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ins and outs on cycling a tank

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  • ins and outs on cycling a tank

    can anybody help me i am new to this and could really use some help

  • #2
    Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

    Hopefully these articles are helpful. How big of a tank do you have? Do you already have fish? Is this your first tank? The reason that I didn't answer your question directly is because there are many ways to do it. Some swear by a certain way, whereas other people prefer a different method.


    Scarecrow : I haven't got a brain... only straw.
    Dorothy : How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
    Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?
    Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

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    • #3
      Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

      Personally, my favorite thing to do when starting a new tank is to take a filter (or filter cartidge or sponge) from an old tank and put it on the new tank. There is lots of beneficial bacteria in the old filter cartridges (and sponges in particular). That will make the tank cycle very quickly.
      Scarecrow : I haven't got a brain... only straw.
      Dorothy : How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
      Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?
      Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

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      • #4
        Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

        I cycled my new 65 gallon in 4 days

        1) set up in desired location empty with two odyssea powerheads with sponge filters and one old whisper 40 (with old bio cartrige) and one new whisper 40

        2) fill up with new water and put in zip drops, like 5 per gallon

        3) plug in everything and throw in a few feeder guppies

        4) pull out dead guppies after about 4 hours and throw in some substrate the next day

        5) let run for 3 more days

        6) all fish (cichlids, plecos and florida gar) I added Tuesday are doing great

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        • #5
          Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

          i am running a 75 gallon tank with an Eheim Pro II Aquarium Filter  
          Model 2028, i am using carribean sand, and i just added 7 goldfish to start the cycle process, i used AmQuel+ that removes nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chlorine, & chloramines. i just put the goldfish in today and they seem fine, the water is at 7.4 ph, and the temp is right at 70.  so far so good.  Anything i have done wrong or anything i can still do let me know

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          • #6
            Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

            Don't know if you are keeping the goldfish but goldfish are coldwater fish not tropical so the temp you have is ok. Goldfish are known to carry diseases. That's why you would never catch me with a goldfish. And goldfish are to boring :snooty:

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            • #7
              Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

              no not planning on keeping the goldfish, i just saw 20 cents a piece and didn't have a heater on the tank yet so i figured perfect, and yes they are ugly

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              • #8
                Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

                Originally posted by Jose";p="
                Don't know if you are keeping the goldfish but goldfish are coldwater fish not tropical so the temp you have is ok. Goldfish are known to carry diseases. That's why you would never catch me with a goldfish. And goldfish are to boring :snooty:
                he's just using them to cycle the tank  

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                • #9
                  Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

                  I guess we should also mention fishless cycling.  Since I don't really consider any fish a "throw-away" or expendable creature, I prefer this method.  Using granular ammonium chloride, 0.011 grams per gallon will yield approx. 1 ppm on your test for ammonia.  A few spikings to about 3 ppm, with or without an initial bacterial innoculation, will result in an efficient cycling without the loss of any fish.  After ammonia and nitrite levels zero and there is evidence of nitrate production then fish can be added safely.  I know that everyone doesn't agree with this method but I just wanted to mention it as another option.

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                  • #10
                    Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

                    my dead feeder guppies got thrown back into another tank for pleco food, so they didn't get wasted

                    Originally posted by JLawson";p="
                    Since I don't really consider any fish a "throw-away" or expendable creature, I prefer this method.  

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                    • #11
                      Re: ins and outs on cycling a tank

                      i like using live plants to help cycle my tanks (all currently planted so go figure) but the plants will actually feed off of some of the ammonia and nitrite even before it gets turned into nitrates which they love as well, plus there is beneficial bacteria on the plants too. but homeless's old filter cartridge is a great idea, i like putting old gravel from an established tank into a filter (on a new tank) for the same reason.
                      Never fear I is here
                      David Abeles
                      Vice President
                      Greater Houston Aquarium Club

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