Waiting is a pain...the Fishless Cycle?

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LindsayB

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 28, 2004
Messages
37
Location
Chesterfield, MO
Hello again! I'm starting a new tank (20 gal hex) and I'm interested in the fishless cycle. I just set up the tank yesterday, and I added CYCLE to the water to help the water mature. What can I do as far as the fishless cycle? I would hate to put in fish with the chance that they would die. Thank so much!
 
You need to get a source of ammonia for the bacteria to grow. I use ammonia based cleaner from ACE hardware (ACE brand)--it has no perfumes or any other additives that you won't want in your tank and is quite cheap. You will want a concentration of about 4 ppm according to a test kit. If you go too high, the cycle can stall, but if it's too low, the rate at which the bacteria will multiply will diminish. It will take a bit of time, but gradually that ammonia should be converted into nitrite. Then another bacteria will grow that will consume nitrite and make nitrate. When you reach this stage, you're ready to add fish.
In order to speed things up, you have a few options:
1) Add a product like cycle, although the benefit that it provides has varied.
2) Get an old sponge or filter pad from an established, healthy tank--this is the best option if you can manage it.
3) Add a scoop of gravel from an established, healthy tank--not giving you as much bacteria as the second option, but certainly helps.
 
Are you anywhere near Watson Road? There is a lfs on Watson that sells Bio-Spira and they almost always have it in stock. This will be almost like an instant cycle. You still have to take caution when adding fish so you don't add too many fish at once. If you're interested I could look up the name of the place. It's right down the road from Pet Market Place.
 
I'm pretty close to watson, i live on campus at UMSL (natural bridge rd) I'm very interested! Thanks!
 
Tropical World Pets
8444 Watson Road, Saint Louis, MO 63119
(314) 849-4020

Another good place to buy fish from is Pet Market Place. It's at the corner of Laclede Station Road and Watson. They have a LARGE number of smaller community fish. I am buying all of my fish from there for my 55 gal tank. It is down Watson maybe 1/2 mile from Topical World Pets.
 
Be prepared though. Tropical World Pets is always SOOOO hot. You sweat just standing there. And if you buy the Bio Spira, take a cooler along with you that has ice in it. It needs to be refrigerated and with the heat being what it is, it may go bad before you get back to UMSL.
 
fishyfanatic,

thank you so much for the recommendation to tropical world pets. i just got back from there, and really, i was very impressed. it's a beautiful store! i just put the bio spira in my tank!!! :D Thanks a million!! (I'm gonna go to that other store soon too, I would have today, but I pretty much flew home so that the bio-spira wouldn't get warm---oh, and i did take a cooler with me...) Yay!!
 
No Problem Linday. Tropical World Pets is a good store, they have ALOT of stuff in such a small place. They even decorate their tanks with driftwood and plants. That's what I love about that place. IMO their fish tend to be over priced compared to Pet Market Place. PMP also does the driftwood and decor. If you're looking for community fish, start on the right hand side of the wall and work your way down. TONS of them. :D If you ever get into African Cichlids, Malawi Aquatics is the place to go. They defiantely know their stuff and have a LARGE selection.
 
UPDATE...

The Bio-Spira has worked great so far. No fish loss, they're all perfectly healthy!!! Thank you very much for the great recommendation!!!
 
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