still confused.

[Coffee1stLife2nd]

ive been searching and reading on cycling tank,, i don't want to do fish cycle because i dont want bring anything bad into new tank, i dont want to do Ammonia im sure i would mess that up, i talked to Hans about sending filter sponge but he mentioned that 90% of the bacteria would be dead by the time i received it. So he mentioned to me to use NITE-OUT 11 to use for 3 days. SO my question is do i do the Nite-Out for 3 days then add Discus or do I add Discus and Nite-Out at same time. i was trying to read about the Product but seems to me that the Nite-Out needs ammonia to work so that leads me to believe to add discus at same time.. but OMG that sounds scary to do because it would seem that the fish would be in there as the tank is cycling.. if anyone knows about this could you please explain it to me.. Thanks

[Clawhammer]

You want the tank to be fully cycled before adding the discus. Honestly, keeping discus is much more difficult to do than cycling a tank, so you may want to take a step back.

You cannot cycle a tank without ammonia, whether it be from a fish, rotting food, or added directly (janitor's ammonia). I strongly recommend properly cycling with ammonia before getting your discus. You can add Nite-Out or another microbe/bacteria containing product to speed up the process. There is a lot of clear instructions out there on how to cycle with ammonia, and we are here to help!

Good luck!

[hvangus]

http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php
Tina,

Discus are not cheep so be patient. Go with ammonia it is so easy and you will have a cycled tank in about a month. I wish I would have done it right off the bat myself. I have a 125 gallon tank and 25 gallon sump. I now have enough bacteria to sustain 14 5to 6 inch discus with no problem. I never had any luck with the artificial bacteria. How big is your tank and what kind of filter? Trust me take your time and you will be able to enjoy your tank later. Just make sure you use ammonia with no dies or surfactants. This approach you set up your tank, add the ammonia and then wait no expensive fish involved. You will have to test your ammonia every day. Then your nitrites and your nitrates will come near the end. Good Luck
Bryan

[Coffee1stLife2nd]

Yep Yep i know cycling is HUGE and usually i would just transfer media to new tank but i dont want to do that, and gotta say im alittle old school so the ammonia thing makes me alittle nervous. And before i go and spend couple thousand on Discus trust me my tank will be ready for them. BUT since Hans suggested Nite-Out im more then willing to find out more about it. ive never used it before so was wondering if anyone knew about this product or how to use it.. Thank You both for your advice. I have a 130 gal with a trigger 39 sump filter. i will have some sand and wood and plan on getting 12 adult Discus most likely from Hans. I am in no rush to stock my tank i have patients and have done my research, im retired and no little ones at home anymore so i have plenty of time to devote to these beautiful fish. any more info will be appreciated.

[Kyla]

as long as u have a test kit, u can keep track of the ppm of ammonia in your tank. u also need the nitrite and nitrate test kits, because u need to know how far along the cycle is.

make sure to get pure ammonia (no perfumes etc) and there is absolutely no danger in using it to cycle your tank. after u have well established bacteria u can do a 100% wc before adding the fish if u are concerned.

adding "cycling" bacterias to your tank can help speed along the cycle BUT i would not believe any product that claims to cycle a tank in 3 days. my step daughter recently did a science fair project on cycling aquariums and it takes weeks, even with the beneficial bacteria additives.

and make sure to do large daily water changes when u add the new fish, and continue testing the water regularly, to ensure there is no ammonia build up during the day while ur bacteria grows to properly match the number of ammonia producing fish u add to the tank.

[fishtanktenderfoot]

Hi, Tina,

In order to cycle your tank BEFORE the fish arrive, you will HAVE to add ammonia, regardless of whether you try to accelerate the cycle using NITE-OUT or not. If you don't use NITE-OUT, you will have to add ammonia and be patient while your good bacteria establish themselves. If you do use NITE-OUT, you will still have to add ammonia and maybe be slightly less patient while your good bacteria establish themselves.

In either case, you will want the test kit mentioned, so you can measure all the important stuff. I did the fishless cycle using ammonia. (It took me 7 weeks, and I only used ammonia, no bacteria starter.) Whatever you choose, take your time, read up on it, and get comfortable with your water parameters. Doing this before the fish arrive will make things much easier!

If you choose to put fish into your un-cycled tank, then you would add NITE-OUT but not ammonia (the fishies are their own little ammonia-generators). This can be risky, because you will have to do LARGE, daily water changes without fail until your bacteria get established. This can be nerve wracking because the fish may be exposed to low levels of ammonia while your tank cycles, and it can be stressful for them... (It may possibly go smoothly, I've not followed this method. Doesn't seem fun to worry about new fish AND cycling a tank at the same time, though.) Good luck!