Cycling...when to add fish?

[@rtemis]

Hi, I've been lurking for about a month. Great information here but I'm a bit overloaded . When should I start adding some fish to start the cycling process. I've read on the net to add fish to start the cycling process. I've read don't add fish after 72 hours. What gives? Today I've set up 10 gallon ViaAqua VA-380 for my daughter who is 8. She's really excited about the tank and is anxious to add fish. I've told her to be patient. We just added the necessary chemicals to remove chlorine as per LFS. I would like to add some plants too. What are the time tables to add fish and plants. The guy at the LFS said to let it run for about a week or two without fish and bring in samples of the water. Is this good advice?

Here are some shots:

 

[marchmaxima]

Welcome! Yes, it can all be quite daunting at first, can't it

If you haven't already, I can't recommend enough to buy some testing kits and test the water yourself. You'll need PH, Ammonia, NitrITE and NitrATE to start with.

Also, read this article on the Nitrogen Cycle. Knowing the contents will probably save you from pain and tears.

Nitrogen Cycle

Since you have a very keen 8yo who is unlikely to want to wait till the fishless cycle is done before having fish in her tank so I'm guessing you'll be wanting to get some fish straight away and start the cycle the old fashioned way. Get a plant too if you like. Some might suggest you try to get her to agree to give a fishless cycle.

If not, add 2 fish that are no more than a inch in length. In a tank as small as that, it should be plenty to cycle with. Test the water every day and write down the results. Post them here if you're not certain if they are right.

During the cycle, you'll see the Ammonia go up first, then nitrITE, and last, nitrATE. Keep Ammonia below 1ppm though regular water changes so your fish don't suffer because Amm & nitrite are very toxic. Start with changing 1/3 of the water at a time, but you may need to change less/more depending on your tests. The cycle will be done when Amm and nitrITE returns to 0, and NitrATE is high. This is likely to take up to 6 weeks.

It's nice for the LFS to offer to test your water, but IMO you and your daughter should probably do this as you'll need to do it eventually anyway. You could even be a fun activity you can do together until she gets the hang of it. Just my opinion.

Best of luck

 

[Purrbox]

The reason for letting the aquarium sit empty for awhile is to test the equipment. It allows you to make sure that everything is running properly and for the heater to get your aquarium to a stable temp. 1-2 days is usually sufficient for this run in period.

Until there is an ammonia source in the aquarium, the cycle won't start. As a result letting it sit longer than that is useless. You can do a traditional cycle with fish (more work to keep the fish alive and the parameters in check, ie Ammonia and Nitrite under 1ppm) , a fishless cycle (a more humane method that involves adding pure Ammonia, fish food, or raw shrimp), or silent cycle (planting heavily with live plants and stocking slowly with fish, when done correctly no Ammonia or Nitrite spikes are ever seen). All of these can be sped up by getting ahold of some filter media or used gravel from a healthy established aquarium and adding at the same time as the Ammonia source.

 

[@rtemis]

Thanks for your prompt reply. Today I am picking up the AP Fresh Water Master Test Kit. I think we'll pick up a couple of fish this weekend and a plant to start the cycling. I agree it's a good idea for my daughter to get used to testing and maintaining her own tank...with Daddy's help of course. She's been reading a book about aquariums and is excited to get things going.