# How do I cycle my new tank ?



## flaviu.vlaicu (9 Feb 2010)

Hello.Can someone please help me and tell me how do I cycle my new tank ? I put water in the tank that has stayed for 2 days in bathtub "did not washed for 2 days"  .I have a big mangrove root in my tank.The substrate is JBL Aquabasis and on top of it JBL Manado.I started the filter and also the heater.What next ?! Thank you.

PS : Do I need to add salt ?


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## Themuleous (9 Feb 2010)

No need to add salt 

You have two options add a few hard fish or add ammonia as an alternative.

This page has lots of useful info 

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/to ... ce-center/

Sam


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## flaviu.vlaicu (9 Feb 2010)

Thank you !


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## Iliveinazoo (10 Feb 2010)

You just need an ammonia source, if you can't find bottled ammonia you can just chuck in a solid food item like a prawn, the decomposing body will add the required ammonia to cycle (I have cycled 2 tanks this way).  Always add fish slowly after cycling, do not fully stock immediately).

IMO it is completely unnecessary and cruel to cycle with fish.


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## dw1305 (11 Feb 2010)

Hi all,
There is another option, this is just to leave the tank for a while, keep on feeding the plants and changing the water and once the plants are fully established and growing the tank is effectively cycled (planted tank filters are never cycled in the way a heavily stocked non-planted tank would be).
cheers Darrel


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## flaviu.vlaicu (15 Feb 2010)

Hello.I bought a fresh shrimp from the food store and I inserted it in the water on the gravel for 24h.In the morning something happened.All around it there was a "spider like web ,like made out of silk" it is white as color and it looks like a fog,will it spread ? What is that thing ? What should I do now ? Should I be worried ?



			
				Iliveinazoo said:
			
		

> You just need an ammonia source, if you can't find bottled ammonia you can just chuck in a solid food item like a prawn, the decomposing body will add the required ammonia to cycle (I have cycled 2 tanks this way).  Always add fish slowly after cycling, do not fully stock immediately).
> 
> IMO it is completely unnecessary and cruel to cycle with fish.


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## Dave Spencer (16 Feb 2010)

flaviu.vlaicu said:
			
		

> Hello.I bought a fresh shrimp from the food store and I inserted it in the water on the gravel for 24h.In the morning something happened.All around it there was a "spider like web ,like made out of silk" it is white as color and it looks like a fog,will it spread ? What is that thing ? What should I do now ? Should I be worried ?



No offence dude, but that sounds like a pretty disgusting way to start up a planted tank (rotting prawns,   ). I set my tanks up the same way as Darrel. Concentrating on getting the plants established will result in a cycled tank.

Dave.


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## flaviu.vlaicu (16 Feb 2010)

Well it is not my idea...a user on the forum told me so...


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## Dave Spencer (16 Feb 2010)

If I were you, I would get the rotting prawn out and just focus on getting the plants thriving. I have always found that a healthy planted tank will produce its own nitrifying colony without any poisonous additives.

Dave.


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## flaviu.vlaicu (16 Feb 2010)

I got it out the next day.I has not stayed in only for 10 hours or so .


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## flaviu.vlaicu (19 Feb 2010)

So from my point of view that wight web like stuff from the bottom is penicillin.Is there a way to get rid of it ? Cause it seems to spread.I bought a new JBL e700 external filter.I hope it will do a better job in the aquarium than the internal one .Has any one from here had penicillin in the aquarium ?


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## Iliveinazoo (27 Feb 2010)

All I can say is that that's never happened to me, all I can say is sorry   and try to remove it all and do a massive water change and maybe try bottled ammonia or a smaller item of food once the ammonia levels drop a bit.

I understand the theory behind the planted method however surely you must need a lot of die off (or a tank that is bursting with fast growers) to create enough of a bacteria build up to stock your tank afterwards without going through a mini-cycle unless you are really understocking? 

Why is a decomposing food source any more 'poisonous' than your plants leaves dying off or fish poo that happen every day even when the tank is established? We all try to feed just enough and/or remove any uneaten food that we see after feeding time but I bet that a small amount ends up getting sucked into the filter each time - it doesn't seem to have an effect on a mature tank?


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## mlgt (2 Mar 2010)

Do you not have friends in the area who also have fish tanks?

Perhaps asking for a filter media swop will give your filter a boost start. 

Although I always suggest running a filter in for a few weeks and with plants etc before adding hardier fish as people here have suggested.

Ive helped alot of friends over the year by giving them some filter media from my external eheim. All I ask in return is some new filter media so I dont really lose anything out of it.


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