I haven't had my tank for too long... and it's pretty cloudy (white color) but every time I test it, everything is normal. So, I'm pretty sure I'm just waiting for it to cycle now...
2007-08-31 13:37:39 · 8 answers · asked by Arlene W 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
There's no "exact" time, although 3-6 weeks is most common. The exact time will depend on a number of variables, such as the size of your tank, the number and size of your fish, how much you feed, how often you do water changes and how much volume you remove, the water temperature, if you "seeded" the tank with bacteria (from a bacterial additive, or filter media or gravel from an established tank). With all that, it's impossible to give you an exact time frame.
You're correct that the cloudiness is normal, and the cloudiness will continue for a few weeks yet. If you're just beginning the tank, you should be seeing ammonia and some nitrite beginning by the end of the first week. You do need to add something as an ammonia source, though, or the tank won't cycle at all. This can be a hardy fish or two, some fish food or piece of shrimp, or a few drops of pure ammonia.
You can see more on the timeframe expected in these links: http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php
A few things you can do to have the tank cycle faster are to increase your temperature (causes the bacteria to multiply faster) and to add a bit of gravel or old filter media from an established tank (as long as the tank is free from diseases or algae problems, you don't want to add these to your tank as well!). The more bacteria you have to start, the faster the results of the reproduction.
2007-08-31 13:59:55 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you mean when will it be clear and ready for fish? A full cycle is quite a long time, but if you mean an initial start up its usually around 5-7 days. It actually helps to put in a couple of fish (choose inexpensive ones). When you start adding fish later, make sure you only add a few at a time and wait about a week before adding more. You can overload the balance and end up killing the fish if you put too many in at one time.
Good Luck!
2007-08-31 13:43:00 · answer #2 · answered by Joanne D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Temperature has a lot to do with how long a tank cycles. My tank cycled in 2 and a half weeks. The temperature was at around 84 degrees or more in the summer. Higher temps makes the bacteria that is involved in the cycle multiply faster. If your temp is cold and you want a faster cycle, you can increase the temp. Keep in mind that higher temp will shorten the life span of your fish.
2007-08-31 14:16:55 · answer #3 · answered by revernance 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm assuming this is a salt water tank. well from my experience it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 weeks. mine only took 8 weeks. remember this! if you want your tank to give you times of joy then you give your tank this little time. it will be over before you know it and then all your time will pay off. good luck
2007-08-31 14:18:03 · answer #4 · answered by joshuamathena 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a cheap hardy fish and put it in the tank. There is no such thing as fishless cycling.
It will take a month for it to be ready for fish.
I would use five zebra danios. They are really hardy and they are nice to look at.
2007-08-31 13:57:39 · answer #5 · answered by Ringer Dog 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
5 years
2007-08-31 13:40:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 7⤋
It usually take about seven years for a tank to go through its phase depending on what kind you bought.
2007-08-31 13:42:21 · answer #7 · answered by Mika Washington 1 · 0⤊ 5⤋
i think its five and a half years to be exact
2007-08-31 13:43:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋