tetra schools

[AK-71]

Re: tetra schools

I am not an expert by any means, but I would define a "cycled" tank as the tank capable of converting toxic chemicals produced by your fishload (ammonia, then converted to nitrite) into less into much less toxic chemicals (nitrate) by means of biological filtration (bacteria).
This is different from just no/low levels ammonia or nitrites in the tank - tap water by itself doesn't have any, but it's not "cycled" (no bacteria), right?
There are more complicated details, such as lower "bad" ammonia ratio with low pH, adding salt to make nitrite less harmful for fish - I am not an expert, may be somebody knows it better. As well as how the fish you want to buy is going to tolerate "cycling".

PS. With the first tank here I, personally, started with 2 cory cats, when ammonia dropped added 6 glowlight tetras and after ammonia and nitrite disappeared completely started to add more sensitive fish.
Good luck.
PPS. When I was a kid cycling always lasted only as long as your patience and it worked most of the time for me.  

Edit: I had an ammonia spike after moving into a new tank with ADA soil (had no choise of keeping 2nd tank) - I just did water changes often.  I know it's not a good approach even according to a normal (non-PETA) people, but my fiish somehow didn't show any signs of stress (low pH?)  didn't loose any fish over it.

[Soni]

Re: tetra schools

Thanks for the tip...im buying fishes sunday.....ive waited too long :wink:

[sproett]

Re: tetra schools

I've tested my water straight from the tap and got toxic amounts of ammonia and nitrites.  I always use Amquel when doing water changes because of that.  Some people use Prime.

[Darbex]

Re: tetra schools

I think that her tank should be fine since we have let it run for a few days and have to have introduced bacteria into the tank through moving materials from my established Cichlid tank

[AK-71]

Re: tetra schools

I've tested my water straight from the tap and got toxic amounts of ammonia and nitrites.  I always use Amquel when doing water changes because of that.  Some people use Prime.

Mine has 0/0 but pH is ~7.8 (as far as I can see). I don't completely trust that cardinals (arn't they mostly wild-cought?) are completly used to it. I use ADA soil to keep my pH down.
May be they are used to tap water here, but when I was a kid cardinals and neons did much better in my friend's tank - we'd by them from the same tank at the same time, but he used to mix tap/distilled water for water changes.

[Soni]

Re: tetra schools

thanks everyone!!

[eklikewhoa]

Re: tetra schools

Plants is fine but fish aren't....cycling is allowing for beneficial bacteria to grow and establish which in turn process ammonia and turns it into nitrates which is removed through water changes.

[AK-71]

Re: tetra schools

Don't you (or some fish) have to "feed" the bacteria with ammonia?

Just one of the links you can find on "nitrogen cycle" http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html

[sproett]

Re: tetra schools

AK-71-I've always heard that neons and cardinal tetras do better in aged tanks.  I guess that means they don't take to cycling very well.  I know at Fish Gallery they used to have a tank of captive-bred neons and a tank of wild-caught neons (I haven't looked at them since the move).  I've been seeing more cardinal tetras for sale in recent years, maybe they've started captive breeding them?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: tetra schools

Don't you (or some fish) have to "feed" the bacteria with ammonia?

Just one of the links you can find on "nitrogen cycle" http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html

You feed with ammonia initially which is called "fishless cycling" which introduces ammonia to the tank to jumpstart the nitrogen cycle. If worst comes to worst you can buy a bag of Marineland Bio-Spira but like I stated above if want you can just use an established filter from another tank.

[Soni]

Re: tetra schools

We added some black tetras and used media---we should be good to go for sunday!

[AK-71]

Re: tetra schools

AK-71-I've always heard that neons and cardinal tetras do better in aged tanks.  I guess that means they don't take to cycling very well.

 

With the first tank here I, personally, started with 2 cory cats, when ammonia dropped added 6 glowlight tetras and after ammonia and nitrite disappeared completely started to add more sensitive fish. => Not a fishless cycle
I agree about cardinals and neons being more sensitive fish

You feed with ammonia initially which is called "fishless cycling" which introduces ammonia to the tank to jumpstart the nitrogen cycle. If worst comes to worst you can buy a bag of Marineland Bio-Spira but like I stated above if want you can just use an established filter from another tank.

According to the article you'd have to keep adding ammonia in fishless cycle in order not to starve established bacteria for the whole cycle (seems logical).

[Spot86t]

Re: tetra schools

Some people add ammonia (unscented, etc),  I've successfully used frozen shrimp.  Buy a bag at the grocery, throw 1-2 in a tank, and cook the rest for yourself!

I've read that it's difficult and requires a lot of ammonia testing if you use  ammonia out of a bottle, and since so many contain scents and other additives (toxic to fish) it's not always easy to find straight simple ammonia.

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: tetra schools

Couldnt you just pee in the tank everyday for a couple of weeks?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: tetra schools

Human "pee" is gonna contain other things you don't want and it will be unstable as to how much ammonia it will contain.

It's not really as hard as it may seem....go to ACE...buy ammonia....pour in and test initially....remember how much it took to get the desired ppm's....does for a week....test again and then slowly lower the amount.


But since this whole discussion started cause fish will be added later today...stop by Fish Gallery or Fish Ranch and buy some Bio-spira........ETA: it doesn't matter anymore since fish have already been added.