no such thing as too many water changes during fish-in cycling as long as you are using temperature- matched conditioned water. )

From: Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

Both methods are valid and take about the same amount of time. It's just how much dedication you're willing to commit to the tank during the cycle to keep the fish safe from toxins.

 

[RyanBenson]

Actually rainbow sharks should be alone; they can get aggressive toward other sharks of their own kind.

There are pros and cons to both fishless and fishless cycling.

Fishless Cycling Pros
– No fish are at risk or exposed to dangerous toxins
– Very little maintenance during the process. Limited water changes, adding pure ammonia and testing your parameters is all that’s involved.
– The ability to (usually) fully stock your tank once the tank is cycled instead of adding fish very slowly over time
Fishless Cycling Cons
– Requires patience
– You’ll have an empty fish tank sitting around for a while
Fish-in Cycling Pros
–You can have a few fish in the tank immediately
Fish-in Cycling Cons
–Fish are at risk of ammonia / nitrite poisoning if not properly cared for
–Requires absolute responsibility and dedication in order to keep your fish healthy
–Water changes and testing daily are often required (also there is no such thing as too many water changes during fish-in cycling as long as you are using temperature- matched conditioned water. )

From: Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

Both methods are valid and take about the same amount of time. It's just how much dedication you're willing to commit to the tank during the cycle to keep the fish safe from toxins.

Ah I see, the employee at the LFS said that I should have 3 or 4 so that they chase each other instead if the other fish lost of the time. But I guess not! thanks for all this info! I think I'll be doing a fish less cycle for this next tank! I did a fish in cycle for my 10 so I wanna try something different! thanks again!!

 

[marsh]

Ah, so would you recommend the no fish cycle then??

I totally would. I learned the testing techniques with a much higher concentration of ammonia and was never confused by slight levels of nitrites or nitrates. Very strong dark colors as my cycle progressed. No questions and the process went somewhat fast I think, nearly four weeks. I used the API master freshwater test kit, get one ASAP if you don't already

Salt is not too much harder but having freshwater experience really helped. The bacterial additive I named by dr Tim's is a debatable short cut. Many folks prefer not to "help" the cycle along, so far it helped both my salt tanks but the big difference was that I had large amounts of live rock containing bb that were also living and from healthy tanks so that may be the only reason my "cycle" period was as short as a week.

My first tank I started as a hospital tank for a sick Betta I thought would be happy in a vase. So everything was sterile, no seeded filter material or anything. I also liked the idea of using pure ammonia because a fish might risk the health of my weak little Betta.

 

[RyanBenson]

I totally would. I learned the testing techniques with a much higher concentration of ammonia and was never confused by slight levels of nitrites or nitrates. Very strong dark colors as my cycle progressed. No questions and the process went somewhat fast I think, nearly four weeks. I used the API master freshwater test kit, get one ASAP if you don't already

Salt is not too much harder but having freshwater experience really helped. The bacterial additive I named by dr Tim's is a debatable short cut. Many folks prefer not to "help" the cycle along, so far it helped both my salt tanks but the big difference was that I had large amounts of live rock containing bb that were also living and from healthy tanks so that may be the only reason my "cycle" period was as short as a week.

My first tank I started as a hospital tank for a sick Betta I thought would be happy in a vase. So everything was sterile, no seeded filter material or anything. I also liked the idea of using pure ammonia because a fish might risk the health of my weak little Betta.

Ah ok, so a FW fishess cycle, and yes I have an API FW master test kit!! Eventually I want a saltwater tank, I am in love with lion fish!! And the LFS here has an eel as well!! So that's my goal haha thanks for the info!

 

[marsh]

My lfs has a dwarf fuzzy lion that I considered for my 55 salt that I just took down to move. Very cool fish, although they can sting you and it's no joke.

I'm in love with puffers and I am looking for a Valentini. If you want to make your tank a saltwater tank consider a skimmer and some water pumps to move water around. Way more buckets to mix up salt water and extra pumps. It's quite an investment, I recommend looking for deals on Craigslist.

 

[RyanBenson]

My lfs has a dwarf fuzzy lion that I considered for my 55 salt that I just took down to move. Very cool fish, although they can sting you and it's no joke.

I'm in love with puffers and I am looking for a Valentini. If you want to make your tank a saltwater tank consider a skimmer and some water pumps to move water around. Way more buckets to mix up salt water and extra pumps. It's quite an investment, I recommend looking for deals on Craigslist.

Yeah, the extra stuff is what I'm worried about. I don't think I have enough room for all the extra stuff, I am already having to build a stand for the tank I'm getting this summer! I think I'll stick with fresh water on this next one considering its my second tank and 40-50 gallons bigger than my current 10 gal. And yeah I knew they could sting you and I just love how exotic they are!!

 

[azmodan]

One determining factor regarding a fish-in or fishless cycle is your water bill. In a fish-in cycle you could potentially be changing 50% of your water once or twice a day for possibly up to 5-6 weeks. That's a ton of water considering the tank size! So yeah, big water bill but that's also just a ton of wasted water unless you're recycling (no pun intended) it somehow. Sorry, can't help but think of the environment when people talk about fish-in cycles!

 

[RyanBenson]

One determining factor regarding a fish-in or fishless cycle is your water bill. In a fish-in cycle you could potentially be changing 50% of your water once or twice a day for possibly up to 5-6 weeks. That's a ton of water considering the tank size! So yeah, big water bill but that's also just a ton of wasted water unless you're recycling (no pun intended) it somehow. Sorry, can't help but think of the environment when people talk about fish-in cycles!

Oh I didn't think of that! Very good point thanks!!