begginer with cycing question!!
- Thread starter hey21jude
- Start date
this page has on article on just about all you need to know about beginning fish keeping... go about half down for the cycling page... but just about all o fthem are great articles.....
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=297432#post297432
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=297432#post297432
It takes several weeks because the tank has to build up bacteria to break down the ammonia and convert to nirtite and on. But there a several products at your LFS that sell Live cultured bacteria (Cycle, Fritz Zyme, Stress Zyme) which help your tank cycle faster.
Cycling your tank from scratch takes from 4-6 weeks. If you can get some gravel and filter media from an established tank that has been running for a few months, you can speed up the process. If you can get your hands on a product called Bio Spira, you can cycle in a few days.
Basically, to do fishless cycling, you simply buy some plain ammonia without additives and add a small amount daily to get a reading on an ammonia test kit of 5ppm ammonia. You put ammonia in every day and after a week or two you begin testing for something called nitrites as well (a different test) . When you finally get a reading for nitrite, you cut down on the ammonia & add only about 1/2 the original amount, so that it reads 2-3 ppm ammonia on your test kit, and keep adding it daily. Eventually, you'll get to the point where even after adding ammonia, it will go down to zero on your test kit in 24 hours, and the nitrite reading will also go down to zero on the test kit. When this happens your tank is cycled. You do a big water change and you're ready for fish.
Here's an excellent article outlining the different ways to cycle:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64301
Basically, to do fishless cycling, you simply buy some plain ammonia without additives and add a small amount daily to get a reading on an ammonia test kit of 5ppm ammonia. You put ammonia in every day and after a week or two you begin testing for something called nitrites as well (a different test) . When you finally get a reading for nitrite, you cut down on the ammonia & add only about 1/2 the original amount, so that it reads 2-3 ppm ammonia on your test kit, and keep adding it daily. Eventually, you'll get to the point where even after adding ammonia, it will go down to zero on your test kit in 24 hours, and the nitrite reading will also go down to zero on the test kit. When this happens your tank is cycled. You do a big water change and you're ready for fish.
Here's an excellent article outlining the different ways to cycle:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64301
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