So how is the cycle supposed to happend....!??!?

[Alexpatrascu]

Hi guys.

I'm starting my 50 gal but first I wanna start the 15 gal that I'm planning on keeping as a QT and to add some RC shrimps in.....

Yesterday I filled the 15 gal with water(+ conditioner), planted some plants, added a small piece of raw fish(which I removed today at the recommandation of the guys at the LFS) and some Nutrafin cycle following the description on the bottle......

Here's what the label said:

New aquariums:
Day 1: 25 ml per 10 gal
Day 2: 10 ml per 10 gal
Day 3: 10 ml per 10 gal

All regular maintenance activities:
5 ml per 10 gal

After adding new fish:
10 ml per 10 gal

Weekly dose to maintain a strong beneficial biological colony:
5 ml per 10 gal

Now, the guy at the LFS told me to remove the piece of raw fish as it's been in the tank long enough(which I did) and to do a water change(after 1 day ?!?!?)

What I don't understand is the directions on the label....what's day1, day2 and day3 ?!?!

The LFS guy said it's like......day1 is the first day of the first week of the cycle(the day you start the aquarium), day2 is the first day of the second week of the cycle and day3 is the first day of the third week of the cycle.....

Now I'm a little confused.....am I supposed to add this bacteria supplement only three time during the cycle and after that on water changes and fish adding ?!?!

Can some1 please take me step by step through this cycle as I'm tolly lost.....

I need a "for dummies" tutorial....something like:
- fill the tank with water(+ conditioner) and plants
- add a piece of raw fish and leave it for this may days
- add the bacteria as it says in day1, 2 or 3
- make water changes every X days
- check for amonia after X days....
- check for nitrite after X days....
- check for nitrate after X days....
- etc

So please run me through this step by step so I can understand once and for all how is this supposed to work....

Thanks a lot guys.

[Pavo71]

The bottle of "beneficial bacteria" is not even the right kind of bacteria that you are wanting to grow. The proper type are arobic (requires oxygen or it will die) bacterias called nitrosonomus and nitrobacter bacteria.

The stuff in the bottle is anarobic bacteria and yes it will break down the ammonia and nitrites into nitrates but it requires a colony better than 10x the size of the right bacteria.

Cycling goes like this.

Add pure household ammonia to the tank until the ammonia test shows 4-6ppm ammonia in your tank and keep adding ammonia to the tank if the level drops below 4ppm to keep it between 4-6 ppm. do not use ammonia that has surfacants, it is soap. Ace hardware has the good ammonia.

Test for nitrites every other day until you can detect nitrites.

Keep ammonia levels between 4-6 ppm when it starts converting to nitrites.

When you start seeing nitrites start testing for nitrates every other day.

When you see nitrates start testing daily for all three and when it gets to the point that your bacteria process all of the 4-6ppm of ammonia straight into nitrates in 24 hours, your tank is finished cycling.

When it is at this point, do a pretty much 100% water change with conditioner and add your fish.

If you delay getting your fish, don't bother with the water change and keep up with adding the ammonia or else your bacteria will die of starvation.

[Pavo71]

also if you can't find a clean source of ammonia, peeing in your tank works. :eek3:

[MotionInSilver]

also if you can't find a clean source of ammonia, peeing in your tank works. :eek3:

:eek:

[Pavo71]

it is what the fish do in the tank Motioninsilver

[Slappy*McFish]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

[Alexpatrascu]

Thanks guys for the answers and the link......

But what if I use amonia from the LFS....is the household amonia better ?!?!

[Mgamer20o0]

lfs dont sell ammona or at least any one i ever been to.


also if you can't find a clean source of ammonia, peeing in your tank works. :eek3:
there are also a lot of stuff in your pee you wouldnt want in the tank.

[sorberj]

Shrimp tend to work better than pieces of fish, they break down faster, I've always been suspicious of the "bacteria in a bottle" products, I've never had trouble getting a cycle going with just shrimp. Put it in a media bag, wait 'till it's barely recognizable, and test your water, if it's 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites and has Nitrates, you're ready to go. I can't seem to find Ammonia around here that doesn't have some sort of detergent in it so I've avoided it.
As for peeing in the tank, I'm sure it works, but I don't think I could convince my partner of that.

[fishycat]

I started cycling the first few days with flake food, which was messy and slow. I threw in one medium/large shrimp (raw & unpeeled) and the ammonia spiked within 2 days. I used a sandwich ziploc bag with some holes poked in it with a sharp knife to allow water flow and also makes for easy removal. You can also use a nylon stocking/knee-hi (rinsed well).

It's been two weeks total, and my ammonia is starting to lower and I'm hoping nitrites will begin spiking soon.

[jbradt]

also if you can't find a clean source of ammonia, peeing in your tank works. :eek3:
I don't recommend this. At all. JMO


I started cycling the first few days with flake food, which was messy and slow. I threw in one medium/large shrimp (raw & unpeeled) and the ammonia spiked within 2 days. I used a sandwich ziploc bag with some holes poked in it with a sharp knife to allow water flow and also makes for easy removal. You can also use a nylon stocking/knee-hi (rinsed well).

It's been two weeks total, and my ammonia is starting to lower and I'm hoping nitrites will begin spiking soon.

This is really the way to go. It will work efficiently, you don't really need to do WC during the cycle unless the ammonia or nitrite start to get above 5-6. As far as testing, it's easiest (IMO) just to do it on a schedule, once per day. This way you will have a good idea of what's going on should anything... funky happen.

So, basically it looks like this...

1. put raw shrimp (the kind you buy in the grocery store to dip in cocktail sauce... yummy!) in a stocking, and plop it in the tank.
2. test ammonia once daily. if it gets above 6 or so, do a 50% WC.
3. you will (after what will seem like forever) see the ammonia spike, then come back down. At this point, it's time to start testing for nitrites.
4. repeat #2 with nitrites.
5. when your ammonia and nitrite are both 0 consistently, and your nitrates spike, do a large water change, pull out the shrimp and add your fish.

IMO, this is pretty much the basics. You should totally read the sticky (posted earlier) to fully understand the process.

Personally, I don't trust the "cycle in a bottle" stuff. If you know someone with an established, healthy tank; you can get some of the media from their filter and add it to yours to speed up the cycle dramatically. You could get some from your lfs, but only if you REALLY trust them and the health of their tanks.

Good luck with the tanks, and good for you for doing the fishless cycle!

[KarlTh]

lfs dont sell ammona or at least any one i ever been to.


there are also a lot of stuff in your pee you wouldnt want in the tank.

Such as?

[Alexpatrascu]

Ok guys, I got it, thanks a lot..........

[captaincaveman9]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=909&pictureid=7389

[ducatigirl]

I wouldnt recommend adding ammonia, none of my fish shops recommend or suggest it either. Might be why they dont stock it!
Best to do it naturally I'd say!

[DavidZ]

Wow, I like the way Pavo71 presents it
lol
we have a sticky up here with all the steps.
Main thing, Don't rush it!

[KarlTh]

I wouldnt recommend adding ammonia, none of my fish shops recommend or suggest it either. Might be why they dont stock it!
Best to do it naturally I'd say!

Best to do it with ammonia I'd say. You know exactly what you're adding, and what to expect.

[Lithomunky]

If you delay getting your fish, don't bother with the water change and keep up with adding the ammonia or else your bacteria will die of starvation.

About how long does it take for the bacteria to die off? I've had a 55gal tank empty for about a month. Is that too long?

[Lithomunky]

lfs dont sell ammona or at least any one i ever been to.


there are also a lot of stuff in your pee you wouldnt want in the tank.


But it's sterile, and i like the taste.

[halfmoonplakat]

I would think a month is too long...

[Alexpatrascu]

Thanks guys.....the amonia is starting to go down.....yesterday was at 2 !!!!!

[Lithomunky]

I would think a month is too long...

Z:omg: Guess what, it's still there!!!


well...the Nitrates are still there

[ducatigirl]

nitrates are supposed to be amm 0 nitrites 0 nitrates under 20 is good

Is that what you were hoping? :)

[GusBus]

But it's sterile, and i like the taste.
i heard if you drink enough of one thing your pee tastes like it lol better start drinking that ammonia then maybe you can start peeing pure ammonia in the tank:rofl: