Fishless Cycling Questions

[Apriles]

Hi all :)

This may be my first post but I've been lurking for a little over a week now reading up on all the good information.

My daughter has been wanting a pet, but she is only going to be 5 next month. I decided that a Betta would be a great first pet and she's been excited about the idea too.

I've only ever had one Betta before (several years ago) and while I knew enough to get him a 2.5 gal tank and a heater I didn't know anything about treating the water correctly or cycling. Looking back I'm kinda suprised now that he lasted as long as he did. :/

We're planning on getting our supplies to set up the tank tomorrow. I want to do a fishless cycle before buying our fish but I have a couple questions:

1. I want to use live plants in our tank. Should I cycle the tank and then add the plants or is it better to add the plants and then start the cycling?

2. Where do you get the pure ammonia to start the fishless cycling process? Is this something I can also get at the pet store?

Thanks for any advice. I've been really impressed with all of the good advice and ideas I've been reading so far. I look forward to letting you guys know how our start into the Betta world goes. :)

[soleilvie]

I'm not entirely sure about your first question but in regards to your second question, do you have an Ace Hardware store near you? That's where I got mine. Unfortunately the bottle is big, but it's only $2.50 and it is the Ace brand. You might have success with other hardware stores. I've heard some people got theirs from Walmart but you won't find it at pet stores. At least not that I know of.

[Neelie]

tbh, i dont understand why ppl bother actually cycling their tanks of you can artificially cycle them within a few days without ammonia etc.
my local pet shop manager (and fish pro for 30 years) recommended a product called "filter start"... he said set up your tank with filter heater etc, follow the instructions, wait 3-4 days, add fish and your done. did that, and hey presto, its perfect. tank is up since 2 weeks, fish in it and being fed, and stats are exactly what they should be all day every day (im actually waiting for something to go wrong because it was just too easy)
my tank is a 30g tank though. dunno how it works with smaller tanks etc.

[dramaqueen]

I've heard mixed reviews on the "cycle" products. Some people say they help cycle a tank and others say they're no good. I would definitely put the plants in before starting the cycle. Plants will help the tank cycle faster. Also, hello and welcome to the forum.

[Apriles]

Thank you everyone for the input. :)

We are going to go pick up supplies today. I'll check out the "filter start" but I think I may still try the ammonia method. Partially I think I just want to see how it works...but then I'm a bit of a science geek so I don't mind that part.

Now if I can keep my 5yo interested once she finds out we have a tank but no fish!

[glassmouse]

I can tell you how I cycled my three tanks but I'm not making recommendations. You decide for yourself. I set the tanks up, live plants but no fish. I got a raw shrimp from the grocery store, put it in a knee hi stocking and hung it in the tank for a day or two until the ammonia reached between 4 and 8. I removed the the shrimp and tested it every couple of days. When the ammonia and the nitrites returned to zero but the nitrates were high I did a 50 to 80% water changes. I retested the nitrates to be sure they were below 10 then I added the fish. The whole process took about 2 weeks. No daily water changes durring the fishless cycle to worry about. It worked with all three of my tanks.

[Hankbetta]

I used Tetra SafeStart on mine, a local fish store owner recommended it. It took three days, although I had to remove the carbon out of the filter. But Charlie hasn't been sick since. I think it worked well when I switched him to his new tank. Also haven't tested the levels... but I probably should.

[Apriles]

Originally Posted by glassmouse

I can tell you how I cycled my three tanks but I'm not making recommendations. You decide for yourself. I set the tanks up, live plants but no fish. I got a raw shrimp from the grocery store, put it in a knee hi stocking and hung it in the tank for a day or two until the ammonia reached between 4 and 8. I removed the the shrimp and tested it every couple of days. When the ammonia and the nitrites returned to zero but the nitrates were high I did a 50 to 80% water changes. I retested the nitrates to be sure they were below 10 then I added the fish. The whole process took about 2 weeks. No daily water changes durring the fishless cycle to worry about. It worked with all three of my tanks.

OK I've never heard of the "shrimp method" of cycling before. Though now I'm intrigued and may need to try this out. Plus it's probably the cheapest way to go. lol

[Neelie]

Originally Posted by Apriles

OK I've never heard of the "shrimp method" of cycling before. Though now I'm intrigued and may need to try this out. Plus it's probably the cheapest way to go. lol

and safer. ammonia is a dangerous substance and with a 5yo i would stay clear of it tbh.