Cycling

[Perryuk]

Ok I've been researching cycling my new 55 g an it seems split some say cycle with a few fish some say do a fishless cycle. Obviously I'm keen to get some fish in there want to add some yellow labs do you think these would be ok was thinking of putting 3 in, they are about 4 cm thanks

 

[Franwjr]

When I first started I used the fish-in method, but on my last 90 gallon I did the Fishless method which allowed me to build up a large colony of beneficial bacteria. This was ideal for my situation because it allowed me to fully stock with 12 African cichlids and a large feather fin catfish all at the same time. (I read in several articles that would help keep aggression to a minimum) It was tough having the tank set up and running without fish for almost a month, but in the end I think it is a better route to take.