Cycling help!

[MetalRavioli]

Hello friends!

So, the time has finally come for me to cycle my 90-gallon tank. I currently have a senegal bichir, a leopard bush fish, and 6 keyhole cichlids on hold for me at my LFS. All of them are very little.

Today I finally finished getting the tank full filtered, I’m using an FX6 fluval canister filter which I bough along with the tank, which is pre-cycled, and a fluval digital heater. I also used some water that was kinda cycled. I was planning on going out and buying some pure ammonia to fishless cycle the tank with, however I could not find any in any nearby stores.

So, I was then considering using seachem prime to fish-in cycle the tank, but then realized that it might not work properly due to the FX6 being cycled properly. I also don’t know that since the fish are all very small, if it would actually do anything, and if it would hurt the fish.

MFK, what’s my next move?

 

[Deadeye]

Do you have any other tanks? You can use media and substrate from them to kickstart bacteria. You can also buy bacteria to help cycle the tank.

 

[MetalRavioli]

Do you have any other tanks? You can use media and substrate from them to kickstart bacteria. You can also buy bacteria to help cycle the tank.

I do, but they’re not currently cycled. What bacteria would you recommend? I just tested the tank, the Ammonia is around 0.25-0.50ppm, Nitrite is 0ppm, Nitrate is around 40-80ppm, and pH is at highest 6.0.

 

[1 2many]

Established filter media rich with biological bacteria is my first choice to cycle a new tank to avoid waiting the duration for it to naturally cycle. In this instance you can try a bottle of Fluval cycle. I’ve used it in my tanks without a problem. Dose as the directions say on the bottle. Test the water again before adding fish. It can take a few hours after dosing before it works.

 

[MetalRavioli]

Established filter media rich with biological bacteria is my first choice to cycle a new tank to avoid waiting the duration for it to naturally cycle. In this instance you can try a bottle of Fluval cycle. I’ve used it in my tanks without a problem. Dose as the directions say on the bottle. Test the water again before adding fish. It can take a few hours after dosing before it works.

Thank you so much!! I’ll use this in addition to some ammonia I found online, it’s called Dr Tim’s Ammonium chloride

 

[Deadeye]

I’ve used dr. Tim’s bacteria for cycling.
I’ve never dozed ammonia for a cycle so I can’t really comment there.

 

[tlindsey]

FX6 fluval canister filter which I bough along with the tank, which is pre-cycled

Was the aquarium up and running with fish in it before you bought the aquarium?

 

[MetalRavioli]

Was the aquarium up and running with fish in it before you bought the aquarium?

Yes it was, the man who sold it to me had emptied it very shortly prior to me buying it from him.

 

[MetalRavioli]

I’ve used dr. Tim’s bacteria for cycling.
I’ve never dozed ammonia for a cycle so I can’t really comment there.

This is good to know, I’m glad it works! Thank you for this info

 

[tlindsey]

Yes it was, the man who sold it to me had emptied it very shortly prior to me buying it from him.

Ok asking because you stated the FX6 was pre cycled. If fish were alive in the aquarium that filter should be fully cycled.