Fishless Cycle

[MnFish1]

I’m on 2/1/2 weeks with my tanks and it’s currently more than half way through the cycle with fish. To be blunt after watching everything go up and down. Next time I’ll just add ammonia, i feel bad for the little guys. Right now I’m waiting for the nitrites to drop, my nitrates are rising which is good. Once my nitrites get too 0 and i do a water change the cycle is done. All in all I’d say 3-4 weeks if you watch everything. If ya threw the bacteria in and used live rock like i did and didn’t test. Ya probably never now the tank was going through it’s phases

Right - But - why care about the phases. BTW - I'm not talking about adding 10 moorish idols to a tank and letting it cycle. the reason I say this is - when you add something else (say a large angel) - you may very well have a 'mini cycle'.

 

[Lasse]

I’m on 2/1/2 weeks with my tanks and it’s currently more than half way through the cycle with fish. To be blunt after watching everything go up and down. Next time I’ll just add ammonia, i feel bad for the little guys. Right now I’m waiting for the nitrites to drop, my nitrates are rising which is good. Once my nitrites get too 0 and i do a water change the cycle is done. All in all I’d say 3-4 weeks if you watch everything. If ya threw the bacteria in and used live rock like i did and didn’t test. Ya probably never now the tank was going through it’s phases

IMO It is not wise to mix methods. If you cycle with a fish - do not add any external ammona - the fish is the ammonia source in that case. You manage the ammonia production through your feeding regime. Feed very litle - I normally feed (one small fish) with a couple of frozen adult artemia every third day the first week, every second day the second week and the same amount every day the third week. In that way - I get a soft start of the nitrification cycle and no measurable amounts of NH3/NH4 or NO2. I add bacteria every day too.

If you use the method to add external ammonia - do not use fish in the cycle. The amount of added ammonia is way to much.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Gogoggansgo]

IMO It is not wise to mix methods. If you cycle with a fish - do not add any external ammona - the fish is the ammonia source in that case. You manage the ammonia production through your feeding regime. Feed very litle - I normally feed (one small fish) with a couple of frozen adult artemia every third day the first week, every second day the second week and the same amount every day the third week. In that way - I get a soft start of the nitrification cycle and no measurable amounts of NH3/NH4 or NO2. I add bacteria every day too.

If you use the method to add external ammonia - do not use fish in the cycle. The amount of added ammonia is way to much.

Sincerely Lasse

I’m saying next time i won’t use fish I’ll use ammonia instead lol

 

[Gogoggansgo]

IMO It is not wise to mix methods. If you cycle with a fish - do not add any external ammona - the fish is the ammonia source in that case. You manage the ammonia production through your feeding regime. Feed very litle - I normally feed (one small fish) with a couple of frozen adult artemia every third day the first week, every second day the second week and the same amount every day the third week. In that way - I get a soft start of the nitrification cycle and no measurable amounts of NH3/NH4 or NO2. I add bacteria every day too.

If you use the method to add external ammonia - do not use fish in the cycle. The amount of added ammonia is way to much.

Sincerely Lasse

Yeah and valid point i added a huge dose of bacteria two days ago and my nitrites stopped climbing. I’m going too continue adding some today till I’m all out. You really can’t hurt anything by adding more to a tank

 

[Lasse]

You really can’t hurt anything by adding more to a tank

Not if it is pure nitrification bacteria

I’m saying next time i won’t use fish I’ll use ammonia instead

I prefer to only use a fish and adding of bacteria on a daily basis - see my article

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Gogoggansgo]

Not if it is pure nitrification bacteria

Depends on how much ya add and what’s going down. The issue i have is do i change water and add bacteria or just let the tank do it thing. I’m going for number two and trying to let The bacteria do their job. Hopefully the tank levels out in the next week.


I prefer to only use a fish and adding of bacteria on a daily basis - see my article

Sincerely Lasse