jdoenumber2
New member
Wow, I thought i knew everything when i first started out. My ignorance failed me many times. And please define cycle so you can enlighten me.
Cycle question...
- Thread starter Jacwil
- Start date
superkat
Premium Member
Cycling the tank takes between two and eight weeks depending on several factors including:
* Amount of ammonia in water for bacteria to digest
* Availability of bacteria in atmosphere to colonize filter
* Frequency and relative amount of water changes
* Reliability of source of waste (ammonia and nitrite)
* Amount of excess decaying matter in tank (dead fish, extra food, plant leaves, etc.)
* Presence of toxins/anti-bacterial agents/sanitation chemicals in tank water
* Use of chemicals to remove ammonia from the water.
"Cycling the tank" means that you are establishing a bacteria bed in your biological filter to remove the toxins that the fish's metabolism creates. There are right and wrong ways to do this, and several things you can do to slow this process (which you don't want to do). There are two steps to cycling, but you don't have to do anything special for either of them. First, your filter will grow a culture of bacteria that digest ammonia and turn it into Nitrite (which is more toxic than the ammonia in hard water or water with a higher pH), then your filter produces bacteria that digest Nitrite and turn it into relatively harmless Nitrate. However, Nitrate will contribute to loss of appetite and stress in your fish, as well as contributing to algae growth, so it is important to do regular small water changes to keep your tank in best condition.
* Amount of ammonia in water for bacteria to digest
* Availability of bacteria in atmosphere to colonize filter
* Frequency and relative amount of water changes
* Reliability of source of waste (ammonia and nitrite)
* Amount of excess decaying matter in tank (dead fish, extra food, plant leaves, etc.)
* Presence of toxins/anti-bacterial agents/sanitation chemicals in tank water
* Use of chemicals to remove ammonia from the water.
"Cycling the tank" means that you are establishing a bacteria bed in your biological filter to remove the toxins that the fish's metabolism creates. There are right and wrong ways to do this, and several things you can do to slow this process (which you don't want to do). There are two steps to cycling, but you don't have to do anything special for either of them. First, your filter will grow a culture of bacteria that digest ammonia and turn it into Nitrite (which is more toxic than the ammonia in hard water or water with a higher pH), then your filter produces bacteria that digest Nitrite and turn it into relatively harmless Nitrate. However, Nitrate will contribute to loss of appetite and stress in your fish, as well as contributing to algae growth, so it is important to do regular small water changes to keep your tank in best condition.
eugeneK
slacker
If you search RC for 'cycle", many people do it that way. Get a 30 gallon brute, live rock, power head, skimmer, salt water. When you cycle the tank , you are not cycling the "Tank", you are growing bacteria on the innet porous surface of the rock, that feeds on the die-off that happened during rock shipment and transport. Generally cycle is needed for 2 reasons:
A. your rock had dead tissue (99% of the time you had to transport it from lfs to home) and bacteria may not be plentiful enough to consume all the amonia/nitrites available.
B. you have dead rock and you need to seed it so that it can handle your bioload.
So there is no point to get waste water since liverock has all the bacteria it needs, just have him toss it in a dark container with a powerhead and a heater and it WIll start the cycle as long as when transported after, rock isnt dry/cold for prolonged period of time.
In terms of 20-48 hr cycle, there is no such thing, however, if the rock is from a cycled system and was properly transported, there is no cycle generally needed. Ammonia may spike slightly and go away, but that's about it. Its just like moving from one container to another.
here is an article By Dr. Cow with a timeline diagram:
click me
A. your rock had dead tissue (99% of the time you had to transport it from lfs to home) and bacteria may not be plentiful enough to consume all the amonia/nitrites available.
B. you have dead rock and you need to seed it so that it can handle your bioload.
So there is no point to get waste water since liverock has all the bacteria it needs, just have him toss it in a dark container with a powerhead and a heater and it WIll start the cycle as long as when transported after, rock isnt dry/cold for prolonged period of time.
In terms of 20-48 hr cycle, there is no such thing, however, if the rock is from a cycled system and was properly transported, there is no cycle generally needed. Ammonia may spike slightly and go away, but that's about it. Its just like moving from one container to another.
here is an article By Dr. Cow with a timeline diagram:
click me
