Where does beneficial bacteria come from?

[beepboop]

Ok, we all know how important cycling a new aquarium is. We all know that beneficial bacteria is crucial to establishing and keeping a safe environment for fish. But, assuming you don't already have an established aquarium that you can use something from to seed a new aquarium, where does the beneficial bacteria come from?

Is it in my tap water? Since I used filtered water, will a beneficial bacteria colony not start? Is there a natural source of beneficial bacteria that I can use (i.e. river water, river rocks, etc) to speed up the process and introduce the right kind of bacteria?

I've been doing a fish-less cycle for three weeks. Ammonia is 0, but nitrites have held between 1-2 ppm. Nitrates 0. I add a flake or two of fish food a day. I've tried products like "Nutrafin cycle" and "Tetra Safestart", but the levels aren't changing at all, up or down.

I haven't done any water changes, but the tank is clear, the canister filter is working well, there's no foul odor or anything. There's obviously some bacteria converting ammonia to nitrites, but the nitrites aren't going up or down and there aren't any nitrates.

I'm tired of waiting for the tank to magically cycle. The bacteria has to come from somewhere and there has to be a better way of introducing it and getting the tank to cycle faster.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Bacteria are supposed to be everywhere and all the time. Their growth (to the point we need them) is dependent on food. Your water being filtered should have no affect on the bacteria finding their way into your filter and as long as you have their food present they should multiply.

I always seed tanks from other fully cycled tanks. If you have a good fish store nearby some filter media, gravel etc could help to kick things off. Make sure it stays wet during transit and be prepared that anything bad in their tank is now in your tank.

I seed from my own fish tanks. The first one was the long wait, every other since then has been done instantly.

 

[Homedog98]

I'd add more like a few pinches of fish food a day. One flake will stall your cycle and starve your bacteria.

 

[CaptainAhab]

It's the great circle of life.. Bacteria, in all forms, are everywhere. People who live no where near the ocean add ammonia to their tanks, some heat and o2.. and boom..

 

[beepboop]

It's going to be a cold water tank, but should I add a heater to speed it up until it cycles and I'm ready for fish?

 

[mfdrookie516]

If you do, make sure you slowly lower the temp back down. Bacteria are sensitive to swings in temp just like fish.

 

[eco23]

I might have missed something, but you need an ammonia source for the tank to start cycling. Without ammonia the tank could sit there for 20 years and never cycle. Review the cycling for dummies sticky, or an article on this site called tips and tricks for your fastest fishless cycle.

 

[eco23]

Those instant cycling chemicals are designed to be added right before you put fish in and they really don't work. You've got to buy some pure ammonia and start dosing the tank up to 4ppm of ammonia to get the cycle started. Make sure you check out the threads I told you about. The purpose of doing a fishless cycle is to use an ammonia source (bottle of pure ammonia, frozen shrimp, etc...) to simulate having fish pooing in there. Right now there's no food for the bacteria to eat to start colonizing.

 

[beepboop]

I'm adding fish food which many places have suggested is safer than adding ammonia. Also, I have nitrites, which I didn't initially, so there is bacteria converting the ammonia from the decaying food into nitrites. I just don't yet have the bacteria that converts nitrites to nitrates.

 

[eco23]

I'm adding fish food which many places have suggested is safer than adding ammonia. Also, I have nitrites, which I didn't initially, so there is bacteria converting the ammonia from the decaying food into nitrites. I just don't yet have the bacteria that converts nitrites to nitrates.

Are you dosing up the ammonia to a certain level? Around 4ppm is what you're shooting for. I disagree that fish food is better than pure ammonia because it's much harder to track your levels with it than being able to figure out how many drops of ammonia = the right dosage you need. If you're not adding enough fish food there's not enough food for the bacteria to develop quickly and the cycle can take forever. Using fish food can also leave quite a mess in the tank as it floats around decaying. If you decide to try the pure ammonia route, make sure it's pure...no dyes, perfumes or surfactants.

 

[tornadonick]

Bacteria are all over the place and they multiply extremely quickly. This quick reproduction allows natural selection to happen very quickly and they can quickly adapt to the resources around them. So say you get some bacteria growing around your tank, one of them happens to become mutated and can feed off of amonia. POOF!!! you gain a cycled tank.

Honestly though nobody actually knows the answer but this is a theory that i support.

 

[Amicus]

Don't want to gross anyone out but to kick start ammonia a small piece of rotting meat can be placed in the tank. The meat can then be removed once you can visually see the cycle has started. Gross but very efficient.

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[adadkins1]

I had the same thing happen with my fishless cycle using pure ammonia. I got stuck on the same phase as you, my ammonia would drop to zero after adding it within a couple hours, but my nitrite stayed the same. Also, if you do not use a heater it will take considerably longer to cycle because it slows the bacteria's reproduction.

 

[eco23]

I had the same thing happen with my fishless cycle using pure ammonia. I got stuck on the same phase as you, my ammonia would drop to zero after adding it within a couple hours, but my nitrite stayed the same. Also, if you do not use a heater it will take considerably longer to cycle because it slows the bacteria's reproduction.

If this happens it's usually due to the nitrItes being so crazy high that it can stall. I had to do a big pwc to get them back down to readable levels. It can also stall at this point if the bacteria run out of certain nutrients they require, so people will add a pinch of ground up fish food or using a few drops of PH down. The PH solution seems to work great for a lot of people.

 

[adadkins1]

Yea, I didn't really have off the chart readings, but I did do a big water change. Gave it a while, then got fed up and threw in some platys. I am not the most patient person.

 

[beepboop]

Well, apparently the Tetra Safestart I added three days ago has finally kicked in. I just tested my water and my nitrites are down to .25.

 

[eco23]

Well, apparently the Tetra Safestart I added three days ago has finally kicked in. I just tested my water and my nitrites are down to .25.

Do you have nitrAtes showing up yet? I've never seen a drop in nitrItes until the end of a cycle. What happens first is that the ammonia>nitrIte colony establishes first and starts really piling up the nitrItes. Then the second group of (nitrIte>nitrAte) bacteria starts up and you'll start seeing the increase in nitrAtes. You'll get a spike where the nitrItes and nitrAtes are off the charts high, they peak, and then the nitrItes drop down to 0 and you're cycled. If you can turn 4ppm of ammonia > nitrItes > nitrAtes in 24 hours the cycle is officially done.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Don't want to gross anyone out but to kick start ammonia a small piece of rotting meat can be placed in the tank. The meat can then be removed once you can visually see the cycle has started. Gross but very efficient.

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

Interesting idea. Do you think a piece of vegetable matter would do the same thing? I'm thinking zucchini slice.

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[jenatron]

Interesting idea. Do you think a piece of vegetable matter would do the same thing? I'm thinking zucchini slice.

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I saw someone post the other day saying they threw in some vegetable and it worked as an ammonia source. Can't remember who said it though..

 

[Phlex]

as far as i know, anything that 'rots' creates ammonia during the decomposing phase