Hey man, I also new here but I find the forums informative in some places and no so helpful in others (google is your friend).
I an currently doing a fishless cycle to my tank due to the fact that it will most likley save me 20 bucks in fish, and I don't have to watch my daughter get dissapointed when a fish dies (she is 3).
Get a ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kit like previously stated. go to a LFS (local fish store even petco) and get some gravel from one of their estlablished healthy tanks. and then go to a retail store and get a bottle of PURE AMMONIA(not yelling, just make sure it is clear ammonia with NO additives other then water, no dies or perfumes, it is usually a buck) add 2 teaspoons to your tank. wait 2 days and check your ammonia lvl's. if it is below 5ppm add more (if you are showing 2.5ppm or less add another 2 teaspons if more then 2.5ppm just add 3-4 drops) keep doing this every 2 days. After a week check your nitrIte lvl's. At this point they should be showing up.
This is when my ammonia eating bacteria was estlablished. I would add 1 teaspoon on ammonia and the next day it would show up at 0. When that happens you have had your ammonia spike and you no longer need to test for it. Just be sure to add about 3-4 dropps of ammonia to your tank every day to keep the bacteria alive.
Now comes the slow part (I have been at this step for 2 weeks, but i did not seed by tank from another IE i didn't get gravel from a LFS) While you are still adding the ammonia to your tank the backteria is consuming it and producing nitrites. By now nitrites will be at such a high lvl it will be off the carts on your test kit. I did not test for this every day because I heard it can take a while, I tested every other day. Keep adding ammonia to your tank and keep testing for nitrites untill they show up at 0.
When they show up at 0 add your ammonia like usual and the next day test for ammonia and nitrites at the same time. If they both show up at 0 it is time to test for your nitrAtes. Preform a 50% water change (using declorinated water so you don't kill your 'good' bacteria, you can pick this stuff at a pet store. get one that gets rid of clorine and clorimines just to be safe) and test for nitrates. Once your nitrAte lvl is down to less the 20ppm you are ready for fish(this is considered a safe lvl from what I have read both from this forum and other sites on the net).
Once you are this far take some of your tank water to the LFS and have them test it as well just to be safe. Then you can pick out your fish and enjoy them(if your ammonia and nitrite lvl's showed up 0). I personally can not wait untill my tank is cycled so I can add fish. It is depressing looking at a empty fish tank. IMHO It is well worth the wait though.
I an currently doing a fishless cycle to my tank due to the fact that it will most likley save me 20 bucks in fish, and I don't have to watch my daughter get dissapointed when a fish dies (she is 3).
Get a ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kit like previously stated. go to a LFS (local fish store even petco) and get some gravel from one of their estlablished healthy tanks. and then go to a retail store and get a bottle of PURE AMMONIA(not yelling, just make sure it is clear ammonia with NO additives other then water, no dies or perfumes, it is usually a buck) add 2 teaspoons to your tank. wait 2 days and check your ammonia lvl's. if it is below 5ppm add more (if you are showing 2.5ppm or less add another 2 teaspons if more then 2.5ppm just add 3-4 drops) keep doing this every 2 days. After a week check your nitrIte lvl's. At this point they should be showing up.
This is when my ammonia eating bacteria was estlablished. I would add 1 teaspoon on ammonia and the next day it would show up at 0. When that happens you have had your ammonia spike and you no longer need to test for it. Just be sure to add about 3-4 dropps of ammonia to your tank every day to keep the bacteria alive.
Now comes the slow part (I have been at this step for 2 weeks, but i did not seed by tank from another IE i didn't get gravel from a LFS) While you are still adding the ammonia to your tank the backteria is consuming it and producing nitrites. By now nitrites will be at such a high lvl it will be off the carts on your test kit. I did not test for this every day because I heard it can take a while, I tested every other day. Keep adding ammonia to your tank and keep testing for nitrites untill they show up at 0.
When they show up at 0 add your ammonia like usual and the next day test for ammonia and nitrites at the same time. If they both show up at 0 it is time to test for your nitrAtes. Preform a 50% water change (using declorinated water so you don't kill your 'good' bacteria, you can pick this stuff at a pet store. get one that gets rid of clorine and clorimines just to be safe) and test for nitrates. Once your nitrAte lvl is down to less the 20ppm you are ready for fish(this is considered a safe lvl from what I have read both from this forum and other sites on the net).
Once you are this far take some of your tank water to the LFS and have them test it as well just to be safe. Then you can pick out your fish and enjoy them(if your ammonia and nitrite lvl's showed up 0). I personally can not wait untill my tank is cycled so I can add fish. It is depressing looking at a empty fish tank. IMHO It is well worth the wait though.
