Basic Cycling Info-discussion thread

[msjinkzd]

The article can be found at the link below, please feel free to share your experiences in this thread.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81388

[wastedtime]

Nice article. Thanks for the concise explanations.

I am curious to know the effects of aquatic plants and driftwood on the Nitrogen cycle

All my questions are in regards to fishless cycling.

1. Should you start cycling the tank with the plants and the driftwood already in the tank ?

2. Will the nitrite spike affect the plants in any way ?

3. Is it more advantageous to introduce plants and /or driftwood midway through the cycle . i.e after the nitrite spike has subsided.

4. Should you fertilize your plants using commercial fertilizers eg : Seachem flourish during the nitrogen cycle. If yes do the fertilizers affect the cycle in any way ?

5. What amount of lighting should you be using in the tank during the cycling process ?
If the addition of plants necessitates light... growth of algae could be a concern.

6. What are the optimal temperature for the cycle to complete effectively.

Regards,
wastedtime

[Rbishop]

see bold


Nice article. Thanks for the concise explanations.

I am curious to know the effects of aquatic plants and driftwood on the Nitrogen cycle

All my questions are in regards to fishless cycling.

1. Should you start cycling the tank with the plants and the driftwood already in the tank ? Doesn't hurt to do so at all.

2. Will the nitrite spike affect the plants in any way ? Nope, and actually the plants will help minimize it.

3. Is it more advantageous to introduce plants and /or driftwood midway through the cycle . i.e after the nitrite spike has subsided. Right from the start is perfectly okay.

4. Should you fertilize your plants using commercial fertilizers eg : Seachem flourish during the nitrogen cycle. If yes do the fertilizers affect the cycle in any way ? Depends on your substrate.

5. What amount of lighting should you be using in the tank during the cycling process ?
If the addition of plants necessitates light... growth of algae could be a concern. Use whatever lighting your plants require.

6. What are the optimal temperature for the cycle to complete effectively. I just keep mine at the tank temp I will need for the fish I plan on having in there.

Regards,
wastedtime

[wastedtime]

Perfect. Thanks for the info. I plan on using some eco-complete as substrate. So I guess I should not worry about fertilizing the plants during the cycling phase.

Thanks Again,
wastedtime

[cynmartinz]

I have a situation that requires me to cycle my tank ASAP. I'm a pre-K teacher and we are establishing a 10 gallon tank. I have yet to add ammonia although a parent suggested placing a dead shrimp in the water. My dilema is that a parent brought me two blue gourami and I have no clue what to do with them. How can I get the water ready for them ASAP????

[Ashes2ashes]

I have a situation that requires me to cycle my tank ASAP. I'm a pre-K teacher and we are establishing a 10 gallon tank. I have yet to add ammonia although a parent suggested placing a dead shrimp in the water. My dilema is that a parent brought me two blue gourami and I have no clue what to do with them. How can I get the water ready for them ASAP????


This is a link to the "freshwater cycling" thread on AC. http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

Also, if you know of anyone with an established tank who has some media they can let you see your tank with, that will rush things along a good bit.

[jetajockey]

I am going to venture to say that adding driftwood might have some impact on cycling. Driftwood typically lowers pH. Taken from http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/nutrient/nitcyc.shtml



The pH is also a vital factor in nitrification. Maximum rates of nitrification occur at pH values above 7.2, peaking at 8.3 (a common pH for marine tanks) then falling at higher values. What surprised me was the rate at which the effectiveness of nitrification dropped in acidic pH values: to less than 50% optimal efficiency at pH 7.0, to just under 30% at pH 6.5, and to just over 10% of maximal efficiency at pH 6.0. At these low pH values, nitrifying bacteria don't die, they just stop metabolizing and reproducing. Of course in these acidic conditions, most of the toxic NH3 is ionized to non-toxic NH4. But I had been under the impression (and mentioned here) that the pH needed to drop quite low, below pH 4.8, more like the acidity of a peat bog rather than conditions in a home aquarium. Not so.


With regard to water temp, taken from the same site

Nitrification also slows as temperature drops: no surprise there. In koi ponds, as water temperature drops to 50oF, nitrification slows to a halt. The surprise for me was to read that the rate of nitrification keeps increasing as temperatures increased, right up to 95oF, where you might expect some inhibition to set in. Temperatures higher than 35oC/95oF weren't tested.

[jetajockey]

I have a situation that requires me to cycle my tank ASAP. I'm a pre-K teacher and we are establishing a 10 gallon tank. I have yet to add ammonia although a parent suggested placing a dead shrimp in the water. My dilema is that a parent brought me two blue gourami and I have no clue what to do with them. How can I get the water ready for them ASAP????

I would attempt to cycle the tank with Tetra SafeStart or try to find someone with some established "seeded" media. www.angelsplus.com sells a sponge filter that has been 'pre-seeded', I considered it sketchy at first but I have tested it twice and have had positive results both times.

[Rbishop]

Driftwood rarely affects pH unless you have tons of it in a small tank or are using soft woods.

[J double R]

:iagree:

[The Zigman]

Would just add that cycling a tank with live plants requires closer monitoring than a tank without any plants, as the plants will absorb some if not all of the nitrate in the beginning of a cycle.