tank cycle?

Question

i bought 6 zebra dinos to start my tank but i have a 55gal tank should i go buy some other fish and call that the start of the cycle

i was poor that day and wanted some fish
i got them on the 14 last thursday

OK i have had other tanks before iknow all about all the the cycle i just need to know if these 6 little fish are going to be enough to get the job done in 2 weeks or is it going to take some thing bigger

Answer 1

Yes ... six will be enough.

Once the fish establish the cycle continue to introduce the new fish slowly to allow the established bacteria a chance to also grow.

Answer 2

I hate to say this, but if you have not cycled your tank, and already have the Zebras - you may want to consider taking them back, and seeing if your LFS will give you a refund (just explain that your tank is not yet cycled, and you do not want to damage any fish).

I would encourage you to do what is called a "Fishless Cycle". I have an article for you that will help you out in understanding how to do it. The very first cycle I ever did was a "Fishin Cycle", and since the discovery of doing this without having to harm a bunch of feeder fish - I have never done another Fishin Cycle again. You can cycle your tank much quicker this way, and the bacteria colonies are not only greater in number, but quicker to nitrify.

Here's the article...
http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Fishlesscycle.htm

I recommend reading on the 10 and 14 day recipes at the top once you've read the main body of information.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm with Sly - using fish to cycle your tank causes permanent damage to their gills and organs during ammonia and nitrite peaks. It is painful and inhumane. Follow his advice on fishless cycling OR look in all your local pet stores to see if any of them stock a product called BioSpira. This is the ONLY live-culture nitrifying bacteria available, and it MUST be kept refrigerated. This will more or less instantly cycle your tank, but you must maintain the tank to keep the cycle going (weekly water changes, occasional parameter checks, etc). Unfortunately, this is often a bit expensive - for a 55-gallon tank, you'll be looking at spending probably close to $15 for enough BioSpira to cycle the tank. You will need to keep it cold, and if you don't use it all in one sitting, you'll need to seal it well. After about two weeks, you'll probably have to throw it out, as it tends to expire very quickly.

Do not try any other product that claims to start your cycle with bacteria, as the bacteria in these products is usually dead by the time it reaches the stores. It will just be a waste of money.

Answer 4

Just starting the tank? Well, it would help to know the size of the fish, but we can work with this.

Cycling your tank can be almost unnecassary if you know what you're doing, and you can balance the atmosphere with chemicals and substrate. Not what I would recommend though...

Get a bottle of StartRight (not the best...if you have a specialty shop nearby, consult them on what they sell for cycle treatment) if you haven't already. Use it appropriately.

Hopefully, treated the water for chlorine already. If not, your fish are probably not going to make it.

If you're using well water, you need to treat that also....but your fish can live in it for a while longer.

Anyhoo...hold off on buying anymore fish for at least two weeks. Ammonia spikes should be hitting in the next day or so, and you don't want to compound that until the natural filter is developed.

I would recommend a month though...

Answer 5

They should be more then fine, just take a sample of water no more then an hour old for testing at the pet shop before buying more fish. And, take it slower next trip, say only two fish. The spikes will shorten their lifespan.
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