Cycling my new tank.

[mattrox]

I am cycling my new tank at the moment. It will be a discus tank. Initially I will have it as a bare bottomed tank to raise the discus then it will be converted into a display tank. I have Cardinals and Corys in it now.

I have posted pictures in my gallery.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[Smonkey15]

tank looks stunning!! jk, how much longer on the cycle? cycling sucks because all you want to do is add fishies!!
steve

 

[Enki]

Yeah cycling is BORING. My only consolation is remembering back in the day when I used to be stressed about my fish dying for a few weeks instead of staring at an empty tank.

If only the bacteria would show a little more excitement when I feed them

 

[mattrox]

how much longer on the cycle?

I think I am going to cycle for one more week, then test the water. I hope that the ammonia will be 0 by then (and hopefully nitrites too) and that nitrates are beginning to appear. That might be a bit soon and I am getting eager to get some little discus to grow out. You are right about wanting to get the fish in. I think I'll start with 12 or so.

Matt

 

[Allivymar]

How are you cycling btw? I'm guessing the fishless method?

When I did fishless, I used Cycle and squeezings from a mature filter. After 1 day I was getting nitrates readings! Turns out it was the Cycle (crappy stuff IMHO); I knew nitrates that quickly was near impossible and the ammonia wasn't being inhaled by the bacteria yet.

After a week I had nitrite levels, but they stalled there. I grabbed some Bio-Spira (had just come out), did a 75% water change, added the Bio-Spira and put the fish in the next day. Tank was completely cycled

 

[mattrox]

I am cycling with fish, the old fashioned way. I started with a filter from the 2 ft tank that the cardinals and corys were orgianlly in. I also squeezed it out into the canister that I am running as well. I also used some of the water from the 2 ft in the larger tank, but it hardly made a dint in the 85 gal tank.

Matt

 

[Allivymar]

Heh I'll bet the old water didn't; not only cause it didn't make a dent LOL but cause the nitrifying bacteria live on surfaces and are not found in any great number in the water column. But I'll bet those cannister squeezings really did the trick!

 

[mattrox]

cause the nitrifying bacteria live on surfaces and are not found in any great number in the water column. But I'll bet those cannister squeezings really did the trick!

I really used that water for 2 reasons. I didn't want to waste perfectly good water and I was hoping that it would help somewhat in matching water chemistry for the lil guys.

I hope the squeeze thing works. I usually don't test water when starting a new tank, just take things easy. But since discus are a bit fickle I am going to do it right.

 

[Allivymar]

Worked for the most part for me when I did a fishless cycle I think you'll be in fine shape!

 

[BrianNY]

Cool set up . Looks like you're doing everything right. How many discus are you going to start with Matt?

 

[mattrox]

I am hoping to start with 12 - 14 smaller discus and reduce that to about 8 as they get larger. Hopefully 4 pairs . And then I will tackle setting up breeding tanks.

 

[BrianNY]

Hey Matt, I think you're off to a great start . I had my 1st discus egg laying from the grow outs last night. She chose the filter intake tube and her tankmates quickly had another meal.

The cleaner the tank and water, the quicker they will grow.

 

[mattrox]

Congratulations, you will soon be busy raising fry if things keep up!

 

[BrianNY]

I'm really looking forward to it. How much to ship from NY to Darwin (LOL)?

 

[mattrox]

hehehe Not only the cost but the flight time too. They even get a stop-over in Singapore.