# Cycling Poll - - Help



## pinkice (Dec 29, 2010)

The fish demons are messing with my head. 

If everything goes as planned, I'm going to have water, substrate, plants, filter, heater, etc in my aquarium and running by this weekend.. 

My mind is spinning. 

Add fish... Don't add fish..
*question
Don't add fish....add fish..

I've even thought about adding ammonia for a week with no fish to make sure the plants really eat it..... and then adding some fish if the plants do their job.. What's a girl to do?????


What would you do :huh:


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

Buy a test kit. API liquid test kit is a popular one. No fish until the tank is cycled.


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## pinkice (Dec 29, 2010)

rtbob said:


> Buy a test kit. API liquid test kit is a popular one. No fish until the tank is cycled.


I already have it *w3
Just waiting to use it 

Thanks for your vote.

fishless - 1
with fish - 0
fishless one to test plants - 0


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I vote fishless too.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

To poperly cycle you need to add fish. If your water is on the acid side I would add Rasboras or Tetras (2 or more). If on the basic side (ph > 7.5) I would add Guppies or Mollies. If you have a warm tank, I would add two Female Bettas. The cycleing process does the following:
Protein > Ammonia > Nitrites > Nitrates. 
This doesn't occure in a plant only tank as limited proteins produced there. Don't add valuable or sensitive fish for at least one month. Your ammonia levels should be near zero at that time.


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## pinkice (Dec 29, 2010)

Thanks for your votes

fishless - 2
with fish - 1
fishless one week to test plants - 0


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Neonshark,two female bettas will fight.You have to have at least five to spread the aggression between the females or they may possibly kill each other.Ive tried it with two,three and four,and five and up is about the only thing that works,and thats really only in a very heavily planted tank....


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You find the right ammonia, then come back.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

You do not need to add fish to properly cycle a tank. Sorry but you are giving wrong info neonshark. A tank can cycle with or without fish. Without fish you have to use another ammonia source. Its safer for fish to do fishless and less work for you. Unless you don't mind harming some cheap fish. Rasboras are not a good fish to cycle with. If you want to cycle with fish use danios, they are the hardiest.

It's easy to cycle with plants as plants will already have beneficial bacteria on them. Then you use less ammonia to feed the tank. They don't need proteins to produce the ammonia if you are adding an ammonia source to the tank. But to cycle with plants you need to add lots of plants.


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## Price (Dec 11, 2010)

of course my vote doesnt count yet cuz i havnt done it haha but i think i said before to you, im going the route of using fish flakes as ammonia source for the fishless


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Price said:


> of course my vote doesnt count yet cuz i havnt done it haha but i think i said before to you, im going the route of using fish flakes as ammonia source for the fishless


This route will take longer and can take a few days to get the ammonia to show. You may als need a good gravel vacuuming once you're done. Fish flakes just make a mess. Liquid ammonia is much easier if you can find it....and cleaner.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Fishless all the way, but if your plants are taking care of the ammonia to a reasonable extent (as in turning dosed concentrations of, say 10 ppm, down to less than 1 ppm within a few hours), then you may add fish in my extremely hesitant opinion; I've stated in other threads I'm pretty vehemently opposed to intentionally exposing fish to a toxic environment. Read my response in your other thread for a method I used and literally had the tank cycled (according to water testing results) in 10 days. I even left on vacation for a week during the cycling and came home to great test results.


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## pinkice (Dec 29, 2010)

Ok.. I'm going with the fishless cycle. I need to go to ACE and find ammonia. (Sorry Guy, I'm not putting stinky shrimp in my tank, lol) 

I will go this way, mostly for the safety of the fish. And, the teacher in me is really wanting to do the tests and keep spreadsheets of results, etc. 

Thanks for your replies, everyone.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Make sure the ammonia is free of surfectants. If it is scented don't buy it. If you shake it and it foams up don't buy it. If you shake it and it bubbles and dissapates pretty fast, then that is probably what you are looking for. Look at the ingredients. You may already know this, if you have done research on it.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

pinkice said:


> The fish demons are messing with my head.
> 
> If everything goes as planned, I'm going to have water, substrate, plants, filter, heater, etc in my aquarium and running by this weekend..
> 
> ...


Put the plants in the tank and then do nothing.

at least for a week or two.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Bob, I don't think much patience is being applied here, lol.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jrman83 said:


> Bob, I don't think much patience is being applied here, lol.


that's because none of us are doctors so we don't have any patients.


*old dude


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

on this cycling pole thing----

I always wondered how you get a cycle to go up a pole.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

And the third and final jok errr thought of the day

I feel the eventually you will want to add fish to your tank. *old dude


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

I'd say add a few small hardy fish (like a couple Mollies) AND live plants... but that's just me...


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## pinkice (Dec 29, 2010)

I found ammonia, but it has the sulfacants.. I got it before I read not to get it with it... but, I shook it when I bought it (everyone in the store thought I was crazy, I was walking up and down the isles shaking)... and.. it didn't bubble.. 

ammonia at a different store bubbled up and the bubbles didn't even go down.. The stuff I bought didn't bubble any. but, like I said, it does say it has sulfacants.. 
*sigh..


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If it were me I wouldn't use it and keep looking. Look for the local, non-national chain type hardware store.


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## pinkice (Dec 29, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> If it were me I wouldn't use it and keep looking. Look for the local, non-national chain type hardware store.


I know.. I'm going to the hardware stores after work today. If I can't find it, I will use fishflakes, I guess


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

pinkice said:


> I know.. I'm going to the hardware stores after work today. If I can't find it, I will use fishflakes, I guess


Before you add this and that just to start the cycle, I would just add the live plants and see what happens. then add fish slowly and not add food for the fish for the first week.

my .02


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## pinkice (Dec 29, 2010)

beaslbob... if only you knew how bad I want to add fish *sigh. Do I really have enought plants in there to add them. 

I did find ammonia that says pure ammonia at the hardware store. But, it also says 10% ammonium hydroxide. It has no sulfacants and doesn't bubble. 

I'm so torn


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## AbadHabit (Sep 9, 2010)

:dont_tap_the_glass:Fishless, unless you moving a smaller tank into a larger one, and then make sure the water you add is as close to the aquarium water as possible. But try to get some gravel or filter pads or something from a cycled aquarium. Will make you process a little quicker. I wouldn't want to waste my money buying fish, when it is a uncertian factor if they will die. But everyone to their own. How ever you do it, enjoy your Aqua Freinds.*W Everyone have a pleasant day!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

That ammonia is probably fine.


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