# phew



## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Well my cycle took awhile (36 days) but it finally got done... i was a little worried because i was planning on 1'' piranhas but instead i got 2''ers so i thought i would go through a mini-cycle because my current bioload wasnt that much but i tested today after a week with a 20% water change and my readings were....

ph- 7.0









ammo- 0









nitrite- 0









nitrate- 10









so my water is perfect, crystal clear, and my tank is looking damn good with my caribes









P.S- i have 2 penguin 330's with carbon... and i have cut up AC500 foam in the baskets


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

Whyd it take 36 days?


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Red-Belly-Mike said:


> Whyd it take 36 days?


 i dunno, it was just a long cycle... i even used established gravel and stress-zyme


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

My buddy whos sittin right next to me wants to know what exactly cycling does?


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## EnFuego (May 27, 2004)

You cycle a tank to create bacterial colonies in the water that are needed to decompose the waste produced by fish poo or uneaten food as well as live plants that have broken off and die.

When your fish craps or there is left over food or plant parts in the water they are broken down into ammonia which is extremely harmful to fish. If you have already cycled the tank then a certain bacteria will feed on the waste but when this happens they create nitrItes. Since nitrItes are quite harmful to your fish also there is another bacteria that will feed on the nitrites and turn them into nitrAtes which are not as harmful to fish. After this happens another type of bacteria comes along and turns the nitrAtes into nitrogen.


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Enfuego covered it all.. heres something a little more in depth though...

http://www.piranha-fury.com/information/de....php?id=cycling


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

Ok i see, But just cycling water does that? how?


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Red-Belly-Mike said:


> Ok i see, But just cycling water does that? how?


 well the good bacteria is in your filters and substrate and only a tiny bit in your water...

the bacteria wont appear outta nowhere, they need an ammonia source to feed off of... to create that ammonia you put some cheap hardy fish in the tank and feed em alot until you have 0 ammo and nitrItes and some nitrAtes, then you do a water change to get rid of some nitrAtes... i used some neons, T-barbs and goldfish for my cycle..

if you dont cycle the tank you may kill your fish, weaker tropical fish will have a higher chance of dieing than P's because P's are hardy... but even if your ranhas survive you may have shortened their life span...


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

What are goood reads?


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## mike65 (Sep 12, 2004)

shutter13 said:


> Well my cycle took awhile (36 days) but it finally got done... i was a little worried because i was planning on 1'' piranhas but instead i got 2''ers so i thought i would go through a mini-cycle because my current bioload wasnt that much but i tested today after a week with a 20% water change and my readings were....
> 
> ph- 7.0
> 
> ...


 what size tank


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

55g. So if i get some ammonia and I add some good bacteria developes and then I just keep testing it to make sure its good for my P's ( or add some hardy fish? )


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## JReezelle (May 18, 2003)

Yeah keep testing the water and youll watch the ammonia slowly drop, when it drops your nitrites should go up then you watch the nitrites. When the nitrites start to drop the nitrates should go up. Wait for the nitrates to drop a little do a 20-25% w/c and your fish should be ready for the tank.


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## JReezelle (May 18, 2003)

Red-Belly-Mike said:


> 55g. So if i get some ammonia and I add some good bacteria developes and then I just keep testing it to make sure its good for my P's ( or add some hardy fish? )


 You can use some household ammonia to start the cycle or just bye cheap fish not neccasirly hardy fish to get them to sh*t all over the tank and produce some ammonia to start your cycle.


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Red-Belly-Mike said:


> 55g. So if i get some ammonia and I add some good bacteria developes and then I just keep testing it to make sure its good for my P's ( or add some hardy fish? )


 but.. you already have fish in your tank right? Depending on how long youve had em your tank should be cycled... its just that you using your P to cycle it

good reading are exactly mine...

ammo and nitrite at 0, and nitrates between 5 and 40 (5-20 is best)


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

No my tank is empty. I was thinkin just start cycling it, add throw in like a gourami or something? thern get the test and sh*t.


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Red-Belly-Mike said:


> No my tank is empty. I was thinkin just start cycling it, add throw in like a gourami or something? thern get the test and sh*t.


 yea throw any cheap fish in

so whos fish is that in your avatar?


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

Mine hes in a little 10g, Im putting the water in my tank tomorrow or the next day then after the cycling he will be in there. By the way I got Well Water. Same steps?


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Red-Belly-Mike said:


> Mine hes in a little 10g, Im putting the water in my tank tomorrow or the next day then after the cycling he will be in there. By the way I got Well Water. Same steps?


 ok gotcha... yea if the well water is safe then follow the same steps for cycling...

lets the filters run in the ttank overnight, then the next day get your fish u wanna cycle with, then after a few days add some stress zyme or anything like that to speed up the process


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

Would a pleco work?


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Red-Belly-Mike said:


> Would a pleco work?


 Yes


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

Red-Belly-Mike said:


> Would a pleco work?


 dunno if u wanna use a such a cool fish... but you probaly need more than that for a 55 gallon tank... also you have to match the bioload that the filters will have so u dont go through a "mini-cycle"

so if you're using the tank for 3 3'' reds then u need about 9'' or more of total fish in the tank (not just one 9'' fish)


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## BKtomodachi (Jul 28, 2004)

Why would you say he needs more fish?


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

Well I got my tank running right now. Gettin the temp right and stuff. Then tomorrow, the 14th I puttin in like 3 "Hardy" Fish and then Im doing all the ammonia stuff, then the P's


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

BKtomodachi said:


> Why would you say he needs more fish?


 lets say you have one lone neon tetra in the 55 gallon, besides the fact that he wont produce alotta ammonia hes only producing so much bactera...

so if u add 1 neon tetra and you cycle perfectly then you add 3 6'' piranha the whole cycle will be fucked because the tetra didnt produce enough bacteria that could handle the 3 p's... because the amount of ammonia being produced is how much good bacteria will be produce...

A= ammonia
B= bacteria

A=B

but then all the sudden when you have 3X's as much ammonia there isnt enough bacteria to eat it all so it goes like this...

3A=B

and there is still 2A ammonia in the tank killing your fish


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## Red-Belly-Mike (Jun 21, 2004)

Again I have 3 calico fantails. Good enough? They are only $.89.


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## BKtomodachi (Jul 28, 2004)

Well goldfish are known for their their amazing waste producing abilities... I know the information you just explained... I just dont think he needs any more! I personally have more respect for life than using fish for cycling.


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