Fish-less cycling will not cycle the tank instantly. Just as the standard methods of establishing biological colonies in an aquarium take time, so does fish-less cycling. However, it is certainly easier on your fish. Also known as "seeding an aquarium," using pre-established media from another system is an age-old method for jump-starting the biological colonies in a new aquarium.
Use a portion of the filter media from a previously established system or a cup of gravel from a stable, established tank in a bag and put it into the filter. Transfer between systems should take place quickly, without allowing time for the bacteria to die or dry out. Unless you have a lot of filter media to spare, this method will shorten your cycling process, but allow some time for your filter to reach full capacity.
However, not all bacteria colonies will work in different tanks. Do not use seed material from an aquarium that has dramatically different water parameters than the new tank. Test your water to make sure the pH and kH is in a similar range.
Like many fish, bacteria cannot withstand dramatic shifts in water chemistry. All fish will bring some of their own bacteria into the mix. The colonies you start out with might not be what you end up with. Keep a close eye on your nitrogen parameters to make sure things are progressing smoothly.
Never take bacteria from a tank showing any signs of disease. Even though most pathogens only live on fish, there is a chance that something might be lurking in their filter colonies. Another method to speed up the nitrogen cycling process is to place the filter that is to be used in the new tank on an already established tank and let it run side by side with the existing filtration system.
You should add approximatley fish per 10 gallons of water. Adding too many fish will lead to excess waste. This can cause an ammonia spike and kill off your fish. Here are a few good choice for cycling fish :. Feed your fish sparingly, be careful not to overfeed them. As a general rule of thumb feed your fish once every 2 days. And only provide them with moderate-sized meals. This increases the level of toxins in your tank before the good bacteria is able to colonize your aquarium.
And you feed them smaller meals because leftover food will rot and produce even more toxins! Your fish are being exposed to potentially lethal amounts of ammonia and nitrate, so regular water changes are a must.
Make sure you add de-chlorinator to the water. So keeping track of the amount in your tank will help you manage your fish throughout the process.
Testing for nitrate is a must have. After each addition, wait for about a week and test the water again. If the ammonia and nitrite levels are still low, add some more. Adding too many fish will cause the ammonia and nitrite levels to rise. This will stress your fish and can lead to disease. This is the method I would recommend you use. I would like to add, there are other methods to doing a fishless cycle. You have no fish in the tank, so what do you do?
A nice simple way to do this, is to begin by dropping a few flakes of fish food into your tank. Add the same amount you would if you were feeding fish. You can do this every 12 hours. Now, all you have to do is wait. The flakes will begin to decay — releasing ammonia into your tank.
Test every other day, and try and maintain the ammonia levels at 3ppm. Nitrosomonas will begin to grow and start consuming the ammonia. You can use a commercial test kit for this. Once the ammonia and nitrite levels have returned to zero, the cycle is complete. Again, don;t just go adding a load of fish. You need to do this gradually. And wait at least a week or two before introducing more. Consider cleaning any substrate with a siphon or hose before adding fish.
Yes, the nitrogen cycle can be sped up. Filter media from an established tank will have nitrifying bacteria attached. If you have access to an established tank which uses an undergravel filter, bacteria will be attached to the gravel.
This will have the same effect as using media filter. Take roughly a cup of gravel and hang it in a mesh bag in your filter, if you can. Living plants , not fake plants, can help to introduce bacteria to help nudge the process along. Especially, if you get them from an established tank. Plants use a process called protein synthesis to moderate the ammonia levels in your tank. Pro Tip: Using fast-growing plants like Vallisneria and Hygrophila will help absorb more ammonia.
This is important, a HUGE downside of using an established tank to speed up your Nitrogen Cycle is that you could transfer some nasty stuff. You can shorten the time. But, testing the water, performing water changes and regular maintenance is essential if you want to be a successful hobbyist. Here are some common problems you may experience and how you can combat them. The symptoms to look out for are:. To lower the ammonia levels, perform water changes more frequently — changing a greater portion of the water each time.
Ammonia tends to start rising around day 3. Your tank may not be cycling. Try adding some more ammonia. Use a pH kit to increase the level. Using chlorinated water will disinfect your tank — killing all the beneficial bacteria. The bacteria you need lives in the gravel, filters, and decorations in your tank.
The reasons for this are similar to ammonia levels not dropping. Unfortunately, cycling your new aquarium can be an ideal environment for algae to grow. First, you need to consider your actions through the cycling process, and how long it has been since any mistakes have been made to slow the cycling process down.
All of these statements should be true before you consider your fish tank to be cycled. Then you need to consider these indicators that the aquarium has cycled. Remember, these are not relevant unless the conditions listed above are all already met.
Once those conditions are met, then consider these additional indicators. Aquarium cycling requires a bit of effort and patience on your part, but trust us — the results are totally worth it.
By preparing a welcoming ecosystem for your new fish, you greatly minimize loss of life and make your aquarium maintenance routine easier. Shop Menu. What is the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle? How to Cycle Your Aquarium There are several ways to cycle an aquarium, and some are easier than others. Based on our experiences of successfully running hundreds of fish tanks, here are the methods that have worked well for us: Fish-In Cycling This approach is the most common, used by both beginner and veteran fish keepers alike.
So, here are a few tips to help you get started on the right foot: When setting up your aquarium, only add a few fish at the start. Some people recommend 1 small fish for every 10 gallons of tank water. Look at your fish stocking list, and choose the hardiest, most durable species you plan on keeping. Feed your fish very lightly at first and then gradually increase the amount over the next four to six weeks. You can significantly speed up the aquarium cycling process by adding beneficial bacteria from the onset.
If you already own several aquariums or have a friend that does , simply transfer some used filter media or substrate from an established fish tank to your new one.
0コメント