Fishless Cycling

Hi Guys,

I'm keen to try a different approach with my next tank and need a bit of help. I've read quite a bit regarding the fishless cycling method of adding an ammonia solution to the tank.

this is a link to one of the articles I came across:
http://www.csupomona.edu/~jskoga/Aquariums/Ammonia.html

now, together with the ammonia solution I will also seed my next tank with media from an established, healthy tank.

My questions are:

firstly:
what do you think of the method of adding pure ammonia? (or is merely adding media from an established tank and fish food sufficient?)

and secondly:
can anyone who has used this method advise me of a brand of 100% pure, perfume-free, surfactant-free ammonia that I can get at a supermarket.

thanks a mil

 

A lot of the members have done this. It works pretty well and I'm currently doing it with my breeding tank. You still need to let the tank cycle a bit first.

 

@Firefly....how much fish food would you add to a 2m tank (660 lt)? and would you do it on a daily basis til cycled, like you would with the ammonia?

thanks

 

A did a pinch of flake food a while back in a 60L just to start something in the filters. I would add some every 2nd or 3rd day, but I'm not an expert...yet...

 

i would suggest a pinch of fish food every other day or so as @Firefly suggests, then add filter media and / or gravel from an established tank. this is absolutely one of the best ways to cycle your tank fishless and quickly. you can also add one of a few really good products like easybalance etc.

finding fragrance free ammonia is probably gonna be a bit difficult.

 

Try a mussel. Add the mussel to the tank (without it's shell) and leave it in for a few days. It will start to rot. After about 5 days, just remove it. And that should help your tank with it's cycle. And you can add a bacteria strain. Use Seachem Stability, ADA Green Bacter, MicrobeLift, etc... Using these products will help add the bacteria to the tank.

 

Not to hi-jack this thread, but what would happen if you used tank water and an existing filter with aged filter medium, would that not speed the process along?

 

@Sean J, once the mussel has been removed, the tank wouldn't have cycled itself sufficiently to be ready for fish, so what would continue feeding the bacteria that have established themselves if you remove the ammonia source? or would i then continue with fish food?

 

@Skye01, yes, I'm wanting to do it together with established media etc

 

Yup. A pinch every other day. But the gunk that comes out of a mussel for about a week is enough to kick start the cycle.

 

@Sean J, a freshwater mussel? and fresh or thawed?

 

Any mussel. Doesn't matter. You just need it to start rotting. You can use a frozen one. It will thaw in your tank.

 

Thanks! what ammonia level should i be aiming for during this process?

 

You shouldn't be... Leave the tank alone for a week or 2. Then test. If your ammonia is 0.0, then it is safe to add fish.

 

awesome! thanks.