Cycle or no cycle?

[GiveMeABMW]

Today (Saturday) I set up a 29 gallon tank, everything is there but the fish. I
have two Penguin 125s and one Penguin Mini filter going. I've been reading a
little about cycling, so now I wonder when I should buy the fish (was planning
on an Oranda and a Black Moor). I wanted to add fish on Wednesday, but is this
too soon?

A recommendation on one site was to add food as if there were fish in the tank,
in order to start the cycle. Is that a good idea?

Thanks...

[Tom La Bron]

GiveMeABMW,

(Sunday, 030720) It is so interesting how often this comes up and you will
hear all sorts of answers. I will give you mine, if you don't like it, that
is fine, but it works for me and has worked for 40 years. I fill my tanks
with water and start my filter(s). I let the filter run for 12 to 24 hours
in the tank. During this time period I also put in two airstones. After
the tank is cycled you can remove one of the airstones.

Before I say any more let me say that I have hard water and my KH runs about
130ppm, sometimes as I as 200ppm. My General Hardness runs from 250 to
300ppm. My pH is usually around 7.6 to 8.3 out of the tap depending on the
time of year and the amount of rainfall my area has received.

So, now to continue, after the 12 or 24 hours, I put the fish in (Rule of
Thumb, one fish per 10 gallons of water). I test for ammonia through the
first two weeks. You will get a slight reading depending on the size of the
fish you put in the tank. If they are big Goldfish (4 to six inches) put in
another airstone. Feed the fish only once a day for the first week and only
what they will eat in two to five minutes.

Once Ammonia readings are reading zero you will see nitrites show up, but if
you see that they stay low. After about another week your nitrites will be
zero, also. To take care of nitrates I have Philodendrons growing out of my
tanks or Cyrpts in pots. Nitrates are always zero.

Your tank should be cycled in about three weeks at the most. Mine usually
cycle in about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. After the tank has cycled take one of the
airstones out, if you had three in the tank take one out one week and the
second out a week later. Or if you like, leave them in it is up to you, but
leave at least one in the tank.

Remember, that if you change your stocking level the cycle changes, if you
take fish out the cycle changes, if you had chemicals you cycle usually
changes. The nitrogen cycle is a living breathing organism and changes was
required. Overfeeding can cause problems also, so don't get carried away
feeding your fish. If you keep you water clean and clear the fish will be
happy.

Tom L.L.
"GiveMeABMW" > wrote in message
...
> Today (Saturday) I set up a 29 gallon tank, everything is there but the
fish. I
> have two Penguin 125s and one Penguin Mini filter going. I've been reading
a
> little about cycling, so now I wonder when I should buy the fish (was
planning
> on an Oranda and a Black Moor). I wanted to add fish on Wednesday, but is
this
> too soon?
>
> A recommendation on one site was to add food as if there were fish in the
tank,
> in order to start the cycle. Is that a good idea?
>
> Thanks...

[[email protected]]

get some BioSpira. it is starter bacteria that works. not cheap tho. change the
water once more after letting the filter run, be sure to let the water aerate (you
got an airstone, right>?) for a couple hours at least.
using the food you are still looking at 3-4 weeks. do have a test kit and use it and
change water to keep ammonia and nitrites to just detectable and nitrates once the
tank cycles to 20 PPM or less. Ingrid

(GiveMeABMW) wrote:

>Today (Saturday) I set up a 29 gallon tank, everything is there but the fish. I
>have two Penguin 125s and one Penguin Mini filter going. I've been reading a
>little about cycling, so now I wonder when I should buy the fish (was planning
>on an Oranda and a Black Moor). I wanted to add fish on Wednesday, but is this
>too soon?
>
>A recommendation on one site was to add food as if there were fish in the tank,
>in order to start the cycle. Is that a good idea?
>
>Thanks...



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Tom La Bron]

Donald,

I use just the plain green leafed Philodendron. It does great with the
ambient light and is considered has a low light requirement. I make a small
bag of netting to got around the roots and put that the bag in the aquarium
with the leaves hanging over the sides of the tank. If the bacteria are
working nicely you will get a root ball in the aquarium water and lush
leaves over the side of the tank. The Goldfish will eat material that
catches on the roots, but do not eat the roots, leaves, and/or stems of the
plant. This has worked for me for years.

Decades ago when I was young kid in high school my mother had a Philodendron
on top of the refrigerator and one time she pulled the plant off the top of
the frig and their were stems 6 feet long growing behind the refrigerator.
I would say they do just fine in low light situations.

Tom L.L.
"Donald Kerns" > wrote in message
...
> Tom La Bron wrote:
>
> > To take care of nitrates I have Philodendrons growing out of my
> > tanks or Cyrpts in pots. Nitrates are always zero.
>
> (Just to show how serious I am, I searched up this post, just so I could
> reply to it...)
>
> Tom, could you give more information on your Philodendron de-nitrating
> set up?
>
> Does it require additional lighting for the Philodendron or will it cope
> with ambient room lighting?
>
> TIA,
>
> -Donald
> --
> "There is nothing so strong as gentleness, and there is nothing so
> gentle as real strength." St. Francis de Sales