Question on lights and cycling

[n0zqh]

I have my tank full of water, and have been cycling for a week and a half now. I haven't had the money to buy strips so I don't know the ph, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates just yet... Not till Sunday.
Here is my question, I also don't have lights till Sunday, do I need lights to cycle? I hate to think I've been wasteing my time.
On sunday I'm going to buy lights test strips and a butt load of bio balls from the LFS. I also want to buy 2 convicts. Is it to early to for fish?
The tank is a 40g long
Penguin 170 filter, and a Fluval 203
although the Fluval needs new hose, and spray bar to replace the scuzzy stuff I bought used,... that comes Sunday also.

 

[Jericho]

No you do not need lights. Are you doing a fishless cycle as in using ammonia? If so then take a look at the fishless cycle sticky. And I think that it is early for fish, you want to test the water first before you add fish.

 

[Ms.Bubbles]

No you don't need lights to cycle --aquarium lights are primarily for you to see your fish (and for aquarium plants).

Its WAY too early for fish. The cycling process takes 4-6 weeks, unless you've seeded your tank &/or filter with bacteria from an established tank.

I wonder how many are in a "butt load" of bio-balls. Here I was thinking you were supposed to put them in your filter...

 

[n0zqh]

Well I am thinking I'll put some in the Fluval, and I'll just float the rest of them.
I'd think it would do no harm and they are only $.99 apiece, so I could just have like 10 or 12..... or more. I read some where it was 1 ball to 5g.
I won't know anything till sunday when I buy test strips to test the water. I just may have to do some more waiting. I'm wanting to chomp at the bit though. I'm tired of looking at an empty tank.

 

[daveedka]

The one ball per 5g was a reccomendation from an LFS here in Columbus. They sell them to new fish owners since most people don't take the time to Cycle properly. Those however are fully cultured bio-balls from active tanks. Buying bio-balls is not a bad idea as they will provide a lot of additional area for your bacteria to grow, but they still have to have time to be colonized by the bacteria.

I get the distinct impression (I could be wrong) that you do not have ammonia added to your tank. If that is the case you have not yet begun to cycle the tank. Cycling is the process of estabilishing bacteria to consume the nasty nitrogen compunds and convert them to less nasty nitrogen compounds. Without nitrogen compounds in the tank (ammonia and nitrite) no bacteria will estabilish or grow.

here is one article that may help Cycling

dave