Cycle your tank w/fish & plants - Easy way

[kimo]

Cycle your tank the easy way with fish and plants:

You will be using only one type of Dechlorinator: AmQuel+
1 tsp/10g (or double dose for length of cycle). For any other type you will using 2 - 5x as much and just wasting money.

Level tank, add at least 1" of wet gravel (front) to 3 or 4" (back), plant all live plants, and fill tank w/dechlorinated water. Do not disturb gravel or it will cloud tank. Pour water into your hand or onto a plate placed on top of substrate.

Setup and start pumps, filters, airstones, heaters or whatever you'll be using.

Let water circulate for 24 - 48 hours to stabilize temps.

Depending on size of tank... 10g = 1 or 2 fish, 20g = 2,3 fish, 55g = 3-5 fish.
All fish are no more than 2.5 - 3.0" long. Use hardy fish - Platies, Danios, guppies, etc. Try not to use fish that grow large (Angels, Chiclids, etc)
Add the fish to a full tank. Forget about "fishless cycle": do it right and the ammonia, nitrite levels will spike but not get that high.

Keeping your dose of AmQuel+ at no more than 2x normal dose will not mess with any of your ammonia readings.

WAIT 3 days, then test for ammonia. If you have added many plants you may not see ammonia for 2 weeks if at all. If thats the case add 1 more fish and repeat.

WAIT:Test for ammonia, nitrite daily once it appears. The more plants you add the less your spikes will be.

Tank will be cycled once nitrates appear and ammonia, nitrites reach zero.

Symptoms of ammonia, nitrite poisoning: BRIGHT RED gills, fish darting but staying on surface, fish continously stay at surface gasping, fish jumping at surface (for fish that don't normally jump). Do 30% water changes daily until ammonia, nitrites come down to an acceptable level.

Starting off with very few fish will NOT lead to high spikes in ammonia, nitrite.
Give the tank plenty of time to cycle then add only 1 or 2 fish at a time. you won't have any trouble if you do things in slow motion. Refuse to add a high bio-load at any one time. It takes time for the tank to catch up.

Not always possible if you are just starting out or have only one tank in the beginning but always quaranteen your fish for 3 weeks or until they show no symptoms of disease before adding to main tank. Quaranteen all plants for at least three days to check for snails or other unwanted quests.

Best and cheapest thing to use for Q tanks are WalMart plastic clothes storage boxes. (3.5g - 40.0g for $3-6.00 ea.) Also great for holding fry.

 

[Zagz]

You are entitled to your opinion. However on this site you will find far more people advocate the fishless cycling method as far more humane, and consider it the right way. It takes no longer to do a fishless cycle. Plants of course help the cycle along, and seeded media from an established tank works even better. I personally run two filters on all my tanks at all times so that I can set up a QT tank or another tank, should I acquire one, without any cycling. I don't believe in cycling with fish for any reason.

 

[roka64]

I agree, I have had nothing but success with the fishless cycles. It gives me time to decide on what I plan on doing with the tank.

I do have to say, your paragraph about ammonia poisoning it true, there are also more symptoms, like gasping for air and death, stress, possibly leading to other diseases/infections.
Heck, I feel terrible when one of my critters die, even though it's not my fault. I'll stick to the newer, more humane ways.

I do agree with some of your ideas, such as adding fewer fish to let the bioload catch up (but I would do this in and already cycled tank).

 

[melosu58]

Cycle your tank the easy way with fish and plants:

Add the fish to a full tank. Forget about "fishless cycle.

Not too good of advice. IMO Fishless is the way to go. More humane.

 

[kimo]

"Not too good of advice. IMO Fishless is the way to go. More humane."

When someone shows me scientific proof, maybe I might switch. I've done fishless cycles dozens of times. I've done with fish cycles thousands of times.

The scientific proof MUST be just that with all repeatable info backed up.
I do not rely on hearsay.

As for being "more humane"... both ways are humane if one keeps track of the ammonia, nitrite levels.

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

"Not too good of advice. IMO Fishless is the way to go. More humane."

When someone shows me scientific proof, maybe I might switch. I've done fishless cycles dozens of times. I've done with fish cycles thousands of times.

The scientific proof MUST be just that with all repeatable info backed up.
I do not rely on hearsay.

As for being "more humane"... both ways are humane if one keeps track of the ammonia, nitrite levels.

Heres your proof:
Using a fishless cycle there is zero chance of fish dying from cycling.

In a cycle using fish there is a possibility of fish dying.

Its very simple logic

 

[kimo]

"In a cycle using fish there is a possibility of fish dying."

Pretty strange then, in forty years of fishkeeping I have never lost a fish due to cycling.

 

[Purrbox]

Another name for packing an aquarium full of plants and cycling with a very light bioload is Silent Cycling. It is a perfectly valid way to cycling an aquarium, and the best one in my opinion when done properly. It does require that you are able grow plants sucessfully and start out with enough fast growing plants (usually stem and/or floating) to be able to handle the fish waste.

When I recommend this method, I usually suggest that the plants be added at least 2 weeks before the fish so that they have sufficient time to get settled in their new aquarium and start growing well. This is especially important when plants are bought rather than being trimmed from other plants in the hobbiest's care and are more likely to be in poorer health from the stress of shipping and/or poor care.

I'd also recommend an extremely light bioload. While a 2.5" - 3" fish might be appropriate in a 55 gallon aquarium, a 10 gallon should have more like a single 1" fish. I think this is something that is obvious to the experiance fish keeper, but needs to be spelled out to the hobbiest that is just starting out to make sure they don't put a couple of 3" fish in a 10 gallon.

While this is now my favored method of cycling an aquarium, I still believe that Fishless Cycling has it's place. It's especially good for those that are new to aquariums and have no idea how to grow live plants or those that aren't even interested in keeping live plants. It also teaches good habits, like how to use a test kit should they run into problems later. Not to mention that they'll actually have the test kit on hand instead of having to run their water to the LFS or buy a test kit which may not be open the day they need it.

 

[saffikeagan]

Hi, a newbie sticking a nose in here. I understand that there are times when one would need to do a fish cycle, and I also understand the reasons behind cycling fishlessly. I do think that people who know what they are doing can cycle a tank with fish in it safely with no harm done. However, as a complete newbie who did lots of reading/research/etc even before starting, I still was misled by the neighborhood PetStores and LFS and completely baffled during the first few weeks. For this reason, I am completely happy that I chose to stick to my guns and not throw some fish in my tank like all the LFSs were telling me too without actually telling me then how not to kill them. I also know that there are a lot of people out there that do just throw fish into a tank, kill them, go buy more, kill them, and can't figure out why their tank water is always screwy.

I believe if the LFSs would encourage fishless cycling and refuse to sell live creatures to people who will kill them due to neglect and stupidity (like animal shelters and any respectable pet sellers will--who would sell a horse to someone who thought it was okay to lock it in a stall 24-7 and feed it only hay for its entire life). They would filter out people who were impulse buying and people who stuck with the fishless cycle would be on their way to being knowledgeable aquarists.

 

[new2betas]

I believe if the LFSs would encourage fishless cycling and refuse to sell live creatures to people who will kill them due to neglect and stupidity (like animal shelters and any respectable pet sellers will--who would sell a horse to someone who thought it was okay to lock it in a stall 24-7 and feed it only hay for its entire life). They would filter out people who were impulse buying and people who stuck with the fishless cycle would be on their way to being knowledgeable aquarists.

I have to say....I completely agree with this. Buying a fish or fishes should be no less important than any other creature. I don't know many places that would let you keep coming back to get a dog/cat if you had the reputation of killing them due to neglect or ignorance of their care.

 

[AquaClearFan]

I would prefer fishless cycling, that way you have no where near of a chance of stressing the fish. Why put your fish through any kind of stress at all when you can avoid it. Fishless Cycling does make a lot of sense.

 

[Capella]

Or sometimes you are an old-school newbie who had small tanks run successfully in the past without any knowledge of cycling or any internet access (the big "how to" book). Many years later decided to set up a tank again, and realize...sigh, you haven't done either method correctly. Set up tank, put in some fish (and no plants) when the weekend rolls around and decided it might be fun to see read about/visit with other fish folks. Then the horror begns...of course. Immediately realize the water needs to be tested - see those ammonia levels that jump to 8 in seconds and start on the recommended partial and massive water changes. Fish begin to die in droves. Which they would have anyway, I certainly realize.

I have ended up having to cycle with the survivors. Two Angels, two mollies and a snail. The best advice I was given was to "stop". Stop trying to run intervention with the water changes which "seemed" to me to be only re-starting the cycle over and over again. I was too overwhelmed with too many suggestions.

My tank ran ammonia at 8 and nitrites at 5 for 11 long, scary days. I feel VERY lucky. Blessed to have both an experieced email support person, and a fantastic real local fish store. Our local guy has had his business at least 25 years and is not affiliated with any chain store. I took water in to be tested for two weeks, so he could physically see the test results. Not just take my word for it that the tank was still toxic. Followed his recommendations to the letter. Crisis intervention type things. Have been running a spread sheet so I can pull this information up.

The four survivors still survive. The ammonia has settled to zero and the nitrites are dropping, still too high at 2.0, but coming down. I appreciate Kimo's instructions because sometimes you have to have a way out. In my case, I had surviors so had to cycle with the fish - to try and save their lives. (For some reason they never got red gills, gasped at the top or died one by one...go figure). I am not a person who sets out to endanger animals of any kind. I rescue parrots. I capture wolf spiders and return them back outside. I assume full responsiblity for not appreciating or knowing about the delicate balance that takes place inside a fish tank.

I see this post as demonstrating "another way" and darn near critical information if someone ends up in my kind of jam.

Debbie

 

[haykay]

My input- I've done all of the above.
fish cycling - mean and inhumane but sometimes it happens ..not if we preplan but like Kimo said ina different post the unexpexted happens and you may not have time to doa fishless cycle....

FishLESS - ok great loved it takes time but not innocent lives are taken are abused.. only problem i have is that if you don't add all the fish you cycled for at once it is possible to have mini cycles when you add say a school of a species.. I am an advocate for this though and MUCH more than a fish cycle

The fish and plant.. Now I love this way and it must be my fav. as was mentioned the plants must be in the tank being cared for, for at least a week or 2 prior to any fish. than simply add a miniscule amount of fish and don't feed right away... In my 3 tanks I have done this in I have never had a trace of ammonia or nitrite yet! It takes patience not to over stock and to add fish very slowly but for me it is more enjoyable as I can add to it over time and it still feels "new"

I think a lot of it will be on personal experiance but I can vouch that with plants "silent cycling" I have never once got a reading of any ammonia or nitrItes.. So it in my opinion is just as human as fishLESS if done correctly

 

[kimo]

I believe if the LFSs would encourage fishless cycling and refuse to sell live creatures to people who will kill them due to neglect and stupidity (like animal shelters and any respectable pet sellers will--who would sell a horse to someone who thought it was okay to lock it in a stall 24-7 and feed it only hay for its entire life). They would filter out people who were impulse buying and people who stuck with the fishless cycle would be on their way to being knowledgeable aquarists.

An LFS recommending "fishless cycle"? That will never happen.
They are in the business to sell tanks and "move" fish. I'm a retired LFS'er. They might get more respect in the end (when the newbie finds out the facts) but the average employee just wants a sale (note: employee... not owner).

 

[kimo]

The whole purpose of this thread was to show that a person... a complete newbie who has never heard of a cycle, let alone a fishless cycle, CAN cycle a tank WITH fish and with MINIMUM stress on that fish. If you are testing for ammonia during a fishless cycle, surely you can test the same water for ammonia during a cycle with fish and not let it get high enough to cause stress.

There is not a person here who has not witnessed a five year old child begging his mommy for something... in this case that little goldfish at the state fair, or in the mall, etc., and the mother breaking down to the child and bringing it home knowing that she has NO idea on how to care for it. That fish is in her possession... she has to save it for the sake of her kid... hence: the cycle with fish is born. Now the same mother goes online and just happens across this site for the first time....... bingo!
There IS a way.
Result: Mother happy, child happy, fish live and well and Happy! (btw: and the forum just gained a member....)


Many Thank You's Debbie , for your kind words of encouragement. Glad that all your remaining fish made it through!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

... a complete newbie who has never heard of a cycle, let alone a fishless cycle, CAN cycle a tank WITH fish and with MINIMUM stress on that fish.

A complete newbie who has never heard of a cycle, let alone a silent cycle, CAN cycle a tank WITHOUT fish with NO stress on ANY fish.

While I understand the need to know what to do when you've got that fish you didn't intend to have (although I'm pretty sure most state fair goldfish would never end up in a properly maintained, planted tank like you mention)... I would never want to give that advice to someone that HAS a choice, and is searching out ways to get into the hobby.

 

[kimo]

A complete newbie who has never heard of a cycle, let alone a silent cycle, CAN cycle a tank WITHOUT fish with NO stress on ANY fish.

While I understand the need to know what to do when you've got that fish you didn't intend to have (although I'm pretty sure most state fair goldfish would never end up in a properly maintained, planted tank like you mention)... I would never want to give that advice to someone that HAS a choice, and is searching out ways to get into the hobby.

You still do not get the point. If you want the best fish forum ever... you have to give ALL the people, from the newest newbie to the grizzled veteran, ALL the points of view. You have your way, I have mine.
You have to give the person who does not know... all the choices. Not just a single slanted view.

 

[Sum22]

When I do my next tank, it will be a fishless cycle. I've never done one before, but I want to give it a try.

When I set up the tank in 2003, I had a betta in the tank and I added other fish later, after the cycle had finished.

I've had all the fish stores ask me if I'd cycled my tank before I bought fish from them, including *gasp* petsmart and walmart. It is pretty easy to lie and say yes, when you may not know what a cycle is, or just because you want to take home fish TODAY.

While Kimo's views are often contrary to many other posters, he/she (sorry I don't know) has a valid point. Too many times, I surf the board to see people asking for cycling advice AFTER they have added fish. Some of the posters on here guide those seeking advice in the wrong direction because everyone starts talking about fishless cycling. It is important to consider all audiences, from those who do research ahead of time to those impulse buyers who purchase a tank and come back the next day to fill it with fish.

I checked the freshwater articles and the only thing close to a "How to cycle your tank with fish" article is about the nitrogen cycle.

People should be able to educate themselves and decide what choice is best for their situation. Providing information on "fishless cycling", "cycling with plants and fish" and "cycling with fish only" allows a person to arm themselves with knowledge, consider their options, and make the best decision for themselves.

Worst case you could always have members contribute articles, post a poll and have members vote on which is the best option for cycling. Then you could label each article best way to cycle, 2nd best way to cycle, etc.

 

[new2betas]

I have to say I have appreciated everyone's opinion that has stated one on this thread. I am very new to this also and new to the fishless cycling method, which I just completed successfully a few weeks back on my 10g. I decided that was what I wanted to try to accomplish and this forum was invaluable in helping me get there. Now, in the past, I have come home with those goldfish that my little ones just had to have. I knew nothing of cycling then and somehow kept three goldfish alive in a 2-3 gallon tank with no live plants or filtration system for around 3 years......astonishing! What I love about this forum is that there are varying opinions and ideas and you can pick and choose what works best for you and your own situation.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

You still do not get the point. If you want the best fish forum ever... you have to give ALL the people, from the newest newbie to the grizzled veteran, ALL the points of view. You have your way, I have mine.
You have to give the person who does not know... all the choices. Not just a single slanted view.

I DO get your point... that's why I said:

While I understand the need to know what to do when you've got that fish you didn't intend to have...

But your original post never said, nor was titled, "How to Cycle a Tank if You Already Have Fish." If it had, I probably wouldn't have even butted my head in here.

If a person is coming here researching, BEFORE setting up a tank, I wouldn't want this post to be that person's reference point as to how to start up a tank. If given the choice, a fishless cycle takes a lot of worry and testing out of the picture, ignoring the plight of the fish in the cycling tank. And a fishless cycle works regardless of if the tank is planted or not.

I do agree with Sum22's comment... there could be more information regarding different options for cycling in the Articles section. I know many people find this website only after "inheriting" a fish they don't know what to do with, and often times taking it back to a LFS isn't an option.