List all your cycling mistakes or give advice.

[larryngu 31]

I have until Jan 14 th to cycle my tank.

Please list all mistakes you have made or advice you want to give.

It will improve my chances to doing a proper cycle.

It is imperative that I get my cycle going.

Edited December 2, 2012 by larryngu

[AnnaMNR 68]

I don't know if this counts but my biggest mistake was trying to cycle with strips instead of proper drop kits. It was totally off and messed up my first cycle with my first fish since I learned about cycling.

[larryngu 31]

I don't know if this counts but my biggest mistake was trying to cycle with strips instead of proper drop kits. It was totally off and messed up my first cycle with my first fish since I learned about cycling.

Any and all advice or mistakes are apreacited .

[fantailfan1 26,742]

Keep your tank warm--78-80* as bacteria like it nice and toasty.

Make sure you always have ammonia present. Once it's gone you need to add more.

[cmclien 655]

If you have multiple filters, have multiple bags of bio-max or ceramic media for the bb to grow on. The small bags are good because then if you ever need to start a qt tank, you have a ready cycle to put in there with barely a bump in your main tank because the bio-material is spread out.

Edited December 2, 2012 by cmclien

[ninzah 377]

Start now! Sooner you start, sooner you will be cycled

I got very impatient towards the end.

Know your kH - towards the end my cycle stalled, is appeared that the water had used up the goodness and the BBs couldnt function/breed. Some water changes and a bit of Nutrafin Cycle got me going again though.

[LovelyChaos 869]

Cycling with fish, and not doing enough water changes when the ammonia was too high. I am glad Tui and La made it relatively unscathed.

Another mistake was not testing every day.

[bodoba 2,980]

Some reading for you to do - http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/FishlessCycle.html

You can set up your own cycling thread if you run into trouble, good luck.

[yafashelli 9,540]

My biggest mistake was cycling with fish, but after that, was not watching my kh. I had a fishless going on the big tank, and my kh actually stalled my cycle. It took me more than three months to "git 'er done", but now my fish are happy and healthy.

Also, make sure you add ammonia every day! Good luck!

Is there anyone nearby who could give you some cycled media? That would really help speed things up.

Edited December 2, 2012 by yafashelli

[larryngu 31]

Another mistake was not testing every day.

How important is it to test everyday?

Test for what everyday?

@yafa........I don't have anyone near me with cycled media.

Edited December 2, 2012 by larryngu

[yafashelli 9,540]

Sometimes a local fish store can offer up a sponge for the cause. Or, maybe you could see if anyone on kokos would be willing to donate one. I'm sure someone nearby could spare a dirty sponge

Cycling, with or without fish, can be a long process, and you only have a few weeks to get ready. I hope it works out for you!

Edited December 2, 2012 by yafashelli

[ninzah 377]

Another mistake was not testing every day.

How important is it to test everyday?

Test for what everyday?

Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH

I think that was mostly because Charly was cycling with fish rather than fishlessly.

I tested daily myself, even though I was fishlessly cycling, so that I could keep a record of what was going on, how far along I was, how long it took to get rid of the ammonia etc.

[LovelyChaos 869]

Another mistake was not testing every day.

How important is it to test everyday?

Test for what everyday?

@yafa........I don't have anyone near me with cycled media.

Test for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia. That will give you a hint as to how your cycle is going. You also want to make sure your ammonia is at the right level. For a fish in cycle, it should stay under 1ppm of ammonia and nitates combined, for a fishless cycle, it should stay around 4 until you start seeing other values. Check out the link bodoba gave you, it should be more detailed about what you are looking for (:

[larryngu 31]

I'm doing a fishless cycle......how important it is that I test everyday?

@yafa......I don't think anyone lives near me.....plus if it was not from a person I really trusted......I'm afraid of getting diseases.....thanks for the recomendations though.

[fantailfan1 26,742]

I would avoid getting media or a sponge filter from a lfs unless you are SURE they are parasite and other diseases free.

Edit: sniped by Larry now. Is there anyone left who hasn't sniped me?

Edited December 2, 2012 by fantailfan1

[yafashelli 9,540]

I would avoid getting media or a sponge filter from a lfs unless you are SURE they are parasite and other diseases free.

But if there's no fish in the tank, wouldn't the parasites die off within the 4-6 weeks it'll take for the fish to arrive?

[ninzah 377]

I would avoid getting media or a sponge filter from a lfs unless you are SURE they are parasite and other diseases free.

But if there's no fish in the tank, wouldn't the parasites die off within the 4-6 weeks it'll take for the fish to arrive?

Not neccesarily. And it's better to be safe than sorry.

[yafashelli 9,540]

I would avoid getting media or a sponge filter from a lfs unless you are SURE they are parasite and other diseases free.

But if there's no fish in the tank, wouldn't the parasites die off within the 4-6 weeks it'll take for the fish to arrive?

Not neccesarily. And it's better to be safe than sorry.

Lol! Don't do that, then!

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

See if there's anyone from here around you who could spare the media. It's a really good idea and will give you a super-quick cycle! (You could also have the media shipped. It does fine in a parcel as long as it stays wet.)

[larryngu 31]

If you have multiple filters, have multiple bags of bio-max or ceramic media for the bb to grow on. The small bags are good because then if you ever need to start a qt tank, you have a ready cycle to put in there with barely a bump in your main tank because the bio-material is spread out.

Do I fill the small bags to the brim with bio max or should they be loosely filled?

[cmclien 655]

The bio-max comes each in its own little bag which is quite handy I like the small bags which say up to 30g or something like that because you can fit them in multiple places that way. I would say they are loosely filled though. Make sure you rinse the media before putting it in your filters because its dusty.

[larryngu 31]

See if there's anyone from here around you who could spare the media. It's a really good idea and will give you a super-quick cycle! (You could also have the media shipped. It does fine in a parcel as long as it stays wet.)

Can this be done?

If it can be done......who here is willing to mail me some bio material.

I think it might raise some eyebrows at the post office......because people might think you are mailing something dangerous. Especially if you are mailing bio max in jar of water.

I think a wet sponge may be fine. I dont know.

I will mail you $ 20 dollars for your efforts.

Edited December 2, 2012 by larryngu

[cmclien 655]

See if there's anyone from here around you who could spare the media. It's a really good idea and will give you a super-quick cycle! (You could also have the media shipped. It does fine in a parcel as long as it stays wet.)

I thought it needed oxygenated water running through it to stay alive. Like if your power goes out even though its sitting in water the bb will start dying after 3 hours or more goes by so I thought I read you need to put it into your tank with a battery operated airstone if you are without power for long. So even if you overnighted it, I don't know if it would live?

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

See if there's anyone from here around you who could spare the media. It's a really good idea and will give you a super-quick cycle! (You could also have the media shipped. It does fine in a parcel as long as it stays wet.)

I thought it needed oxygenated water running through it to stay alive. Like if your power goes out even though its sitting in water the bb will start dying after 3 hours or more goes by so I thought I read you need to put it into your tank with a battery operated airstone if you are without power for long. So even if you overnighted it, I don't know if it would live?

I've had BBs in a ziploc baggie for up to 24 hours before and got an instant cycle when it was put in my tank. They're much hardier than lots of people give them credit for.

[cmclien 655]

I've had BBs in a ziploc baggie for up to 24 hours before and got an instant cycle when it was put in my tank. They're much hardier than lots of people give them credit for.

Well thats good news