Cycling a 55?

[schigara]

I just setup the 55 and went and bought an Emperor 400 Biowheel and a Rena 300w heater. I set the heater to 85. I plan to keep Discus and is the reason for this temp but is this a good temp to cycle with?

To help the cycle along, I did a water change on my 15 and replaced one of it's filter cartridges. I cut 2 strips measuring 1 in by 3 in from the established filter floss and put one in with each of the cartridges on the Emperor 400 in the 55. I also took a big decoration out of the 15 and put in the 55 and put in 2 raw shrimp. My question is, how long should it take before I start to see ammonia levels rise and then how long until the nitrites rise?

Thanks

[Howie_W]

Hi schigara and welcome to Simply!

Here's a recent discussion on fishless cycling;


http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=40119


I keep extra Hydro sponges running in my tanks which are a quick alternative to avoid the work of going through a fishless cycle. I usually transfer one of the existing sponges with the healthy bacteria colony, and then add additional filitration from there.


Howie

[Carol_Roberts]

I would pull out the raw shrimp meat and add enough clear ammonia to read 3 - 5 ppm on a test kit. Check ammonia and later nitrIte and record results to get a better idea of when tank has finished cycling. It may only take a couple of weeks with the cycled media you placed inside the filter. Read how to fishless cycle and don't forget the big water change prior to adding yoru discus.

[hexed]

I do like Howie does. Put a sponge filter in your 15 gallon tank and leave it for about 3-4 weeks. I do not think you will need a 2nd emperor filter, it might be too strong for the discus. I have a penguin 330 on the left side of my 55 gallon and all the discus stay on the right side because of the current it makes. Like I said I would throw in a sponge filter or two. My set up across the back of the tank is penguin (left), sponge (middle) and sponge (right). When I know I will be away for vacation I will put my canister filters on the tanks.

[Alight]

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=40119&page=2

Above is yet another thread on fishless cycling, including another source for ammonia (yuck!).

If you do use the rotten meat method, measure for ammonia and nitrites, just like you would if you were using ammonia. When the ammonia and nitrites go to zero, do a 100% water change, rinse out your filter with clean, cool, dechlorinated water, and you should be good to go. Just be sure to add your fish right away, don't let the bacteria in your filter starve from lack of ammonia.

It will take a bit longer with this method than by using clear ammonia--probably as much as a week longer.

Several members of another aquarium site swear by the dead shrimp method.

Seems like the potential for "bad" bacteria is actually low, since you will be changing 100% of the water before you add in your fish.

[ronrca]

Several members of another aquarium site swear by the dead shrimp method. Interesting! Why dead shrimp though?

[cowboy steve]

Interesting! Why dead shrimp though?

It's a Live Rock/Reef Tank thing, for cycling.

And Schigara, pick up a second heater as a backup, doesn't need to be a 300, you could get a 250.

Just to be safe.

[Alight]

I think people just happen to have some uncooked shrimp around, as they often feed these to their marine fish.

Others have used uncooked chicken, as I said earlier. The problem I see with it is that the amount of ammonia produced is much less controlled than it is with clear ammonia, so it's difficult to titrate the amount to the number of fish you plan to add to the tank. However, others at badman's tropical fish site have had good luck with this method.

Personally, I'd use clear ammonia (lab ammonia if that's all you can get) rather than the rotten meat method, but if the ammonia is very difficult to get, I'd probably try the meat thing, too.