Crazy Cycle
- Thread starter LyraGuppi
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RobRocksFishTank
Moved On
Wait until they do. Check Nitrates. If too high, change water appropriately. Repeat until they do. The key is the 24 hour period.
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
In terms of ammonia there is a major difference between doing a fishless cycle and what occurs on an established fully stocked tank.
In an established tank ammonia is being produced 24/7, but at a very low rate. If there were no bacteria or plants present, the ammonia will build up to several ppm. Nut with all the bacteria established, the ammonia is taken up right away and turned into nitrite which is also taken up and converted right away. (This involves two type of bacteria, not three.)
Now in fishless cycling you could replicate this slow steady ammonia production with some very expensive equipment or by manually adding very very teeny amounts of ammonia about every 10-15 minutes all day and night long. Or, you could do what most folks do and add that 2 or 3 ppm all at once. But then you need to wait 24 hours to see if your tank can handle that amount.
And what you need to be doing is not a smallish water change bit a big water change of at least 50% or more. Then be sure the water is back to the proper temp and add your new fish. I strongly to suggest you stock as close to fully as possible for a few reasons. If all the fish go in together it is the same thing as having a Q tank. If you stock in stages, you really should quarantine all fish not added in the initial go before they get added to the tank. Next, if you wait to long between additions, some of the bacteria will fie back since there are too many for the fish load to support, Then adding too many fish later on can cause a mini-spike.
Bear in mind that fish load does not refer so much to the number of fish involved but rather the body mass of the fish. Think of it this way. How much would the fish being added weigh? Then, when you get to your next addition, ask yourself about how much do the new fish going in weigh. The key to each addition is it should not be more then 25-30% of the fish load already in the tank. No, you do not need a scale, this is a guideline.
In an established tank ammonia is being produced 24/7, but at a very low rate. If there were no bacteria or plants present, the ammonia will build up to several ppm. Nut with all the bacteria established, the ammonia is taken up right away and turned into nitrite which is also taken up and converted right away. (This involves two type of bacteria, not three.)
Now in fishless cycling you could replicate this slow steady ammonia production with some very expensive equipment or by manually adding very very teeny amounts of ammonia about every 10-15 minutes all day and night long. Or, you could do what most folks do and add that 2 or 3 ppm all at once. But then you need to wait 24 hours to see if your tank can handle that amount.
And what you need to be doing is not a smallish water change bit a big water change of at least 50% or more. Then be sure the water is back to the proper temp and add your new fish. I strongly to suggest you stock as close to fully as possible for a few reasons. If all the fish go in together it is the same thing as having a Q tank. If you stock in stages, you really should quarantine all fish not added in the initial go before they get added to the tank. Next, if you wait to long between additions, some of the bacteria will fie back since there are too many for the fish load to support, Then adding too many fish later on can cause a mini-spike.
Bear in mind that fish load does not refer so much to the number of fish involved but rather the body mass of the fish. Think of it this way. How much would the fish being added weigh? Then, when you get to your next addition, ask yourself about how much do the new fish going in weigh. The key to each addition is it should not be more then 25-30% of the fish load already in the tank. No, you do not need a scale, this is a guideline.
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