# Fastest Way to Cycle a Tank (Fishless)



## JOMA (Jul 23, 2010)

I came up with this all on my own.

Steps:
1.) Set-up your aquarium as you would. Get the filter running with all the water and decor in it and such.

2.) Buy extra filter media and set that up in a bowl or small bucket. (about 1 gallon.) Add a little bit of gravel also. Put water in the bowl. (Use water from the tank that has been conditioned.)

3.) Go buy some pure 100% ammonia and Freshwater Biozme (it is dried GOOD bacteria that activates when it hits water).

4.) The next morning put about 4-5 drops of ammonia per 10 gallons into your tank. Put the same exact amount you put into the tank into the bowl with your extra filter media.

5.) Add 1/4 teaspoon of the Biozyme per 20 gallons into the BOWL with the extra filter media. Go by how many gallons are in your tank, not your bowl.

6.) That same day before you go to bed put about 2-3 drops of ammonia per 10 gallons into the tank. Put the same amount into the bowl with the extra filter media.

7.) The next morning add about 1/8 teaspoon per 20 gallons (doesn’t have to be exact) of the Biozyme into the tank. Also replace the filter media in the filter with the media that has been soaking in the bowl. Then replace the gravel.

8.) Let this sit like that for about 2 hours. (remember always have the filter in the tank run 24/7)

9.) Then add about 3-4 drops of ammonia per 10 gallons into the tank.

10.) Let that sit for 5-8 hours.

11.) Either get the water tested from a LFS or test it yourself. Your ammonia and nitrite levels should be minimal to none 

12.) YOUR FISH TANK IS CYCLE!! 



This method works because the media in the bowl is like media from a tank that has been running for years because of so much bacteria and ammonia in such a little place. This adds a lot of GOOD bacteria into your tank's filter which is the exact place you need it.

PS. This ingenious way of cycling was thought up by a person who has never had a fish tank and is 15 YEARS OLD! Yeah that’s me.


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## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

I have never studied the Biozyme but here is the first problem I see. The only bacteria additive that I know of that actually contains aquatic bacteria is Tetra Safe Start. The others do contain bacteria but it is not aquatic so you have to add it every week. If not it dies from being in the water and then you are back to square one. When using Tetra Safe Start you have to add it to a new tank and then add fish. This will GRADUALLY increase the amount of ammonia in the water and not overwhelm the bacteria. If you add TSS to a tank and then dump in high dose of pure ammonia it can kill the bacteria depending on how high the ammonia concentration is. Adding water from an established tank does not do much good at all. There is a very low percentage of bacteria in the water itself. It is mainly in the filter, gravel, etc.
If you are looking for the fastest way to cycle a tank just set up a new tank and get some gravel and filter media from an established tank. As long as the media you add has been in a healthy tank for a couple months you will basically have an instant cycle. If that is not an option add some fish and a bottle of tetra safe start and let the tank sit as is for a week. This will give the bacteria from the TSS time to multiply and in about a week the tank will be cycled as long as the directions are followed.


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## JOMA (Jul 23, 2010)

i cycled my tank in 36 hours using this method so it works.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

What were your testing results....ammonia, nitrite, nitrate....at the times you were adding or just after adding your ammonia?

I don't see how a tank can cycle in 36hrs. I would think bacteria colonies need a little time to grow.

How do you know you are cycled?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Also bacteria won't live in the bowl without circulation. That is the purpose of the filter to circulate the water through the bacteria and to keep the bacteria alive.

example, if your tank has been running for a year and the power goes out for 24 hours, most of your bacteria has died off because the lack of water movement.

A tank isn't cycled the way your doing it as the bacteria has no water movement in the bowl. And zero ammonia and nitrite don't make a cycled tank unless you are also reading nitrates.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Still not drinking the kool-aid on this one. Cracks me up though. I will come closer to believing that in some cases, not necessarily the method mentioned, you can get a shorter cycle.

Still interested in testing results along the way - if you have them.


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*I dont think you can grow all the bacteria that is required for cycling in 36 hours. Bacteria needs time to grow and multiply just like everything else, and there are factors that you can do to help it. Even with "seeding", increasing temperature and etc will require time to grow the bacteria necessary to break down ammonia to nitrite. Even then, you would still need to wait for another set of bacteria to grow to break down nitrite into nitrate. If you said it cycled within 36 hrs, it would mean you were able to grow both sets of bacteria, in just approximately 18 hrs each, which is less than a day, that seems impossible . The shortest time Ive gotten a tank cycled is a week or a week and half. And that was with "seeding" everything I could including old substrate, filter media, plants, driftwood, old water etc.*


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## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

I noticed he said that your ammonia and nitrites should be minimal. Minimal is not cycled. I still think that it is possible that the bacteria he is adding might consume the amount of ammonia he is adding. However since it is not an aquatic bacteria in a week or so it will be dead and not consuming an ammonia.


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## JOMA (Jul 23, 2010)

HAHA i cant believe i actualy thought this cycled my tank :O , its unbelievable how much you can learn in 2 months


sorry guys for my ignorance


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## JMatthew (Sep 7, 2010)

It's funny that you say this. I remember when I first got into fish I kept looking back and thinking - "Wow, I really didn't know anything last month compared to what I know now." Still always learning today, but the learning curve has definately lessened.


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## Amie (Sep 15, 2010)

JMatthew said:


> It's funny that you say this. I remember when I first got into fish I kept looking back and thinking - "Wow, I really didn't know anything last month compared to what I know now." Still always learning today, but the learning curve has definately lessened.


Ditto!!! Although I'm still new enough that my learning curve has not slowed yet.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I remember this thread, lol.


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