Most Important When Starting A New Tank

[raptorrex]

ill have to see if i can find that kit at my fish store, but for now should i put anything in the water or can i turn that little fish loose and see how he is in the morning?

if anyone knows of a site that explains this in full detail but simple i would like to read it cuz im haveing a hard time grasping the whole chemical thing?

cant think of a better place than here.
try doing a site search for cycling, there must be some pinned threads about.

 

[Underwurlde]

The link on cycling provided above IS as simple as it gets.

Your filter uses a blue media or sponge (or something like it). When you cycle a tank the idea is that you build up a colony of nitrifying bacteria in these filters. Fish pee (through their gills); they pee ‘Ammonia’ and this is HIGHLY toxic to fish. The nitrifying bacterial colony munch this ‘Ammonia’ into the slightly less toxic Nitrite. Another (slower growing) bunch of bacteria then munch this up into the far less toxic Nitrate. The levels of Nitrate (and of course ‘Ammonia’ and Nitrite) is kept low by regular weekly water changes.

These Nitrifying bacteria are sessile (i.e. they are permanently attached to something and are not free to move about); they don't ‘live in the water’ per se, but rather live stuck to things like your filter media (which for this reason has a large surface area in the form of a sponge), rocks, walls of the tank, plants and so forth.

There are 2 ways of cycling a tank. With fish or without; both provide a source of food for the bacteria in the form of Ammonia (so that the colony can start to grow), be it from fish pee or adding it by hand. The ‘with fish’ cycling technique (unless you are experienced at it and know what you’re doing) is considered cruel because during the cycling process (which WILL take weeks) you are poisoning those fish because there will not be a large enough bacterial colony to deal with ALL of the ammonia produced by the fish.

Cycling a tank without fish couldn’t be easier. You simply add PURE ammonia (an amount determined by the size of your tank) day by day. Then you monitor the levels of Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. Once your Ammonia & then your nitrate levels have gone up and then back down again and then nitrate levels go up, your tank may be considered initially cycled and you can start adding fish.

I am sorry that this process will take a long time (probably > month) but that's simply tough. Live up to your username: loveforfhishies : - take your danios back to the shop AND FISHLESS CYCLE.

Everyone here seems to be telling you the same thing. Yes it is confusing because of a lot of conflicting information out there, but believe me, anyone who has a basic understanding of MODERN fish keeping will say that when you have a new tank, FISHLESS CYCLE IT FIRST!!!!!!

Andy

 

[andywg]

I will probably get flamed here, but here goes:

Whilst fishless cycling is admirable and very much encouraged on this forum, from my chats with the more experienced fishkeepers (those with rays and the like) on both this forum and real life, it occurs to me that most people do/did not fishless cycle. Obviously cloning is ideal, but then so long as you are keeping on top of water changes and monitoring the levels of nitrogenous waste then I don't see massive problems when cycling with fish - especially when viewed from the point of view that the lower the pH the lower the level of ammonia rather than ammonium (ammonia is bad, ammonium is not so bad).

There was a table and brilliant explanation done by Bignose about 6 months ago on how the pH affects the ammonia-ammonium balance for anyone who wants to look into it a bit more.

 

[Underwurlde]

@Andywg: I agree! Flamethrower off.
I do however think cycling WITH fish is harder to do properly.

I avoided mentioning the NH3/NH4 balance to make things a bit simpler as the guy was struggling with the chemistry.... But I think this is the thread. (Should be pinned IMHO):
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=154313

Andy

 

[andywg]

But should we solely suggest one method of fishkeeping by not including all the facts rather than provide all the facts and let others make their own mind up.

With water changes and close monitoring you can do a cycle with fish and it gets people more interested in the hobby than having to watch a tank for 4 weeks that is empty. And the facts of the ammonia/ammonium balance shows that the fish are not always subjected to lethal amounts of ammonia through cycling.

If you can fishless cycle I applaud you, though I have never done it, and now I have established tanks I will never do it either, preferring to clone.

Indeed, perhaps we should always point people to the list of members prepared to donate mature media before suggesting fishless cycling?

Edit --

Agree, definitely pin worthy link above

 

[loveforfhishies]

yeh thats helpfull, im starting to understand a little better, even at that tho my test kit is kinda confusing to read.

is this an ok test kit

http/www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3635399