The 10 Day Cycle (VERY FAST)

[KeSs]

Hello all,

My 55 gal tank just finished cycling after only 10 days. I would like to share with you how I accomplished this. I got my hand on old aquarium supplies. Everything I used for the aquarium was old and used. However, all of the equipment hadnt been used in months. The only new thing I bought was filter media.

Step 1 (Day 1):
I set up the aquarium and filled it with water/decorations/heater/filter/etc. I then filled up the aquarium with water and treated it. It was during this time that I made sure all of my equipment was still in working order.

Step 2 (Day 1):
I waited for a couple hours and then I threw in a 1 raw jumbo shrimp.

Step 3 (Day 2):
I added 2 bottles of Frtiz Zyme #7. I would imagine that any "live bacteria" substitute could be used in place of Fritz. Although I hear Fritz is one of the best.

Step 4 (Day 3):
I tested the water in the evening (about 24 hours after I put in Fritz Zyme). My test results were: Ammonia = 1, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 8. I could tell that the bacteria I added had already started working because there was a HUGE cloud around the shrimp.

Step 5 (Day 4):
I proceeded to add a pleco to the tank. Later that night the pleco ate some of the shrimp and proceeded to poop EVERYWHERE.

Step 6 (Day 5):
Tested Water: Ammonia = 1.0, Nitrite = 1.0, Nitrate = 10

Step 7 (Day 6):
I add another bottle of Fritz Zyme #7 to the tank. I also add 2 Gold Gouramis. Tested the water later that night: Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 2, Nitrate = 30.

Step 8 (Day 8 ):
Fed the gouramis. Tested the water: Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = .25, Nitrate = 20. Small pieces of shrimp were still floating around.
*I did a 10% water change at this time*

Step 9 (Day 9):
I proceeded to to another water change (50%)

Step 10 (Day 10):
The fish seem to be doing great and the gouramis are very active. I check the water parameters again: Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 15. The water is also sparkling clear.

I was pretty sure my cycle was done but I wanted to make certain that it was. I added a rainbow shark and some of my mollies from my other tank to this tank. I tested the water a few days later and the results were: Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 10.

I believe that this might be the fastest way to cycle your tank. The keys to doing this are 1) obtaining plenty of live bacteria 2) Doing water changes once in the Nitrite range 3) testing the water frequently. To me, the most important thing was adding enough live bacteria. It made it so that none of the Ammonia or Nitrite levels were able to spike that high.

Feel free to give this method a shot. Make sure that you test the water and get your fish out of the tank if any of the levels get to high. Also, I would imagine that the addition of any seeded material for already established tanks might be able to speed the process even more.

I am no way stating that this method is 100% sound proof. I just wanted to share some info that I did to help me cycle my tank.



BTW: I spent about $20 in Fritz Zyme

 

[KeSs]

comments? questions?

 

[supermazz9]

I might give this a try...plus I'll swap filters on my tank to seed my new one...I'll just have to finf my old hood...

 

[KeSs]

I might give this a try...plus I'll swap filters on my tank to seed my new one...I'll just have to finf my old hood...

Id say go for it. I tested the water again today and I have no ammonia or Nitrites. Plus my Nitrate dropped to 5. I even added a few more fish yesterday.

 

[Zagz]

I have so many tanks I just run a filter on another tank for a week and swap out media as necessary. Fastest cycle I can get.
Also for me personally I add fish only when both nitrite and ammonia are 0ppm. Personal choice of cycling.

 

[garth7]

Sounds like a good idea to me! My problem is that I wouldnt have time to research what fish and make up my mind in 10 days....

 

[TomK2]

I would point out that you were adding fish when your ammonia and nitrite levels were elevated. Ammonia and nitrite are harmful to fish. The True purpose of using shrimp or hardware store ammonia is to spare your fish the exposure to ammonia or nitrite, not do it faster. The bacteria can only grow so fast (7 to 14 hour doubling time), so the only way to speed up the cycle is to start with a large number of bacteria by seeding, bio-spira, or some other bacterial source in the presence of an ammonia source.

The truly fastest, most reliable "cycle" is to run the new filter on an established tank for a few weeks, or cram it with biomedia from an established tank. Then you can have an instant biofilter, or one that has results in only 0.25 ammonia or nitrite for a day or two. This technique would work great once your current tank is up and running for a month or two. Don't swap or exchange filters for the new tank, buy the new tank's filter in advance of set up and run it simultaneously on the established tank. This way no tank has a sudden withdrawal of the majority of its colonized biomedia.

 

[7Enigma]

I would like to second Tom2k's post. This is a very dangerous method that you have posted since you were actively adding in fish when it was harmful to do so. Your pleco was introduced when the ammonia was probably above 1.0ppm and your nitrItes were on the rise. You then added in the gouramis when you had a nitrIte level of 2.0ppm!!!

Both of these conditions were not healthy for the fish. General concensus on this board is to not let ammonia or nitrIte levels get above 1.0ppm, I and several others recommend less than 0.5ppm. Your cycle does appear to have finished quickly, but you should have left the shrimp do its thing without adding fish. An extra day or 2 at MOST and you would have been fine.

As it stands I want to be on the record stating I do not agree with what was done.