Cycling Your Aquarium

There are essentially 2 ways of cycling aquarium, fish either with or without fish. In my opinion, it is easier to do without fish, but it will be dull operation of a tank empty for weeks.

Both courses are essentially the same, the only difference is that the first fish feed with food and if they produce ammonia for cycling. The average fishless is to add food to the aquarium and leave rotting food and thus produce ammonia.

Step 1: Is that necessary steps for setting up your tank (add water conditional, lay the gravel, set decorations, etc.)

Step 2: Set the filter thermometer running and leave the shell intact for 3-4 days. Water should be the ideal temperature for your bike fish (74 ° to 80 ° F (26 ° - 28 ° C)).

Step 3: Add your bike in fish. Livebearer penalty is recommended. Wait 24 hours to allow the fish to get used to his new environment.

Step 4: Start feeding your fish. Feed only once a day and food must be consumed within 5 min. Do not overeat or you prolong the cycle done from fish waste.

Step 5: Use your test kit to check the level of ammonia in the tank after 3-4 days. The ammonia level rise during the day. If the ammonia level is high when you take, let it be and try again every two days.

Step 6: When the ammonia level is quite low, begin to test nitrite. At that time, nitrite levels should be higher than ammonia. Keep test for both ammonia and nitrites. Once the two reached 0ppm toxic, the cycle is completed.

Finale: The whole process cycle lasts about 6 weeks to complete. Gradually introduce new fish in your aquarium and food sparely allowing the bacteria to adapt to the new load of fish.

For a fishless cycle that uses fish feed, skip Step 3. Is the stage 4 by "feeding your water" with food every day. The amount of food you eat water should be slightly less than the amount of food if it is used to feed fish. The main withdraw from using the fishless cycle this way than others is that the addition of ammonia and nitrite in the aquarium, it introduces by other products such as phosphates.

Fishless cycle can also be done using ammonia. In this way, is skipping step 3. And step 4 by the water supply with ammonia. The power should be 3-5 drop by 10 gallons per day. This amount is roughly the same amount of ammonia produced by your bike fish per day. Continue to add ammonia to water until the cycle is complete and when new fish are in place to produce ammonia, on behalf of the ammonia solution.

In my opinion, the best of your cycle is that the fish using the method Fishless. As I hate to see my fish suffering during the cycle.