View Full Version : cycling fish?
ara35
11-01-2007, 10:18 AM
are cories, loaches, or gourami hardy enough to stand cycling?
conbrio
11-01-2007, 10:29 AM
I used to use guppies or platies to cycle my tank. I would usually get 2 females (in a 20L) for the cycle and then do daily water changes, and by the time they had fry (almost always they were preggers) the cycle would be mostly complete. I used these guys b/c for me they were hardy.
Also most people on this board recommend a fishless cycle. But if you do a fish cycle please do the necessary work that goes along with it.
Coler
11-01-2007, 10:47 AM
see answers to your thread concerning lights off
bghill
11-01-2007, 1:12 PM
I am cycling my 3rd tank now with the same set of Black Skirt Tetra's. These were recomended to me by a LFS as they are said to be very hardy.
As already stated, be prepared to do daily water changes.
Mgamer20o0
11-01-2007, 1:15 PM
i wouldnt.... if i had to pick i would go with gourami. read up on fishless cycle less of a hassle.
I am cycling my 3rd tank now with the same set of Black Skirt Tetra's. These were recomended to me by a LFS as they are said to be very hardy.
As already stated, be prepared to do daily water changes.
of course once you have one tank established and fully cycled, you can just seed the next tank with bacteria from that one and you eliminate any need for a fulll blown fish cycle.
Squeeze out the filter sponge into your new filter, better yet add some of the filter sponge or other media into the new filter, and/or take some substrate and put it in some pantyhose in the new tank.
Then get some fish in there; monitor carefully but you should not have any significant problems at all. Once bacteria are present they multiply exponentially given a food source and oxygen.
Reefscape
11-02-2007, 6:11 AM
Why is there a need to use fish to cycle a tank when you can use pure ammonia, acheive the same goal, and nothing is harmed in the process?
Niko
ct-death
11-02-2007, 8:02 AM
Why is there a need to use fish to cycle a tank when you can use pure ammonia, acheive the same goal, and nothing is harmed in the process?
Niko
:iagree:
But, people still prefer fish.
As to your questions concerning the fish mentioned NO they are not good choices...
1st, Cories and Loaches are extremely hardy fish, BUT are very suspectable to ammonia and nitrItes in a cycling tank and more often than not do not survive where other fish species would (ie. most livebearers, etc.)
As for the Gouramis, I do not recommend this species b/c of their size. Dwarfs are a better selection, but then you really should only be getting 1 if your tank is 30G or less.
Why is there a need to use fish to cycle a tank when you can use pure ammonia, acheive the same goal, and nothing is harmed in the process?
Niko
its entirely a fair point.
again, especially when you have a source of live bateria...absolutely no need to cycle from scratch.