Cycling a tank

[ryeguy]

Looking to start my first discus tank...Have kept community fish for years but looking to take the leap....I will be starting a 75g tank with probably 3-4 6 month old discus....Just wondering what would be the best way to get this tank ready...i used to cycle tanks with zebra danios would this be an option?

thanks!

[Nathan]

i cycle my tank with about 20 tetras an over feed them for a week an that gives me my ammonia spike then just start feeding them a tiny bit once a day, then in a few more weeks its completely cycled

[FishLover]

I just read the exact article on TFH mag. The easiest way is to put a cocktail shirmp (cooked or raw) per 50 g of water and wait for it to cycle. All you have to do is monitor the ammo and nitrite level for the next few weeks to make sure the cycle is completed.

You may want to add in some bacteria to speed up the cycle. either buy it from LFS or take some media from your other tank.

Since you have a 57g tank, I would start with 6 or 7 of them so there is less fighting.

[ryeguy]

could you post the link to that article? Sounds a bit wierd to me......

[mcloughlin2]

Mate fill the tank up throw a couple cheap plants in there and a few tetras or guppies....

Dont overfeed - as you will then have to deal with dirty water and ammonia spikes....just feed them a little each day....

Test the water every day or two and once you see the ammonia rise and then fall it means its cycled....

Dont bother buying heaps of tetras to cycle it as thats a waste of money, dont overfeed because that will dirty your tank and dont bother using cocktail shrimp (never heard of this way and seems stupid) as it is most likely going to rot in your tank and you do NOT want that....

Just make sure you stock the tank slowly....dont rush into things

HTH :)

[sammigold]

Mccloughin2, I agree with your tips...
but I do have to say I have heard of the prawn method as well...in fact, If I remember rightly LR suggested it as a way that somebody could keep their bacterial cycle going whilst their tank was empty of fish. (correct me if I am wrong LR!) It may "seem" stupid but I suppose a prawn is seafood, and like when a fish dies it will create the same cycle as the prawn must... its just you dont normally want to cycle a tank with dead fish LOL.. so most people will cycle their tanks with a couple of living fish or do a fishless cycle (using pure ammonia) of which the method is mentioned and described somewhere in these forums.. (sorry I dont have time to look right now.. but if you search "fishless cycle" Im sure you will come up with something) Good luck.

[sharn]

i agree, i never use fish for cycling and when i dont have spare media (which rarely happens) i use fish food. it rots down and creates all the same stuff your fish do which in turn gets your bacteria going.

[FishLover]

I don't have the link. I only have the mag. I don't think you can veiw it on line anyway. I think they want you buy the mag.

The idea is simple. As the meat rot slowly, it provides the steady ammo for the bacteria. It is much better than fishless cycle or with small fish. The problem with these two methods is the amount of bio-load can not be controlled easily and it may not refelect your real bio-load with the fish you want to keep. You may still have a mini cycle after the cycle is completed and when you add in your Discus since the bio-load maybe too much for the bacteria in the tank to handle. That can not be good for the discus.

As for the dead meat mothod, it is simple enough and the amount of ammo should be steady all through the cycle. I like the KISS rule.

[samir]

i add some ceramic or bioballs from my old filter. i've also used sera nitrivec and swear by it.