cycling a tank

[Damo83]

Hi,
I have just bought a tank which has been drained, the filters are dry and the substrate will be new.
I have never really taken the time/effort to cycle my previous tanks however i am stocking this one with fronnies so i want to take every precaution.
I don't have access to an established tank to steal water from so i was wondering what the best way to cycle a tank is.
what chemicals are best?
do i need to put some fish in while cycling the tank? if so i'm planning on putting clown loaches in with the fronts so would these be ok?

The tank is a 4x2x2 if that helps at all...

thanks in advance
damo

[gasnitro]

i set tanks up strait away never had a problem [fill tank and next day add fish]. just make sure all waters are right for the particular fish good buffer good filtration and regular water changes oh also use a good water conditioner to take out all that bad s~#t and some bio-start. just get yourself a water test kit and before the water change check the parameters of the water.

[Benji]

I have done the same as gasintro with some fish, but with fronts you probably won't want to take the risk.

i usuall fill the tank with straight tap water/substrate/rock etc, hook up your filter/s and heater and leave it run for a week or two, the chlorine with leave the water in that time (probably sooner).  Then i chuck a crap fish in there to see if it's safe.  then i put all my good fish in.

you can cycle it by feeding the empty tank (google - fishless cycling) or try dropping a fish fillet (i havn't tried this one) in there and let it rot this will create amonia .  after 4 weeks it should be right to go.  i never wait 4 weeks, it's too hard, but i never had any deaths.

i have wondered if you urinated into the tank once a day would it cycle as well?  i wouldn't try it though

[Cory Fan]

Hi,

I guess u can put you fish in without the cycling but just make sure u do a regular water change before ur bacteria build up.

Cheers :wink:

[Damo83]

ok thanks for the advice guys...

i was plannng on letting it cycle for a couple of weeks but wasn't sure about chemicals, fish, etc

not too sure about urinating in the tank tho  :lol:

[GTR73]

For what it's worth I'd certainly stick to cycling a brand new tank properly first (I think throwing fish and everything in first day is way too dodgy sorry guys).

Remembering the process is essentially to have nitrifying bacteria to balance waste consumption to waste production. It takes between a couple of days, to 6 weeks depending how you get it to the stablised nitrogen cycle - fish producing Ammonia, Nitrifying bactria eat the ammonia to produce Nitrites, Nitrite devouring bacteria then eat the Nitrites to produce much less toxic Nitrates. Plants and/or regular water changes keep the Nitrate level down for that safe environment.

A fishless cyling method I have used successfully in the past is adding liquid ammonia initially in the first two weeks to a fishless aquarium, then adding fish food in later weeks till it was cycled properly. I waited over a period of about 4-5 weeks (from memory) till the nitrogen cycle had established itself with the growth of the required bacteria. You can get ammonia from the supermarket - make sure it's 100% pure if possible, your ammonia source should be as pure as possible with little or no additives - I got mine from Coles.
You will still have the ammonia and nitrite spikes, but with no fish suffering their effects, you have no worries, other than doing a massive water change to dilute the final resulting nitrate accumulation (so don't do water changes when cycling). Once I kick started my tank by "feeding" ammonia initially, I just started adding fish food exclusively per day (about the amount of what I thought I'd be feeding the proposed number of fish for the tank).
So to kick start it, first get yourself an Ammonia test kit. Add small portions of ammonia till your test kit indicates around 5 to 7 ppm of ammonia. Keep the filters running that house the concentrated colonies of bacteria, and leave your tank light off (a dark environment is better for bacteria in the water). Don't get too bent up about measuring out the ammonia, just aim for 5-7ppm first couple of weeks. Then stop or ease off on the ammonia and start throwing in your fish food to rot away in the tank, effectively feeding no fish everyday as it were. You could just use fish food but the ammonia sort of kick starts the bacteria to start multiplying initially, and generally speeds up the whole process.
Should take 4 to 6 weeks as I said. Of interest, aerobic nitrifying bacteria exists in the air we breath, and settles in the aquarium to begin multiplying.
You'll know it's pretty well right to go when ammonia is 0ppm consistly over 3-4 days in a row. Be sure to monitor it  of course, after you introduce the fish and I'd even do a 30% water change after a week from introduction, followed by another 2 weeks later, just to be sure evrything is sweet.

[Damo83]

thanks for that info... i think i'll put some feeder guppies in there during cycling that way the fronts will get a feed once they go in too

[GTR73]

Sounds like a good plan.
Just test, test and test in those first few weeks. About the only time I find I need those test kits is when I first establish a tank. Once it's up and running they just sit in a cupboard.

[Damo83]

yeah i've got a few test kits left from previous tanks plus theres a few with my new tank so i should be fine...

thanks again for the help