why is everyone cycling with fish in!?!?

[reeferman420]

Good to hear all the opinions out there. Fish in cycle seems quite popular though not for me.
The one tank I fish in cycled took approx 10 weeks. This was while ago. Though I'm cycling a tank at the moment without fish and its dragging like never before. Seems all experiences are different.

 

[Fishingforfish]

Lol idk but I dread water changes. I've also got 7 tanks going so water changes can be a painnn.

Ah, maybe it's because I'm still new to the hobby. 7 tanks?! I think I could only bear 2 at the most..haha

 

[Gsdsar]

I have only ever done fish in cycling. I still consider myself a big newb to the hobby. And thanks to advice I have gotten on this forum and at my great LFS., so far so good.

I have helped a few friends through fish in cycles as well. They have been a mixed bag. Mainly because people don't want to do the water changed necessary. I gave a friend my API test kit when she started losing fish left and right. She called me that night freaking out because of the readings and that she was torturing her fish. I think being able to see what's happening makes it easier. She started doing appropriate WC and finished cycling without further loss.

I am currently fish in cycling my new 55 g. I used seeded media and it fairly well planted. A week in and I am seeing some Nitrite build up. So I keep on top of it, I don't let it get out if hand and WC every 3-4 days. Fish are active, ravenous, and have insanely good color.

I don't have the patience to do a fish less cycle. I want fish in my tank. So I just have to ensure that I give them the best water quality possible to keep the fish healthy.

 

[spyderbite]

I'm 4 weeks in to my first fishless cycle right now. Up until now I've just been seeding the tank with fish food which had only produced a high of .5 ammonia and obviously no nitrates. So I'm dosing it with ammonia today and get it up to 4ppi rather than wait another 3 weeks for a cycle that might not even start on its own.

Had I done this fish in dosing wouldn't have been an option for me. And probably not necessary either.

I don't have an opinion either way really. I'm just a little OCD about getting things organized in order to avoid problems down the road. Not just with Aquariums but in life in general.

 

[Autumnsky]

Fun to see a lively conversation!

 

[liulady]

So, I'm a complete newbie...but, have recently had experience with both. My son wanted goldfish...so we plunged right in and bought a 10 gallon. We did what a lot of people do...we set up the tank, let it sit for a week and thought it was good to go! Of course, once we put in a few goldfish...they immediately got ich and within a couple of weeks, they were looking pretty sad. Long story, short...I ended up doing a traumatic fish-in cycle with fish dying right and left. It took forever for the tank to cycle because I wasn't able to get the fish to live long enough. I didn't even have a testing kit for anything other than ammonia at this point. Finally, one goldfish managed to survive my inexperience and the tank cycled. It is a super happy fish in its very own 10 gallon tank.

We learned a lot..first and foremost that our personalities do best with cycling WITHOUT the fish in the tank. I really think it is a personality thing. I'm thinking that some people simply enjoy the challenge.

When my son decided that he wanted tropical fish, we bought a used 30 gallon tank and got serious about a fishless cyle. I bought the API test kit and used filter media and decorations from the goldfish tank to seed it. I don't know how people are cycling tanks in a couple of weeks with seeded material, though? We are at about a month in and I think we are just now getting to the end of the cycle. But, for us, it has been so much less stressful and I can't wait to be able to fully stock it all at once when we finally reach the finish line!

So, really, if you know what you are doing and enjoy the challenge...fish-in is probably fine and could even be faster. But, if you are a newbie or just want a more low-key experience, I think it is the fishless cyle for sure!

 

[Fishperson]

So, I'm a complete newbie...but, have recently had experience with both. My son wanted goldfish...so we plunged right in and bought a 10 gallon. We did what a lot of people do...we set up the tank, let it sit for a week and thought it was good to go! Of course, once we put in a few goldfish...they immediately got ich and within a couple of weeks, they were looking pretty sad. Long story, short...I ended up doing a traumatic fish-in cycle with fish dying right and left. It took forever for the tank to cycle because I wasn't able to get the fish to live long enough. I didn't even have a testing kit for anything other than ammonia at this point. Finally, one goldfish managed to survive my inexperience and the tank cycled. It is a super happy fish in its very own 10 gallon tank.

We learned a lot..first and foremost that our personalities do best with cycling WITHOUT the fish in the tank. I really think it is a personality thing. I'm thinking that some people simply enjoy the challenge.

When my son decided that he wanted tropical fish, we bought a used 30 gallon tank and got serious about a fishless cyle. I bought the API test kit and used filter media and decorations from the goldfish tank to seed it. I don't know how people are cycling tanks in a couple of weeks with seeded material, though? We are at about a month in and I think we are just now getting to the end of the cycle. But, for us, it has been so much less stressful and I can't wait to be able to fully stock it all at once when we finally reach the finish line!

So, really, if you know what you are doing and enjoy the challenge...fish-in is probably fine and could even be faster. But, if you are a newbie or just want a more low-key experience, I think it is the fishless cyle for sure!

I agree with you, but actually, fishless cycles are generally faster. People do fish in cycles in planted tanks since certain plants use up so much ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate that there is almost none present in the water at all when there are enough plants. Then, and only then, I will agree that a fish in cycle is reasonable. But other than that...

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Cycling

A "fish in" cycle can easily be done in less than a month, with the proper planning. Start with a reasonably large tank, say 30 gallons. You really need some water to cover the lapses in tank management that happen when you just start in the hobby, and several, hardy fish, like feeder female Guppies. You need 8 or so and a little used media and some floating plants from the local pet store.

You must test the water daily for ammonia and nitrite and change just 25 percent of the tank water when you have a positive test for these toxic forms of nitrogen. Just a quarter of the tank's volume replaced as needed, will keep the water chemistry somewhat safe for the fish and provide a steady diet for the good bacteria. These little guys reproduce very quickly if they're not staved by large, twice daily, water changes, needed to save sensitive fish that shouldn't have been put in the tank in first place.

The key to cycling a tank with fish is to use hardy fish that will tolerate marginal water conditions for a short time. Guppies and Platys for the "Livebearer" fans and White Clouds, Rasboras, Danios and Barbs for those who prefer egglayers.

You just have to do your homework before you start and don't get lazy when it comes to testing and changing the water.

B