what are good starter fish to get a 29 gallon tank cycled? About how many? I've already added some stress zyme the first day i set it up. Any advice will be most appreciated! :shark:
starting a fishy cycle
- Thread starter bubbles42151
- Start date
Seriously consider fishless cycling if the tank is empty right now. I know the urge to get fish in the tank is great 
but fishless cycling goes much faster without having to worry about killing the fish.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=fishless+cycling
but fishless cycling goes much faster without having to worry about killing the fish.http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=fishless+cycling
Don't buy any fish you aren't going to keep long term in the tank. Otherwise what will you do with these cycling fish?
If you opt for fishy cycling then stop using stress zyme, except to take chlorine out of the water (I assume it does that too). It doesn't help with bacteria. Also try and get some gravel or filter material from an established tank. That will help a lot. And do daily water changes with test kits to make sure the ammonia and nitrite levels stay low enough not to hurt the fish.
A fishy cycle is generally a lot more work than a fishless if you plan on keeping your fish alive.
And of course the tank will only cycle to the level of fish you add. So if you add 3 danios then each new fish you adsd will cause a cycle to restart. So you must add fish slowly, weeks apart.
If you opt for fishy cycling then stop using stress zyme, except to take chlorine out of the water (I assume it does that too). It doesn't help with bacteria. Also try and get some gravel or filter material from an established tank. That will help a lot. And do daily water changes with test kits to make sure the ammonia and nitrite levels stay low enough not to hurt the fish.
A fishy cycle is generally a lot more work than a fishless if you plan on keeping your fish alive.
And of course the tank will only cycle to the level of fish you add. So if you add 3 danios then each new fish you adsd will cause a cycle to restart. So you must add fish slowly, weeks apart.
norm3000 said:Seriously consider fishless cycling if the tank is empty right now. I know the urge to get fish in the tank is great
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=fishless+cycling
Fishless cycling isn't significantly faster than a fishy cycle. It has the benefit of having a constant and steady supply of ammonia but you're still looking at 4-6 weeks on average.
I've used Bio-spira to start a fish tank, a container pond and a newt tank. It has worked like a charm all three times. I especially liked being able to add it directly to my biological filter- a bio wheel.
It really would be much less work doing a fishless cycle. There would be far less water changes. This in its self is worth fishless cycling. Believe me, when I first discovered cycling and what I had to do to keep the fish alive (I had already bought fish before learning about it), every day I wished I had researched before hand and had done fishless cycling.
As phanmc stated, it isn't faster fishless cycling. It takes the same amount of time (unless you use something that already has beneficial bacteria on it), but it is far less work and stress. In the end, your future fish will thank you.
As phanmc stated, it isn't faster fishless cycling. It takes the same amount of time (unless you use something that already has beneficial bacteria on it), but it is far less work and stress. In the end, your future fish will thank you.