Help......... PLEASE

[O_B]

Can someone please give me a step by step to cycling a tank properly? I have heard so many ways of doing it and none have really worked. So I would love if someone could set it straight for me once and for all? Please. I'm begging to know :(

[blacksnow]

Can someone please give me a step by step to cycling a tank properly? I have heard so many ways of doing it and none have really worked. So I would love if someone could set it straight for me once and for all? Please. I'm begging to know :(


Do you have other fish tanks that are already cycled?

I'm going to assume no since your asking about cycling...

The Fishless Cycle ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.])

Cycling With Fish ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.])

Those are both links to pinned threads on this forum...good luck <3

[jaysee]

It's all in the E-book 7th down on the menu on the left

[Northernguy]

What have you done so far?
What are your perameters right now?

[PostalPenguin]

Step 1: Buy and use only liquid test kits
Step 2: Test your water in your tank

For a fishless cycle, i.e. you supply the ammonia, keep the ammonia around 5ppm until you see nitrites. Then keep it around 2ppm. For a reference a 10g, it took 2-3 drops of ammonia to make it 2ppm. Once you see your ammonia drop to 0 in 24 hours and no nitrites you are done.

For a fish in cycle its much the same but keep the ammonia below 1ppm for your fish's health.

This is all much better explained in the E-book and stickies but the above is a "Cliff notes" of cycling.

[O_B]

i went too my LFS today to get a testing kit and W~O~W they are expensive :( anywhere to get one online?

[Rue]

They are expensive. Looking after a tank properly isn't cheap. But you can get away with only testing for ammonia and nitrates if necessary.

Any of the big on-line stores, like Big Al's will have competitively priced products...

[jaysee]

Im sure you can find them cheap online. Look over the different stores, maybe on amazon or ebay too.

Once your tank is cycled, I highly recomend getting a seachem ammonia alert for $7. It lasts a year and will give you ammonia readings 24/7 at a glance. I have one in every tank. It only tests for ammonia, but once you are cycled you don't really need to test for the others. If your ammonia bacteria is working, your nitrite bacteria will be too. As far as nitrates, if you have live plants and/or do large regular water changes there is no need to ever test. However, it's good to have a full test kit on hand.