5 gallon tank idea-feedback appreciated

[wallywestisthebest333]

I don't think you do water changes with a fishless cycle.

You only do water changes with a fish in cycle because you want to get ammonia readings but you don't want to poison the fish that's in your fish-in cycle.

With a fishless cycle you don't have to worry about poisoning a fish. You just have to keep testing the water with a test kit so that you know when you get your nitrite and nitrate readings. Then you just have to wait to get the right levels of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite.

I'll also be using the piece of something method although since me and my mom don't have any shrimp on hand I'll be using a chunk of salmon in a couple of layers of pantyhose just to keep things neat and tidy. =]

Unfortunately the test-strip kit that I got doesn't test for ammonia so I'll have to get another kit that tests for it.

I'm cleaning and setting everything up today. I'll be posting about what happens on here a few weeks in. =]

Here's the best piece I've found on the topic. I actually found a lik to this piece on one of the threads here on bettafish.com.

http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

[JKfish]

I just looked at the bag the bait shrimp came in, and I now just realized it never specified whether or not the shrimp is raw... and looking at the pieces of shrimp, they look sort of pink to me :P I just hope it really is raw, or if not, that it'll still cycle the tank.

[Magzmoir]

Cooked shrimp will work too it'll just take a bit longer to decay since the bacteria in the raw food was destroyed when it was cooked, the bacteria in your tank will take over after a day or 2 tho.

[JKfish]

^_^ that's good to know. :P My dad's electronic water tester doesn't test for ammonia or nitrites or nitrates, and he won't let me go to Petsmart to get to a water tester, and basically told me to leave it alone for five days, do a water change, and hope the tank is ready for fish. Does that sound like a good idea to you guys?

[JKfish]

Oh, and also, I came home, and smelled the water (which smelled like rotten eggs last night) and I couldn't smell anything. Obviously that's good, and I'm wondering if the ammonia was causing the sulfuric smell, and now that the smell is gone, if that is a decent sign that the ammonia has dropped, becuase it has been abour 32 hours since I first put in the shrimp. I might be crazy, but still, it's an idea. Anyways, does anyone know how long cycling a tank using raw shrimp typically takes?

[mfskarphedin]

It takes about a month to cycle, unless you seed your tank/filter with material from a previously-cycled tank. Don't do water changes. Don't put a fish in without testing for ammonia and nitrite first. They should be zero, and you should have nitrate built up. Then you can change the water and add a fish.

[JKfish]

Mfskarphedin- thanks ^^ I'm going to try to get a water tester soon.

[sjones]

This may sound silly but:
Doing a fishless cycle (say shrimp) is there any reason to have a heater in?

[JKfish]

from what I've read, the bacteria grows quicker when the water is warm. I'm also having my heater running so that my tank is basically the same way it will be when the fish are in, just so if anything happens, say the heater over heats (not that it will), it'll happen when there are no fish in the tank, and I'll know what might be a possiblity later.

[Mizzle]

Originally Posted by sjones

I am becoming overwhelmed with water changes and have the idea to set up a 5 gallon critter keeper as a cycled tank,
So, I was reading this thread and saw TOM internal mini filter suggested.
If I get one of these and throw it in a five gallon critter keeper is that enough to get my cycle going?
I would also like to add some plants eventually..
I need my heater with the fish until he goes in the new tank..
What else do I need to buy to get this cycle started? :)

I've never had a problem so far doing a fish in cycle with a betta, but the smallest tank i have is 20g. Though a 5 gallon tank is so small, I don't know how much success you will have in maintaining your tanks bacteria. A lot of things can go wrong in a 5 gallon tank.