Cycling question

[xDestro]

I have a 55 gallon tank that will soon be cycling with some baby tetras, so do I / should I add that bacteria u can buy at pet stores to help boost the cycling process? Also when cycling what should my nitrates and nitrites be around and what is high enough for me to do a water change?

Tank will be running on a 60 gal sponge filter and a 90 gal canister

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Check out this link.

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/nitrogen_cycle.html

As far as the store bought "bacteria" or "cycling" products go I have no personal experience. If you do a search on this site you should find opinions on both the like and dislike of these products. If you are new to the hobby and also to these forums it can be hard to decide whose opinion to follow. There are several issues about which members have strong differences of opinion. Good luck with this question.

 

[Hendre]

I use seachem stability right now. completely fishless, BUT. I dont trust it for a complete cycle and add fish gradually to allow the bacteria to catch on.

That link is also helpful

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

If you are adding bacteria without fish it is likley just dying off. It isn't found in water without ammonia. Otherwise you could just leave an empty tank running and it would cycle. The bacteria can only start to take hold when you have provided it something to consume. I would avoid the products and just find someone who has a well maintained and cycled tank who is willing to give you some media from their filter. Bag it in tank water and get it into your tank that already has had your tetras for a few days asap. This should speed up your cycle much more than store bought products and it's free.

 

[Pomatomus]

The products do help, but they don't immediately make your tank cycled like they advertise. They will speed up the process. Instead of waiting a month for it to happen naturally you might be looking at a week or two. Dirty filter material will achieve the same goal. As mentioned above, if you dose the product add some fish food or something to provide an ammonia source. The just test your nitrogen cycle until you are done with ammonia and nitrite spikes!

Add fish slowly. Your bacteria will need to multiply to meet the rising demand for nitrification.

 

[ragin_cajun]

If you use a product, just put fish in the new tank with the product. That's the whole point of the products.

If you're gonna cycle without fish, then don't spend your money on the product. Just get a $2 bottle of Dr. Tim's Ammonia and do a fishless cycle.

 

[freak78]

I always use filter media from an established tank and put my fish in. But I also do daily water testing and do water changes as needed. But when I do use my established filter media I put in enough to turn the water muddy brown.