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I filled the tank with water and have filter, heater and light running. I don't have gravel or plants in there but plan on adding them soon.

Can someone explain this cycling stuff?

Cycling is the process of building up bacteria which convert fish waste products[ammonia and nitrite] into chemicals which are not poisonous to your fish.

To cycle a tank add a small, cheap fish to your tank [eg. zebra daanio, cloud minnow] and feed it. As it produces wastes the bacteria will be able to build up.

To speed up this process, you can buy the bacteria in a bottle from your LFS. While your there get a test kit for ammonia, and nitrites and test reglularly, until both read zero. This should take around 2 weeks,

Edit: go to the FAQ section of FP and read "your first FW aruarium"

Hi, welcome to fish profiles and congrats on the new tank. Desiredusername gave some good information to you in a nut shell. Browse the site for more threads and articles on this topic. There is a wealth of information on this site. Most likely someone has already asked the same question about cycling a tank. Also check out the fish profiles section for info on the fish you want for that tank. Choosing the fish can be one of the most enjoyable parts of starting a new tank.

Have you decided what to stock it with?


"Talk is cheap. Action can be almost as affordable"

Hi,
WELCOME to FP!
Notice at the top of the forum there is a FAQ. One
of them describes the Nitrogen Cycle.
Here it is:
http://www.fishprofiles.net/faq/begin-cycling.asp

Here is a description of the fish less cycling of a tank:

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article14.html

I dare say that most of us, particularly the more
experienced, prefer the fish less cycling. You can
dump in the gravel, pour in the water, and plant the
plants, cycle the tank, and then add the fish.
Far less stressful on the fish.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

thanks for the info. Just a few more questions.

Is it ok to transfer my guppy from my 2g to the 10g for cycling? Should I have the gravel and plants in when cycling?

Hi,
Since you asked about using "A" guppy for the cycling
process, I gather that you decided to use fish to establish
the Nitrogen Cycle. You could use THE guppy, but...
Remember that the nitrogen cycle depends upon the waste
products from the fish to create and sustain the nitrogen
cycle. If you start the cycle with a solitary, small fish,
it will take quite a while to get the cycle going, and..
the bacterial colonies that are created will be limited
by the amount of fish waste that exists... In other words
after the cycle was done, any fish that you added would
be eliminating far more waste and the tank would mini cycle
while the bacterial colonies grew to handle the larger
amount of waste products.

If you are going to use fish, use fish that are not
sensitive to increased amounts of ammonia and nitrite.
I understand that zebra danos(sp) are one choice, as
are live bearers (they produce more waste than do egg
layers). When the cycle is complete, return the fish
to your LFS for credit toward whatever you want to put in
the tank. When adding fish look at the mass of the fish
that you used to cycle the tank, and only add a comparable
amount of fish mass back to it. Any more, and the tank will
mini cycle till the bacteria colonies have grown enough to
handle the increase.

As far as the gravel is concerned BY ALL MEANS, add the
gravel before the fish! THE main location for the bacteria
colonies that are the Nitrogen Cycle is in the gravel.
The colonies exist on the surfaces of each and every grain
of gravel, on the sides of the tank, on the heater and any
ornaments, as well as inside whatever filter you use on the
tank.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

so you are saying I should buy more fish?

I'll have to add the gravel and the plants and more fish today.

I would fishless cycle the tank myself.
It will be way quicker, and you wont
end up with a dead guppy, or any dead
fish.
Its as simple as adding pure liquid ammonia.
Fishless cycling usually takes 1/2-1/3 the time
of fish in cycling, because you dont need to do
massive amounts of water changes to save the fishes
lives.
Guppies are horrible fish for cycling, the first
traces of ammonia and they drop dead.
If you did INSIST on fish cycling, go with 6 white
cloud minnows or 6 zebra danios, and be sure you can
return them to the LFS when you no longer want them,
assuming any of them survive.


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ok I guess I need more fish

I now have the gravel, 2 plastic plants and 3 zebra danios. I took the guppy and put him back in the 2g with his betta buddy.

What values do I need for water testing?

Hi

Im assuming you have a test kit.

Once the tank is cycled you should show zero ammonia and nitrite and nitrate should read around 20-40ppm and that means your tank has cycled.

During the cycling process you will notice ammonia readings first then nitrate and then nitrate.

---

Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

thanks everyone for the info

I can't think of anything else to ask