Cycle

[karlp]

If so how long doyou think it will take as i can add bacteria from my old filter spounges and the tank has been set up a week???

Are your old filter sponges in an existing tank with fish ? If they are then...

From the point you add the sponges and start the daily ammonia doses, it should take about a week to cycle. The only sure way to know is to daily check ammonia. When the ammonia starts to fall off, check for nitrite. When the nitrite then falls to zero, it's cycled.

If your old sponges have not been in use for a while, then all the bacteria will have died, so you'll be starting from scratch in which case a normal cycle takes around 36 days from the point you start the daily ammonia dosing and... same again... monitor first for ammonia, when the ammonia peaks and then goes to zero, then test for nitrite. When the nitrite peaks and then goes to zero the tank is cycled.

Cheers

Karl.

 

[Ginge]

Yes they are in an existing tank so you rekon about a week. Anybody else that can give me any estimates???

 

[piper]

1-2 weeks, different for every tank

 

[ptstill]

Instead of adding ammonia, why not a couple of hardy fish - after all they produce ammonia?

I started my tank off 4 weeks ago using a proprietry bottled bacteria (API Stress Zyme - unrefrigerated) and added 6 rasbora (fork tails) after 5 days. Subsequently I have added a few small fish a week. I got a test kit after about a week and have been testing for the last three. All looks well according to the results and the fish appear to be doing fine. (Two mortalities out of 25 fish - but neither of these were looking great when we stuck them in.)

Currently in a 110 litre tank with a fluval 3+ internal filter, we have in order of acqisition:

1 preplanted rock and 1 preplanted bogwood (java fern and broadleafed plant) - these are both growing well.
6 rasboras
3 head and tailight tetras (were 4 - lost one)
4 peppered corys
5 cardinal tetras (were 6 - lost one)
2 platies
3 mollies

Tonight we noticed 3 fry swimming about quite happily - I think they are mollies.

So have we simply been lucky or might disaster still strike?

I might yet eat my words but I don't see why you couldn't put in a couple of hardy fish now.