Fish-less Cycling Questions

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azn_fishy55

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
May 11, 2005
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Location
Sunnyvale,California
I just started my fish-less cycle this evening about 6:30 pm and about 2 hours later the water got a bit cloudy. Is this cloudiness supposed to happen? If not, how do I make then cloudiness go away?
 
Yes, cloudiness is natural.. its either from the stuff you put in or a bacterial bloom.. can last up to two weeks.. don't worry about it.
 
i don't see why not, but you might want to wait till your cycle is done becuase the plants will absorb the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and compete with the bacteria
what are you using for your fishless cycle?
 
Another question...is it supposed to STINK?Yes, it is very stinky in my room now >_<.Is there any way to make the stink go away?Also is there any way to speed up the process. I have already added "live" gravel from my betta tank to this tank to speed up the process. How long is this fish-less cycle going to take?Also I ran my filter in my betta tank for about 4 weeks before I filled the tank so it would culture bacteria, would this speed up the process?
 
yes that will speed up the process but to know for sure you need to test your water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
 
yah, you definitely need a test kit or you won't know when the cycle is finished.. with a seeded filter you may already be cycled.
by BW you mean brackish water? Ive never had a brackish tank but i don't think the salt effects the bacteria.
 
i believe brackish water will affect what plants you decide to get--not all plants do well in brackish conditions...
 
The water has just clouded up again, the stink is pretty much gone. I already have a list a BW adaptable plants from plantgeek.net. I am going to do another 2 gallon water change.Does anyine think adding Bio-Spira would help the cloudiness/stinkiness go away?
 
the bio-spira will instant cycle your tank as long as it is fresh.. but don't worry, the cloudiness could last up to a month, its just your bacteria blooming.
 
Well its is fresh water right now and I intend to get my test kits tomorrow.The only test kit I have now is a hydrometer.So tomorrow I will buy the pH,Amonia,Nitrite,and Nitrate test kits.Can I buy plants now?
 
azn_fishy55 said:
Can I buy plants now?

Wait until you get your test kits and know what your ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite are before you put anything in there. :wink:
 
You can add plants while cycling. That's a good time to let them get established before you add the fish. First though get a test kit so you can tell how the tank is doing and when you can add fish.
 
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