How long will an aquarium remain cycled without fish?

[Rmcuddy]

Hopefully someone has some good information on this. I'm looking to cycle a 125 gallon aquarium before a 2 week trip where I will not be around. I wanted the tank to be ready to add fish as soon as I get back. Would this stay cycled if I used an automatic feeder to put in some flake food every day? Or could I get 2 clowns, and use the automatic feeder to feed them while I'm gone for the 2 weeks? Or if I dropped a shrimp in there, would that be enough to keep the cycle going? Any info would be great!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

2 weeks. No prob nonfood.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

I think I would just do the ghost feeding. I would be nervous that something might happen and hurt the clowns. And leaving the shrimp in that long isnt good. When you get back test everything and if there's no ammonia then add straight ammonia up to 2ppm and if it goes to 0 in 24 hrs your good.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Don’t leave fish in there.

It’ll be fine for a couple weeks.

 

[theMeat]

Would say on newly started cycle, 2 weeks non food = non good

Set up the auto feeder

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Any of you all ever run a tank for months with nothing in it for months and not feed it ?
I have.

 

[Rmcuddy]

Does anyone have any recommendations on how much food to add?

 

[theMeat]

Any of you all ever run a tank for months with nothing in it for months and not feed it ?
I have.

Used to do it on qt tanks all the time

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Used to do it on qt tanks all the time

Not the same.
But ok.

 

[theMeat]

Not the same.
But ok.

If the qt has sand and rock , sure it is

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If the qt has sand and rock , sure it is

Did it die in two weeks with no food?

 

[ihavecrabs]

Food or no food, it will be fine... might get more of an algae bloom with ghost feeding if there is enough ambient light in the room but to each their own!

 

[theMeat]

Did it die in two weeks with no food?

did some. Wasn’t watching for of checking for a crash, but had more spikes when fish were added. Don’t know precisely how long it takes, but if you don’t feed the bacteria that support your cycle it will die

 

[Ariel V Rosa]

Ghost feed it... you will be fine. But when you are going to reintroduce a bio load do it slow. Beneficial bacteria is only as abundant as the nutriens they need to live. Just toss some food in there once a week.

 

[brandon429]

The answer to the question about how long bacteria already established can go without getting direct feed from the aquarist is as long as they're wet they will not die back at all.
Aquarist adding feed not required, they were doing fine before us. Adding feed to support bac makes the aquarist feel ok, it removes a risk they're just not sure about and no tank is harmed with a little feeding.


But the direct answer is they need no help from us to get feed, we're not accounting for all the means they can use to be fed
Wet equals bacteria doing fine with or without us, we have three year fallow testing threads demoing this fact. If nothing is going to use the feed, then it's algae base material.
B

 

[ReeferReefer]

If it was me, I would just toss an cocktail shrimp in there and not worry. It will break down over time.

 

[Captain Quint]

Any of you all ever run a tank for months with nothing in it for months and not feed it ?
I have.

Yes sir.

 

[Captain Quint]

Interesting thread. Thanks for posting it @Rmcuddy

 

[Brew12]

My best guess is that the tank would be fine for around 1 year without ghost feeding. In fact, I suspect it will process ammonia better when you get back than when you left with no action on your part.

 

[Aquavaj]

Have you already started the cycle or will you start it before you leave? If the latter I don't think 2 weeks is long enough. Maybe if you use those bacteria in a bottle products.