Aquarium Cycling Question

snapshooterr

Algae Beater
Feb 9, 2010
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Toronto, ON, Canada
www.aquariumphotography.info
Real Name
Chris
There is something that I've been wondering about cycling aquariums... What is it about having fish in the tank that starts the cycle? You're essentially just looking for waste to start breaking down and allow the good bacteria to start growing. Why couldn't you not have fish and just start adding a little fish food to the tank everyday? Wouldn't the uneaten food decay and get the whole process started without the need to subject fish to the ammonia spike?
 
Yes. In fact, some people do cycle their tank this way. It may cause issues with unwanted microbes growing as a result of the rotting process. A more popular method of fishless cycling is to just add pure ammonia straight to the tank until it starts to convert to nitrite and ultimately nitrate. Not sure if people use this method in marine aquariums, but it works really well in freshwater.
 
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