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I am attempting to cycle my 5 gallon soon, without fish. It will be for 2 dwarf puffers and maybe 2 otto. I am going to buy cycle and also get some pure ammonia. Also I am going to put some gravel out of my established tank into the new one and maybe run the new filter in my current tank. My question is..has anyone had good and quick results with fishless cycling? How long..on average..did it take? I am not in a hurry but I want to know an average time so I will know if I am doing it right. I have to locate some pure ammonia first. Is using fish food effective at all? Any input would help! Thanks!
Another question is I am getting plants for the aquarium..is it better to put them in while I'm cycling it or to wait until it is cycled? Thanks!

Last edited by GirlieGirl8519 at 17-Apr-2005 20:51

*Kristin*

Do everything you have planned, but skip the Cycle.
Monitor how you're doing by testing your water frequently.
It should still take a few weeks.
You can use food, but I think ammonia is easier.
I don't know anything about the plant question.


Kim

It's fine to cycle with plants.

You may not see as high an ammonia spike, this is where plants get their food from after all .


^_^



[hr width='40%']"I'm alright, I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe"

Walmart sells pure ammonia.

The length of time it takes to do a fishless cycle using pure ammonia will depend in part on the ammonia concentration, which believe it or not can vary. Two weeks seems to be about the average time.

The first time I did it, it took longer, because I added a set amount of ammonia per gallon, and just kept adding that amount every day. Eventually the ammonia got really high and it took awhile to go down.

It was suggested to me -- although I have yet to try this -- that instead of adding a set number of drops of ammonia per gallon that I add just enough to bring the concentration in the water to 5 ppm. You do this by adding drops -- counting them -- and doing repeated water tests until it reaches that level. Then add the same amount of drops every day until you see nitrites. And when you see nitrites, cut the number of ammonia drops you're adding in half to limit the peak.

People who've done this say it works really well, although I can't verify that from first-hand experience.

Fish food is a very messy way to cycle a tank and has a few problems. I would avoid it completely.
My suggestion would be to add ammonia until 5ppm and then leave it alone until you get nitrites. If you bring the ammonia up over 8ppm the cycle will slow if not stop at either that phase or after the nitrites build up. The problem I always hear with fishless cycling is that someone added too much. It's better to start too little and you can always increase it. Add to 5ppm and when you see nitrites and 2ppm ammonia then start adding the same amount you did to get 5ppm in the first place. The bacteria can only reproduce so fast so adding ammonia daily when there's already twice what the bacteria can consume in a day is not getting you anywhere. I just watched how much of a capful it took waited a few days and then started adding that amount daily.
Walmarts here don't carry pure ammonia. I got mine at a hardware/feed store so look around.

Last edited by sham at 25-Apr-2005 13:15