Cycling a new aquarium?

Question

you guys that previously answered my question on getting a new tank would be happy to know that i didn't get a 7.5 litre tank nor did i get the baby biorb. i ended up getting a 60 litre tropical aquarium, a proper one :), i was just wondering how long i should leave it with the filter and heater working before i add my fishes :D.

pets at home said wait a week, a informational video on fish keeping told me two days and ive previously read 2 days.

whats the best amount of time to leave the tank fish-less?

thanks for answers!

Answer 1

I was told to always cycle a new tank for at least 6 weeks, then add a couple of hardy fish to help getting it ready for whatever fish you will be getting, however ask somebody what fish to get because it al depends what fish you will be getting. You will get a lot of help on this board. Good Luck:)

Answer 2

If you are cycling the tank fishless by using an ammonia substitute then it can take anywere from 4 -8 weeks to mature. You need to test it regularly.  Dont add any fish unless it is completely matured.

If you are going to cycle the tank with fish in there then it will not start to mature untill you add the fish.  So leaving it empty for 6 weeks is a waste of time.  Only add a couple of hardy fish to mature the tank.

Tom

Answer 3

Well since I answered your other question thought I'd best give this one a shot =]

Well I'm really glad to hear that you got  the bigger tank, it'll be worth it in the long run :D

2 days is way to short for a 60 litre aquarium that wouldn't really be suitable for even a 5 litre one, so you'd be best  leaving it for about a week to 2 weeks just for piece of mind :D

Now you've added de-chlorinator and bacteria builder, STOP with the chemicals, many aquatics company's sell a whole range of chemicals aimed at speeding up the cycling process but really just pollute your tank and kill your first few fish! (I learnt that the hard way :( ).

After about a week take a sample of your tank water into pets at home and they will do a free water check to make sure your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH are all at a stable level, and if not they'll recommend that you leave your tank for a little longer (it will be worth the wait!).

Once you've cycled it, you can then consider which if your looking into making a non-aggressive community aquarium then i'd recommend neon tetra's and zebra danio's as a hardy starter fish, or if you want to create a more vibrant tank, some cherry barbs or tiger barbs are a great starting place, (but bear in mind that they are a little aggressive).

Good luck with your new tank =] if you need any other advice then feel free to e-mail me, also here's a link to the site I used when setting up my first aquarium, en-case you're interested...

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/cycling...

Have fun with your new hobby!

Answer 4

Most pleased you have opted for the 12 UK gallon tank at least we can now forget about sea monkey's :0)

You don't need to have your heater on during cycling, but it's all about growing bacteria so a bit of warmth helps.

Assuming everything is brand spanking new the first question is what comes out of your tap? Do you need aqua safe or dechlorinator, you could find yourself waiting longer than you should if bacteria can't colonise your filter.

You need to give them a start up source of ammonia and a pinch of fish flake will do that.

2 days is wishful thinking. After a week you will have bacteria, but your water won't be in a stable cycle, (not 12 gallon anyway). Personally I would add another pinch of flake and wait another week. Then rather than splash out on unnecessary water test kits, take a sample to Pets at Home and let them do it.

If we were talking about a bigger tank a month is reasonable advice, but you could start adding fish after yours on a gradual basis after a fortnight.

I breed Cory and I find their ability to breathe air useful as a first fish in the tank, so as a suggestion start with three as your bottom cleaners. Add your next fish a week later.

Welcome to the world of fish :0)

Edit: Guess that means you have live plants? I like snails, they are a very good water test kit. If the water chemistry isn't right they all head up the glass enmasse. If you've got one you have hundreds, so I wouldn't worry about it, don't harm anything just look unsightly :0)

Answer 5

actually, its one month dude its not just running the filter have you read anything about the nitrogen cycle? you need to build a colony of ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria so it can eat all that bad stuff. if you say its 2 days or a week, you have alot of studying to do

Answer 6

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

Cycling usually takes 4 to 6 weeks for the bacteria to build up enough to support fish in the tank and even then you need to add them slowly to allow the bacteria to build up enough again to support the extra waste load.

**

Answer 7

you can cycle with or without fish  i do it without fish because i think it inhumane to put fish in a tank where they will have trouble breathing and the fish i like would never survive that kind of treatment any way

how to do a fishless cycle  buy some ammonia (not the sudsy kind) and a testing kit   put the ammonia in (i dont measure )  and test the tank on a weekly basis and when your levels of nitrate and nitrite are close to zero  then you are ready to add a couple fish

then another mini cycle will take place wait till you levels drop again before adding any more fish