cycling fish?

Question

If I have a new aquarium, can I put the hardy cycling fish right away?

Answer 1

You can cycle the tank faster without fish honestly. Not to mention it's risk free as far as the fish are concerned. Here's a link about one way to do fishless cycling:

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article14.html

In placce of the chemicals he mentions, any source of ammonia will do. Personally, I would suggest fosh food since it's cheap and you have some around any way. Just set up the tank and feed it just like it was full of fish for several days. The food will break down and release the ammonia you need to start the cycle. If you have another tank, or know soome one that does. squeeze out the filter pad into your new tank. That will really jump start the bacteria and cycle the tank in a very short time frame ( like about a week).

You will need an ammonia test kit to know when the cycle is completed. Just check the ammonia every few days until you see it get really high, then drop to 0. At that point the tank is safe for fish.

If you have other questions about fishless cycling feel free to drop me an email.

MM

Answer 2

If you can get your hands on mature filter media (or gravel from a tank with an undergravel filter), like from a friend or the fish store (who should help you out without issue), and place this in your own filter, then you will be adding living bacteria of both types directly to your tank - which means you can add your fish at the same time and not worry about the cycle at all. The more of this media you can get your hands on, the more fish you can safely add. (squeezing media doesn't do much more then introduce dirty water to the tank, you need to actually use the media in the water, preferably in your filter). Personally, I don't waste time with cycling when this easy way around it exists. Death rates for me with 'cycling' a tank remains at absolutely none.

Naturally even if you choose to go this sensible route, you'll want to keep your eye on ammonia and nitrites anyway, just in case.

If you choose to do a fishless cycle, which is the next best thing, you are much better off with bottled ammonia then using fish food, which will release many phosphates and other pollutants as well as ammonia into the water - using food works in a pinch, but once the cycle is done make sure you do a nearly full water change before adding the fish, and let the new water aerate for a few hours before adding them.

Answer 3

Yes you can put those hardy fish in after you've allow the water to settle from conditioner for about 24 hours. MM is right, there are methods to doing a fishless cycle, but I've never tried this, and I cannot give input on that because I have no actual hands on experience with it. I do mine with fish, and have relatively low death rates from doing it that way. If you opt the fish route, give your tank about 24 hours before adding.

JV

Answer 4

100% with magic, a fishless cycle is cheaper and quicker