My new 125 gallon tank ! Pics !!!!!

[rain87]

Plants need two things to survive light and nutrients. They need a balance of both. If they have too much of one or the other it doesn't do any good. It's like if we eat a lot but don't exercise we get fat or if we exercise a lot but don't eat we pass out. Once you reach a certain level of lighting you need fertilizers and CO2 if you want your plants to thrive. Low light plants mean that they can do well in low light because they grow slow they don't need a lot of light or nutrients. When you put a low light plant in a high light environment then it is trying to photosynthesize faster. If it doesn't have the nutrients it needs it can die just as easily as if it didn't have enough light. This is my understanding but I am not an expert so hopefully someone with more experience can chime in.

 

[dpfitness23]

So i went to my local pet store and he said I didnt have to do a cycle on my new tank before I put my fish in there new home. He said buy some good bacteria drops. And then throw some feeder fish in there. Can the good bacteria drops work as well?

 

[allaboutfish]

the drops dont work and techinacally you dont need to cycle if you use your old filter cartlidge.

 

[dpfitness23]

Thats the thing ill be useing my new one.... Should i just use my old one and thats it?

 

[dpfitness23]

And even if i did use my old filter how about the good bacteria growth... U cant get that by just putting your old filter on... From what i hurd good bacteria is everywhere in your tank... I might just cycle it like they say you should with ammonia and all that stuff... Just trying to find a way to cut the time down.

 

[allaboutfish]

the bacteria in th filter would speed up the cycle so much you might experience a mini cycle but that's it.

 

[picture_117]

Omg that filter!!!!!!!
And you shouldn't use any chemicals that "start" the cycle or complete faster. You can seed it and it will help the cycle complete much faster

 

[dpfitness23]

Omg that filter!!!!!!!
And you shouldn't use any chemicals that "start" the cycle or complete faster. You can seed it and it will help the cycle complete much faster

How long is a average cycle?

 

[rain87]

The best way to speed up the cycle is to do the cycle with your new filter on the tank but throw in some old filter media

 

[allaboutfish]

or run both filters

 

[allaboutfish]

and on average a cycle can take a month but with seeded material or a used filter it would on take maybe a week.

 

[dpfitness23]

and on average a cycle can take a month but with seeded material or a used filter it would on take maybe a week.

I think ill do that... Run both filters and just throw some fish food in the tank time to time

 

[dpfitness23]

Would it be a good idea to just throw in a dozen feeder fish? Would that help

 

[allaboutfish]

it'd be kind of inhumane in my opinion

 

[dpfitness23]

it'd be kind of inhumane in my opinion

Even if there just feeder fish... There very hardy and will adapt to pretty much anything... But i see what your saying

 

[allaboutfish]

yea the best way is just pure ammonia

 

[Dylan5359]

Even if there just feeder fish... There very hardy and will adapt to pretty much anything... But i see what your saying

A feeder fish is still a living organism. It doesn't really matter that they're "hardy" either. It just means they can tolerate more. They'll still feel the horrid and drastic changes in ammonia and nitrite.

 

[picture_117]

Usually 4-6 weeks, but with seeded material probably a week or two. Don't throw any fish in yet, just add a bit of ammonia to start the cycle and keep adding to feed to the bacteria, you have to test your water to make sure nitrites are forming.

 

[dpfitness23]

So i decided to go with ammonia and just take my time to do this right

 

[rain87]

Sounds like a good plan. It takes longer but in the long run it's worth it.