I noticed when I did one of those test strips it said my dissolved minerals were high. Is there a way to fix the water thats already in tere or should I just start using filtered water in my changes
Freshwater cycling
- Thread starter Rbishop
- Start date
Thank you for the article. It did a good job explaining how to go about cycling. Sadly I am doing fish in cycling due to the fact I learned of it after I purchased a few fish. I wanted to know what your opinion was on products like nutrafin cycle and "instant" cycle products. I used one because the person at the store recommended it. I was very skeptical. Face it, nothing is instant, but he was very knowledgable. I am testing my tank twice a day in hopes to preserve the three fish I have, as well as to see if the product is actually working. To be fair to the product, it does suggest to use and put the fish in. It is actually recommends a three day process, but still.
If I succeed, my next tank I will use the bio-logical filter media method. After reading this, I am actually very anxious to try that method and personally see how the different level change. Thank you for the post.
If I succeed, my next tank I will use the bio-logical filter media method. After reading this, I am actually very anxious to try that method and personally see how the different level change. Thank you for the post.
I am "iffy" on those products, though some folks say they have luck with them. Bio Spira or Doc Tims seem to have the best success. I prefer water changes and keeping ammonia/nitrites under .25 when stuck doing a fishy cycle.
Instant cycle products have been on the market for years now. I, as most fish keepers who lived thru them back in the 90's, have been leery of them, they did not always work. However, I recently tried Seachems Stability on my 125g, after reading this thread on MFK:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...daily-perams-pics)/page23&highlight=STABILITY
I stocked the tank with fish I had "rescued" from a friend (the telephone call went something like "come get them or I'm flushing them") and some dithers of my own. I also moderately planted the tank. Sump and canister were new, I DID NOT seed from my other tanks. I followed the instructions to a T, and have to admit, it worked, beautifully, my tank was fully cycled in 2 weeks. (Skeptical, I did wait another week to start adding the final fish stock to this tank).
New products come and go all the time in this hobby, this one seems to work. At 10$ a bottle, I will def continue setting up new tanks using Stability.
Okay please remove this sticky as the initial cycling information is so wrong it should be banned and made illegal. You NEVER cycle a tank without fish for ANY REASONS. Heres why:
1st : When your cycling a tank you are actually cycling your filter. Seeing as there is 0 ammonia in any water your going to use you'll never cycle the filter as the bacteria colony needed for the bio system needs ammonia to even begin.
2nd : Leaving the tank up for a week or 2 does nothing to create a bacteria colony in a system that has no ammonia from wastes and so completes the nitrogen cycle and then sits there doing nothing.
3rd : The only way you can begin getting that filter cycled is to add fish and get some ammonia from there waste to get the system going. Not many to start in a 10 gal 2 or 3 is fine.
These old myths about cycling need to be thrown away as the only possible way of getting a system going is with fish. Even after 2 weeks or more your filter will have colony whatsoever and the fish added will still go thru the same break in period. You need Ammonia from waste to get the bacteria needed.
1st : When your cycling a tank you are actually cycling your filter. Seeing as there is 0 ammonia in any water your going to use you'll never cycle the filter as the bacteria colony needed for the bio system needs ammonia to even begin.
2nd : Leaving the tank up for a week or 2 does nothing to create a bacteria colony in a system that has no ammonia from wastes and so completes the nitrogen cycle and then sits there doing nothing.
3rd : The only way you can begin getting that filter cycled is to add fish and get some ammonia from there waste to get the system going. Not many to start in a 10 gal 2 or 3 is fine.
These old myths about cycling need to be thrown away as the only possible way of getting a system going is with fish. Even after 2 weeks or more your filter will have colony whatsoever and the fish added will still go thru the same break in period. You need Ammonia from waste to get the bacteria needed.
:rofl: I think the hundreds of people who have accomplished a fish-less cycle would tend to disagree with that last section...
Where in Bob's article does he ever allude to just letting a tank sit? I think you forgot to read the part(s) where it specifically says:
YOU are the one who has outdated information on fish cycling. A fish cycle is NEVER a necessary way to cycle a tank unless you mistakenly bought the fish before cycling a tank, which is hardly a thing an experienced aquarist should do...
Where in Bob's article does he ever allude to just letting a tank sit? I think you forgot to read the part(s) where it specifically says:
YOU are the one who has outdated information on fish cycling. A fish cycle is NEVER a necessary way to cycle a tank unless you mistakenly bought the fish before cycling a tank, which is hardly a thing an experienced aquarist should do...
