Cycling

i don't have a biological filter though! +, I conditioned the water already! I've only had it cycling (w/ no chemicals) for 1day and my test readings show 100% perfect! My dad has already spent around $200 and doesn't wanna spend any more on chemicals... If my readings (test) show 100% perfect, why do I have to cycle it??? :confused:

Oh, by the way, my filter is a Regent Aqua-tech 20-40
 
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Well of course your water tests perfect. You need a source of food to start the cycle. Without it, it is just tap water. You don;t pour a glass of water from the tap with ammonia and nitrites in it. What you need is to establish bacteria before the fish get put in so they won't suffer as the bacteria grow. You water will test fine but add some food to the water and then test it. If it can eat 5ppm of ammonia in a 24 hour period then you will be ready for some fish without worrying about the cycle having to grow and hurt the fish.
 
ok... what do I have to do to start it cycling?

By the way, if I dont even start the cycle, how can it affect my fish?
 
By the way, if I dont even start the cycle, how can it affect my fish?


As soon as you add fish, their will be a food source thus starting a cycle... Alot of people on here have different thoughts and opioions (cant spell ahhh) MY personal suggestion would be to cycle it with a pair of platties or a pair of convicts, most people say a fishless cycle is alot better, but all this chemical talk confused me in the begining aswell, so i cycled with fish... it will take about 3-5 weeks to complete the nitrogen cycle!


HTH!
 
get some 100% ammonia and get some test kits. doing the fishless cycle will introduce you to using test kits, watching levels, and learning a bit of what is really going on in your tank without putting fish in harm. you need tests no matter what so get your dad to spring for those as well :)
 
There is no sense cycling with convicts or platies if you want to keep goldfish. That would be stupid. Then what do you do with the fish thatwere used to cycle. You can't keep them with the goldfish. Do you return them so others can buy them already weakemed from enduring high ammonia and nitrite levels and they die an early death?

If you are going to do a fishy cycle then at least use the fish you plan on keeping. If your fish choice is one that is generally a weaker variety like neons or ottos then do every fish a favour and use the fishless cycle.

There is a sticky for the fishless cycle at teh top of the newbie forum GoLdFiSh_GrL. It is a great read and very informative. No matter what you choose at least take the time to get the facts from it. It isn't easy to make a choice if you don't have all the info. Your goldfish will live long happy lives if you look into cycling your tank this way.
 
GoLdFiSh_GrL...you are a little confused about what "cycling" means. Please read more about it. I know you want to do the right thing....the right thing is to understand what it all means before you begin. You can cycle with or without fish...but your tank must cycle. That is just the way things are. The people who prefer fishless cycling ( and I am one) like not having to stress fish during a cycle. And cycling does stress fish even if it does not kill them. The people who cycle with fish have done it that way in the past ( I've done this , too) and believe that they are not harming the fish and do not want to wait 3-6 weeks before they can put fish in the tank. The truth is, it takes patience to be a successful fishkeeper and given the choice the FISH would probably prefer fishless cycling. Seriously, you have to make the decsion...but you cannot decide not to cycle. But please learn a little more first. I know it can be confusing when different people seem to be saying different things but the advice from most of the experienced people is actually very similar ( whether they do fishless or not ). Anyway, hang in there.
 
ok... how EXACTLY do I start the cycle? please walk me through this so my fish can be healthy... My 200gal. I never cycled & my 4 Oscars are doing perfectly fine... but I want to cylcle this one. :D
 
Other tanks?

How many other active tanks are there in the house?

You can take the junk that is washed out of the filter and add it to the new tank and you will have all the bacteria you need.

What sort of filter is on the Oscar tank? A canister filter or hang-on-back type?
 
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