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- Thread starter Kbiff
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Sk3lly
Aquarium Advice Addict
Both have pros and cons. Fishless is safer as you have no fish to harm. But you need to add an ammonia source to feed the bacteria needed for a 'cycled' tank. Fish in gives you an ammonia source. But you need to be testing the water with a liquid test kit daily for ammonia and nitrite. These are lethal for fish in any amounts much over 0ppm. So when u register 1 or 2ppm for either then you'll have to do at least 50% water change. You'd prob be doing this every 3days or so maybe. Its just more hassle to be honest. Patience is the key to this hobby i have found. I will add that i began impatient and i ended up putting fish in before my tank cycled. I didnt lose any during the cycling process
Sorry I posted that wrong to many thoughts going on. I will for sure be doing a fish less cycling. I wanted to know if you thought plants are ok in a fish less cycling
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Sk3lly
Aquarium Advice Addict
100% plants are ok
Sk3lly
Aquarium Advice Addict
I dont think the bacteria levels during or after cycling have any affects on the plants at all
Sk3lly
Aquarium Advice Addict
When you dose your ammonia to feed the bacteria for the cycle. Try to dose in and around 4ppm. Dont go crazy
Sk3lly
Aquarium Advice Addict
Bacteria needs a food source. If you dont have an ammonia source then your bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite will die and you wont get a 'cycled' tank. I suggest you read up on nitrogen cycle within an aquarium and cycling a tank
No i mean what will adding ammonia at 4pm do? And i have read a lot into the whole fishless cycling. Although it never mentioned anything about about staying around certain times it just said every day. Will adding it at a certain daily time help the plants or the water cycle better?
Sk3lly
Aquarium Advice Addict
I dont think it has to be 4ppm but i think thats what most people aim for during a fishless cycle. I would add it in the morning although it really makes no difference. Then once dose leave it 24hours. Then take an ammonia, nitrite, nitrate test. If your test shows any ammount of ammonia or nitrite you are not cycled. If you test 0 for ammo and trite and have nitrates showing then you are cycled. A tank is cycled when the bacteria can convert a bioload from ammonia to nitrate within 24hours
So iv read many different ways to start getting bacteria. Some say just wait it will come and iv heard to the extreme of putting frozen shrimp in. What do you think is the easiest way to obtain bacteria
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Philly33
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2011
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- 468
I use turbostart700, it's awesome. You must make sure it says refrigerated at all times. It cycled my tank in a week
cfosgate
Aquarium Advice Freak
Dose ammonia to 4 parts per million (ppm) and keep it at 4 ppm every day until you get nitrites. When nitrites appear drop ammonia dose to 2 ppm per day and keep it there until your cycle completes. Here's a good ammonia dosing calculator http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm.
cfosgate
Aquarium Advice Freak
If it were my tank I would stick with ammonia cycling. Using frozen shrimp opens the door to a host of other troubles. Ammonia cycling is the easiest method for those who want to work smart, not hard. I've done both fish-in and fishless cycles.
cfosgate
Aquarium Advice Freak
Best to get an API Master test kit because it runs the same as if you bought ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits. Stay away from test strips as they are often inaccurate and are more expensive.
Is that all you use? Or do you use a supplement to jump start the bacteria showing up?
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cfosgate
Aquarium Advice Freak
Nope, if you build it they will come. Add ammonia to water and the beneficial bacteria will gather to feast. You just need a spot for them to meet (sponge filter, HOB filter or a canister filter. I wouldn't recommend adding any supplements as they usually do not work although some people swear by them. I have never had any success with supplements.
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