Fishless Cycling Is The Way To Go

[PurpleSmurf]

For those of you just starting the hobby like me, save yourself a lot of heart ache, effort, and time and run a fishless cycle.

I've had two tanks running fishy cycles for the last three weeks and I'm about ready to scream. I'm doing three or four water changes to keep the water pristine and even then the stress of overnight spikes (typical reading for the last three days at 10am after a water change 12 hours before has been 1.5-2ppm) one day with no water changes and the nitrites shot to 5ppm because is adversly affecting my fish. Since my cycle hit the nitrite spike I've lost five animals: 3 Platies, a betta, and a snail (probably not a cycle casuality but it definatly compounds the dismay) and I'm worrying that another betta may follow.

Watching your animals die isn't any fun -- I know that I'm questioning if I want to keep another tank after going through this. Fishless cycling will be easier on you and will save you time, money, save your fish undue stress, and make you appreciate your tank once it is finally stocked (nothing like looking at an empty tank to fuel the desire for fish )

How to run a fishless cycle

:dive2:

 

[sivic]

Should have added bio spira. But i agree with the whole fishless cycle but if your impatient and are dying to add fish, bio spira is the way to go. I've only used it once when transfering fish and it worked great.

 

[Emg]

Here's a more fun to read description of fishless cycling which I found at a website somewhere...can't remember where. I enjoyed reading it anyway..lol..though I have yet to try this method. :joke:



"To start up your tank correctly you will need a test kit that will test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. You also need a raw shrimp and a few beers. Fill and decorate the tank and get your filter and heater going. Temp to about 78 for now. Throw in the shrimp and go have a beer. You're done for a few weeks. You can test the water every few days. You will see ammonia start to build as the shrimp decays. Soon a bacteria will grow in the bio media of your filter (never clean this) that will convert the ammonia to nitrite. your test will show ammonia crashing and nitrite spiking. This will take a week or two. Go have another beer. Do nothing to the tank. It will take about twice as long, but soon enough a second bacteria will grow that converts nitrite into nitrate. Your test will show ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrate spiking. Do a 50% water change using a ravel vac to get the ramains of the shrimp out of there. That can be a little gross, so steady yourself with a beer. Add a pair of fish, sit back and...well you know by now. The next morning take a few aspirin and test the water. If you see any ammonia or nitrite OR if nitrates are above 20ppm, do a water change. Do not have a beer after this water change. Too early. When ammonia and nitrite stay at zero for a few days you can add a few more fish. Best to do this later in the day, for the obvious reason. Always test after stocking, the bacterial colony in your filter will need time to adjust to the new bio load. I should also be talking you through the proper use of a QT (quarenteen tank), but I'm out of bourbon..Don"