Enough BB to Cycle?

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Darth Scohin

Darth Scohin

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 16, 2009
1,758
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Mountain Valley, Near Flats
So I'm setting up my 180gal next week. I have a C360 Canister and AC110 on my 75gal to begin to add BB to the filter media, I'm also going to add nearly an entire bottle of Stability to the tank. Do you think with the C360 and AC110 and Stability I'll have enough to add my fish the following week? (btw I'll also have another C360 and AC110 on the 180gal)
 
Do you have a source of ammonia to feed the bb on the bio media ?
With stability you just follow the instructions on the bottle !
I think you have a good chance, but to be accurate I would monitor your new setups water parameters and treat everything like a new cycle.
 
You are doing a cycle with fish when you add them.
No more, no less.
The Stability might help, or not.
Doing the cycle this way means testing and water changes after you add the fish.
 
I have done a few stability cycles combined with prime, to date have never lost a fish during the cycle.
There is a good thread on here with stability cycling and results.
 
@ Kaiser: I don't believe in fish Cycling, therefore I won't put my prized fish into a tank to let it cycle. How long do you think it will take to cycle it using the used media and Stability? 1 Week or because of stabiltiy would it be less
 
*sigh*
BB is pretty much a formula, it is life... you give it media to grow on and a food source, aka cultivating bacteria. 1>2>4>8>16>32> etc etc, it takes time to divide & create cell walls and structures! Given the right nutrients too... hence throwing in ammonia is just weaksauce, gotta have rotting foods and whatnot (the building blocks of life yes?)
*sigh* this is getting too complicated, go take a cellular biology course or something.

Granted bacteria grows at an optimum temp. and whatnot, but to "expedite" the process is a loada joke. I say fully cycle 3-4 weeks AT BEST without help from an established media.
Fishless cycling wont hurt a fish, cycling with fish will to some extent, maybe not ammo-burns, but irritating eyes and skin no doubt will occur. At the very least get SUPER hardy fish and can take a beating and recover quickly.

Just an FYI, I cycled my 150g tank in just over 3 weeks and just to see how long it would take with 3 goldfishes. [Yes they're alive and well]
a) i went through ++100g of water, finished my API test kit, and market shrimps that rotted pretty good cause the goldfish picked/finished it off.
 
Darth Scohin;4534285; said:
@ Kaiser: I don't believe in fish Cycling, therefore I won't put my prized fish into a tank to let it cycle. How long do you think it will take to cycle it using the used media and Stability? 1 Week or because of stabiltiy would it be less
Click to expand...

Simple, a botlle of ammonia and a test kit will tell you exactly when you can add your fish without worry.
Any other way is nothing but a guess.
 
kurare;4534421; said:
*sigh*
BB is pretty much a formula, it is life... you give it media to grow on and a food source, aka cultivating bacteria. 1>2>4>8>16>32> etc etc, it takes time to divide & create cell walls and structures! Given the right nutrients too... hence throwing in ammonia is just weaksauce, gotta have rotting foods and whatnot (the building blocks of life yes?)
*sigh* this is getting too complicated, go take a cellular biology course or something.

Granted bacteria grows at an optimum temp. and whatnot, but to "expedite" the process is a loada joke. I say fully cycle 3-4 weeks AT BEST without help from an established media.
Fishless cycling wont hurt a fish, cycling with fish will to some extent, maybe not ammo-burns, but irritating eyes and skin no doubt will occur. At the very least get SUPER hardy fish and can take a beating and recover quickly.

Just an FYI, I cycled my 150g tank in just over 3 weeks and just to see how long it would take with 3 goldfishes. [Yes they're alive and well]
a) i went through ++100g of water, finished my API test kit, and market shrimps that rotted pretty good cause the goldfish picked/finished it off.
Click to expand...


I have taken a College Grade Biology class before I know about cells :screwy:
I still will not even fish cycle, though my fish are Bichirs and Arowana....I Thank you for your input
 
Your running in circles man..
Set up your tank, vacuum your old tank where the bichirs are now, throw that water into the 180 gallon,
if you change 50% of a 75g tank, then you have 32.5/180 of cycled water,
add in 150g of fresh water, and if you want to be certain either put in a handful of fish food to mold, or sink a piece of meat in a ziploc bag with holes until it molds.
At that point you can take a water sample to PetSmart for a free water test,
or if you have the kits you can do it yourself.
If you want to know for sure, just buy a few feeder goldfish for the tank.

It's not like those three goldfish are missing out on much.
They can sit in a 10g tank with 300+ goldfish, or they can lounge about in a 180g tank with slightly imperfect water parameters.
Your choice, but good luck either way.

By now you probably already have the tank up, so just remember this for the future I guess.
 
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