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Cycling question...

1K views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  Oldfishlady 
#1 ·
I am going to to a fishless cycle of cycling, and I was wondering if using fish flakes would be a way? And after I cycle will I ever have to do a 100% change again?
 
#4 ·
What size is the tank, type of filter, any live plants, substrate and how deep, type of additive you will be using (dechlorinator) what is the finial stocking plan and what kind of test kit are you using.

While using fish food will work for the fishless cycle-often it can cause bad bacteria that can end badly once you stock the tank and not recommended.

The best ammonia source for fishless cycling is pure ammonia.
 
#6 ·
You can usually get pure ammonia a most hardware stores...

What kind of testing products do you have on hand? Doing the fishless cycle can be much harder without a test kit since you need to maintain the ammonia level daily-while you can have your water tested at the pet shop-having it done daily might be a pain....

You can safely establish the nitrogen cycle in a filtered tank with the Betta and without a test kit on hand-provided that you are willing and able to make the needed water changes....
 
#8 ·
Actually I don't have a test kit... When I got my bettas I had never heard of cycling an aquarium... I had a betta before a few years ago and I was never informed about that.... And right now I'm broke :/
 
#9 ·
In a 5gal filtered tank with a single Betta without a test kit on hand....getting the nitrogen cycle established safely....

Make 50% water changes with vacuum weekly-this is the water change you will do for the life of the tank to maintain water quality......for the next 4-6 weeks while you are establishing the nitrogen cycle-make an extra 50% water only weekly between your regular 50% with vacuum to be safe....

Filter media-best to not clean this for the first 4 weeks-then give it a swish/rinse in the bucket of old tank water with a water change a couple of times a month to get the big pieces of gunk off=it should look dirty this is the good bacteria.....

The beneficial bacteria for the nitrogen cycle are sticky and adhere to all the surface areas in the tank, in the top layer of the substrate and in the filter media-very little are in the water column itself and so water only changes will not hurt the process, however, over cleaning can-don't vacuum more than weekly, only vacuum in places you can reach without moving anything around in the tank like the decoration or clean the filter media in chlorinated water...it can take 4-8 weeks for the nitrogen cycle to establish as long as you provide oxygen, food source and surface area it will happen on its own given enough time......
 
#11 ·
Unless you test the water it will only be a guess.....once you have nitrate 5-10ppm without any ammonia, nitrite spikes...you are most likely cycled....remembering that some products added to the tank can cause skewed results.....

As long as you follow the schedule I gave you- that will handle the bioload of 2 adult Bettas.....

As a general rule-you always make a water change with any change in fish behavior and dose the dechlorinator for the full volume of the tank to rule out the environment as the cause....often fish behavior with the power of observation is the best water tester......
 
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