Not Another Fishless Cycle

[roadmaster]

Old time hobbyist's don't use fish during maturing (cycling) process. They keep a healthy biological filter running and simply borrow material from this filter to seed the new tank with.
If done properly, (seldom happens) there is no need for daily testing or water changes with fish in method to ensure toxins aren't harming the few ,small fish. Have used this method as mentioned ,and fish lived way past what most consider life expectency and also used same fish to begin maturing process in several tanks. Have even had fish complete successful spawns while the process was taking place and I raised the fry from those spawns to adulthood as well.
As also mentioned,,Fishless is the way to go for the majority and patience.

 

[FISH-FRY]

Still going strong and healthy with growing plants, baby shrimp and even snails. The Corydora and Tetra have been spawning but no fry sightings. I'm doing ~20% water changes every other week and the next one will be every 3 weeks because my numbers support it. I'm shooting for monthly water changes.

Kill Radar
Creature deaths due to fish-in cycling = 0

 

[FISH-FRY]

All is going well and doing routine 6 week water changes although I have pushed 7 weeks a couple of times.

 

[frogmarch1987]

Just remember that water changes aren't just about removing waste but also about replenishing minerals in the tap water which the fish use up over time. If you leave a water change for too long you can get tank water that is very different to your tap water and can result in shock to the fish when you do eventually perform a water change.

I'm a beginner to keeping fish and certainly am not an authority on this subject, but it's just something to consider when seeing how far you can leave it between water changes

 

[Timmy_Bee]

why are you proud of the fact your tank is over stocked?

 

[theshadowinc]

#92###, The OP did a fishless cycle, you'd think that he/she had killed someone the way some of you go on.

Personally I prefer fish in cycles, pet stores use, it and so did hobbyists before people actually twigged about using ammonia instead of fish faeces, short term exposure to ammonia and nitrite, may <<<< MAY harm the fish, there is no solid evidence to say it will, it depends on the fish species, the water temperature and the PH of the water, seriously, stop shooting the guy down, a fish in cycle is a totally acceptable way of cycling a tank.

My objection isn't really the fish-in cycle, it's the attitude and the way it was handled - unless I am very much mistaken, the OP allowed the nitrites to sit at an elevated level for around two weeks.

A "may harm the fish" is, in my book, as good as a "will harm the fish". It's a living creature and we shouldn't be gambling with it's health if it can be avoided.

Now, if the OP actually meant he tested the water at least once daily, got levels of 0.25 and then did a very large water change (according to fish-in cycle 'best practice') and this continued for two weeks, then that's all normal. However, that didn't come across in the post.

I'm not knocking a fish-in cycle. They are often necessary. However, convinience is a poor excuse and the fact that fish stores and old time hobbyists do them is definitely not an excuse. People also used to regularly dock the tails of dogs, but we don't do that without a valid medical or working reason anymore.

Ignorant reply I see.... convinience is a poor excuse? Do you own a dog? Do you have it fixed? if so thats a convinience! And I guess in your terms mentioned above that fixing a dog is definitely not an axcuse! After all it is for convinience so the dog doesn't get knocked up etc. .25 is not a killing amount nor means he should be going to jail! Some of you need to grow up we all know how a cycle works by now, not to mention the plants helped in keeping the ammo and other stuff down zzzzz

Said by SuperColey
I put fish in as soon as the water is up to temperature!!!!
I have not done a water change for 8 months!!!!
I add nitrate and phosphate if I need to and will add excess if I want to!!!!
I will add CO2 to a very high level without fear of killing fish!!!!
I have nearly 20x the tank volume in circulation without fear of blowing fish away!!!!
I use excessively low amounts of light to achieve heavy growth!!!!
My fine sand substrate is over 3 years old and is not cleaned or stirred!!!!
I ignore the 'tolerant temperatures' that are given for each particular fish. Between 22 and 28 suits all the fish I ever had

I think he summed it up well! I have 4 discus and they cost 100 dollars each now, I never cycled my tank when I set it up as a planted tank, I keep temps at 82-86, I keep very temp sensative fish (Cory's, Kuli Loaches, Snails, Oto's) and they have been living in that tank for a long time now(2 years now) and all fish are healthy and stong! I dose Nitrate in the tank and discus are sapose to be sensative fish! I do water changes I add warm water to the tank! I forget to do water changes from time to time(It explains my algue I get) I double dose on a rest day! All this against all your rules yet my Brazil sword Has flowered not only once but twice in a season! Go ahead and ask around its the rarest flowering you will ever get to see!

I think the op did a good job, although he ran into some issues for the majority of it he lost 0 fish! You all need to look into things with a mind wide open! It is not a 1 rule suits all world! Many planted tank hobbyist don't even follow rules that are set out some might take a rule here and a rule there but for the most part of it none are actually followed! This applies to cycling as planted tank hobbyist don't even bother to cycle a tank! So keep in mind you buy that doggy in the window don't bother giving it shots or even getting it fixed cause you would be a hypocrit on what you stated about this individual!

BTW I own 2 dogs 1 is fixed its a male the other is not fixed its a female and I won't bother fixing the animal its to much money and I don't need an excuse(getting her fixed would eliminate the excuse)to not have her fixed! Its easy for me to regulate when she is in heat on who she gets to hand around!

Everyone grow up and have a wide open mind!

 

[OldMan47]

I must disagree with your basic premise Shadow. Although I keep lots of fish that I do not fully understand, I do not lose fish, ever, to water parameters. My fish live in environments that afford them only 3 to 5 times recirculation. Many of them live in undefined flow regimes determined solely by the flow that a natural type corner filter can provide. Let me say the heck with that 10x attitude I see so often among plant enthusiasts, it is simply not needed for proper fish care. I feel sorry for those who feel a need to justify what they are doing with their fish. It is not that I don't respect those whose methods result in happy, healthy fish. It is simply that those who need to justify their own approaches by quoting this and that strike me as some rather insecure fish keepers. If what you do works, more power to you. Please post it here where others can benefit by following your lead rather than being defensive. I am only too aware that my own experiences are very narrow and I would welcome successful alternate approaches.

 

[theshadowinc]

I must disagree with your basic premise Shadow. Although I keep lots of fish that I do not fully understand, I do not lose fish, ever, to water parameters. My fish live in environments that afford them only 3 to 5 times recirculation. Many of them live in undefined flow regimes determined solely by the flow that a natural type corner filter can provide. Let me say the heck with that 10x attitude I see so often among plant enthusiasts, it is simply not needed for proper fish care. I feel sorry for those who feel a need to justify what they are doing with their fish. It is not that I don't respect those whose methods result in happy, healthy fish. It is simply that those who need to justify their own approaches by quoting this and that strike me as some rather insecure fish keepers. If what you do works, more power to you. Please post it here where others can benefit by following your lead rather than being defensive. I am only too aware that my own experiences are very narrow and I would welcome successful alternate approaches.

So you agree with what super said then in my post you don't provide 10x turnover anotherwords you don't follow all the rules that are sapose to be in black ink. Many of us don't. The 10x turnover is there for a reason its for planted tanks only for the simple reason plants give off waste as well. And to keep debris off the bottom(They also act as a filtration system as well). But its like what i have said many times and what I have heard mainly from reefers(Reef tank is that and not a fish tank and a fish tank only is just what it states) A planted tank is just that a planted tank, a fish only tank is just that a fish only tank. Its when you mix the 2 together when when the extra flow is needed(Now with that being said with out fear I unpluged my filtration system for 2 days had to install new impeller, broke it when doing a cleaning to the filter system. 2 Days solid no filtration (I got an Algue bloom that now i can't get under control) My ammo readings at end of day 2 was 0 Nitrate 0 Nitrate 35(Don't forget I dose)My guess is that the algue being bba is from not enough circulation within those 2 days.

The problem I have is when someone comes on here and tells people oh you shouldn't be doing it this way its inhumian. I have bread betta's for a very long time the ones people pay anywhere from 40-100 for, and I have never cycled any of those tank and non have never got ammonia burn. I use Almond leaf so whats the point in cycling the tank or even testing it with testers cause you can't.? The point is the guy used a method that many curse, I have used the Ammo method and right after introducing fish I have had filter crashes before(I don't use that method anymore). Its better and quicker to just do fish in cycle, the op picked that method but yet everyone replying that he is a criminal zzz .25 is harmless for nitrite ammo 0 thats the key and you need to have nitrite to form nitrate zzzzz. Sometimes i wonder if people forget how a cycle works. Its not idividuals like the op we should point out. If many want to do cursing, start standing up to the oil spill at the golf of mexico, and start cursing the idiots putting chemicals in the water to clean it up, thats a bigger deal than a hobbyist who obviously knows what he is doing(He obviously did his homework unlike most that come here)

BTW millions of sea creatures are dead or dieing out in the gulf due to that chemical they are using to clean the spill, as my point stated about a dog it still stands true, think about it before you go all crazy on me(I know you keeping your cool unlike most would)

 

[maisy12345]

Hi ,how many litres does your tank hold Fisf fry?