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We have a 180 gallon aquarium that's going to be filled in a couple weeks. I'm planning on letting the tank run for a week then I want to put some fish in to get the cycle going.

I was thinking of using my 16" G. gibbiceps pleco--he's a tough guy and I think he will be fine cycling the aquarium but what do you guys think? I also have a 13 year old L. pardalis that could help him out with the cycling but since she's old, I'm not sure.

Also what do you think about using a pair of young Texas cichlids for cycling? Thanks....

Hi biomechmonster,

Using any fish to cycle a tank carries a risk to that fish's life/health.
Why not try a fishless cycle by adding a couple of (dead) Prawns to the tank, turning up the temp to around the mid-eighties (this speeds things up)and leave everything running.
If you have other tanks with mature filters sqeeze out the sponge in to the uncycled tank which will help seed it and speed up the process or if you are using u/g filters swap some of the substrate over, again this will help seed the tank.

Anyone of these methods will be faster than using live fish, I've managed to complete the initial cycle in just 11 days using those methods. Obviously the temp has to be reduced to a more suitable level before adding your fish and as with any newly cycled tank the stock should be built up slowly.

Do you have another tank running?

I've recently got my tank up and running in 3 days, I moved some filters and water from my main tank: 25% tapwater, 25% water main tank and 50% osmosiswater to get PH/KH/GH in the right direction (PH7, KH3 GH4) the bacteria going.

But be careful to check the other tank first for deseases or other thing you don't want to move to your new tank!

The biggest problem with cyling with fish is the nitratespike after a few days, there are roughly 2 bacteria needed to break down the nitrates, one of them is growing slower then the other so there will be a spike before leveling out. The spike could kill or harm your fish.

Dead prawns? You mean shrimp bought from the grocery store and left to rot in the tank?

That's right shrimps from the store or a piece of lean meat anything like that.
They will cause the ammonia to rise and help get the cycle started.
But don't over do it. 2 or 3 pieces the size of a thumbnale will be enough.

Ok...two large shrimp will be enough to cycle a 180 quickly then?

How long do I leave them in for and when should I start doing water changes? I have several aquariums but it's been a long time since I set up a large one so I've sort of forgotten how to cycle!

The time the cycling process takes has loads of variables which make it impossible to predict accurately. But it will be speeded up by

1, Keeping the tank warmer than normal - mid to high eighties, if no fish are present.

2, Keeping the pH at 7 or above because the filtration bacteria don't do quite as well in acidic conditions.

3, If you have access to another tank with healthy fish in it, squeeze out the filter sponge in the new tank. This will seed it and the process will start much faster.

The amount of Shrimp is important. If you use to little then there might be a shortfall in the number of bacteria present when you eventually add the fish. Inorder to get the level right you will need a Nitrite (NO2) Test Kit.

Once the tank is filled and running, add the shrimp and wait a few days, the ammonia level will rise and by about day 4 or 5 you should be able to see the nitrite begin to rise. Keep monitoring the nitrite level and make a note of how high it rises before it begins to fall.

It is important that it reaches at least 5ppm before falling. It doesn't matter if it goes higher but if it doesn't reach that level you'll need to add more shrimp until it does.

The shrimp can be left in, it won't do any harm. Once the nitrite level has returned to 0 it is safe to add the fish once the temp and pH has been suitable for the species that you intend to keep.

Here is an article that I wrote for refernce -

Once you have set up your new tank and you are pleased with the results all you now need is to add the fish. The dealer who sold you the tank probably said to leave the tank without fish for a few days or even a week in some cases and then it will be ok to add the fish.
The above piece of worthless advice has killed more fish than probably any other single thing in the hobby and has also probably lead to countless people giving up before they have even properly started because no matter how long the tank is left to stand it will not mature on its own.

Fish produce waste and they excrete ammonia from their gills. This waste will quickly pollute the water and ammonia is toxic to fish at unimaginably small amounts, just one part in five million is enough to kill some fish and to make others very ill.
Fortunately there are several groups of bacteria which act together to get rid of the waste and ammonia on our behalf and to make the tank a safe place for fish to live, but it takes time for the numbers of these bacteria to build up to a sufficient level for them to be able to deal with all the ammonia and waste and before they have reached that level the tank is said to be immature or un-cycled.

It can take a few weeks for the aquarium to become fully cycled but leaving it completely empty will not help because for the process to begin the helpful bacteria have some requirements of their own before they will start to colonise the tank.
Firstly the tank should be allowed 48hrs with everything running so that everything can be seen working the temperature can finely tuned, filter outputs can be directed to make a gentle current run throughout the tank and the decor can be placed to conceal equipment.

After 48 hrs the maturing process can begin, In times gone past we used to add six cheap disposable fish to the tank so that they would produce ammonia and other waste and the bacteria would then feed on this waste until there were enough bacteria present to maintain a healthy water quality. But this meant exposing the unfortunate first fish to very high levels of toxins which often resulted in their death, this is a very poor method to use and is totally unnecessary not to mention unethical. Another method is to add a small piece of meat 1/2" cube in size this will produce lots of ammonia for the bacteria to feed on and they will colonise the tank without harming any fish in the process. But it is now possible to buy products from aquatic stores which provide the ammonia in a clean form and they contain other chemicals like trace elements and nutrient which create an ideal environment for the bacteria.
One example of these products is here. This is just a random example and shouldn't be taken as a recommendation for this particular product. Do not confuse this type of product for one which claims to add live bacteria to the tank and mature it instantly because many of these products simply are very ineffective and a waste of money.

Which ever method you choose, as soon as the process has begun changes will take place in the aquarium and in the water chemistry in particular. The bacteria which are present will begin to multiply rapidly and start to consume the ammonia the ammonia is converted into nitrite and the nitrite into nitrate how and why they do this isn't really important the important thing to remember here is that both ammonia and nitrite are deadly to all fish but nitrate at the end of the process is relatively harmless except in very high levels.
You can monitor the changes taking place but to do this you will need a few test kits. The test kits themselves are a very important tool to use when keeping fish and some are indispensable - a test kit for each of the following should be considered as mandatory if you are to become a successful fishkeeper,

Ammonia test kit.
Nitrite test kit.
pH test kit.

There are of course many others which are useful to have but those three are essential.

A newly filled tank will probably show 0 on all those test kits but a few days into the maturing process will show a dramatic rise in the ammonia levels but still no nitrite or nitrate.

After a week has passed the ammonia levels will have peaked and may have declined a little whilst the nitrite levels will show a rapid rise but there will still be little or no nitrate. The reason for the time difference in these processes and why they don't all rise and fall together is because different bacteria are responsible for each process and the different bacteria grow at different rates.

The ammonia will then quickly disappear altogether but the nitrite levels will remain quite high for quite some time up to 35 days is quite common although it often drops more quickly than that. It is simply a matter of waiting and keep testing. eventually Nitrate will begin to appear and shortly after this the nitrite level will start to fall. Once it has fallen to 0 the tank is cycled and the first few fish can be added. It is very important with a newly cycled tank that the fish are added slowly and not all at once and allowing at least one week for the new fish to settle before adding anymore fish to the tank, this is to allow the bacteria colony time to adjust to the stocking level.
The bacteria colony will grow or shrink to match the stocking level of the tank and if lots of extra stock is added all at once even to a fully mature tank it will cause water quality problems.

Can the process be speeded up
The simple answer is yes it can,

Raising the temp to 85F will speed up the life cycle of the bacteria and basically they will grow and multiply faster. (only when no fish are present).

Adding some filter material from a mature filter will help seed the bacterial colony.

Maintain the pH at 7 or over will help because bacteria dislike and grow more slowly in acidic conditions.

Using tank water from a mature tank will NOT help mature the tank because the bacteria which we need live on a solid surface they are not found free swimming.

Are the helpful bacteria easily harmed
Yes they are, the bacteria which we need are quite delicate they need a wet, warm and oxygen rich environment to live in. If any of these conditions are not met they will die.

Chlorine or Chloramines will kill them out right, always use a dechlorinater on all water added to the tank.

Use water taken from the tank to clean the filter sponges/other media and never tap water.

Don't let the filter media dry out or you will be back to the beginning.

Keep the water flow through the media going at a good rate all the time, don't wait for the filter to become blocked before cleaning it or the bacteria will die as they will be short of oxygen.

Most medications used for the fish also have an effect on the bacteria, even the ones which say they don't harm the filter bacteria. Antibiotics will kill the filter bacteria outright.

Instant maturity
This is possible, if enough filter media from a fully mature filter can be placed inside the new filter the bacteria will begin working and multiplying immediately so provided that the tank is stocked slowly fish can be added strait away.

Breeding Tanks
Small spawning tanks or those used for bubble nest builders do not need a filter right away. But a mature sponge filter should be on standby because once the fry become free swimming a filter is essential. Air operated sponge filters are the only option for newly free swimming fry and they have another advantage that the fry can feed from the surface of the sponge which is a good source of infusoria. The sponge can be placed at the rear of a larger tank when not in use in a breeding tank so that it will keep a healthy colony of filter bacteria. If it is allowed to dry or stored where there are no fish it will lose the bacterial colony and it will no longer work until it has been recycled.

Instant bacteria in a bottle
These products have a very poor reputation, for many years the wrong species of bacteria was used and even though this has been corrected they still seem to give variable results or they simply don't work. I personally have never found one which lived up to its claims and in all cases that I personally tried the time taken to reach maturity was no different than when not using them.
There are some which the maker recommends using after making a water change or if there is a persistent problem with ammonia or nitrite. Firstly if the tank has the correct filtration and it is well maintained there is absolutely no need to add anything to the tank, secondly if there is a problem with ammonia or nitrite in a tank containing livestock which has been running for a few months or more then there is a filtration problem which needs to be properly investigated and corrected rather than trying to cover up the symptoms

I had some bad experiences with the instant cycling stuff. What I learned is that sulfer can be a by-product.

yea


i`m impatient


what finniper said is very good advice.....
and its almost fool proof......

but there is other ways.....

listen to my sucsse story


i have a 55 gal tank

it sprung a leak...a bad leak....

immediatly
i filled a 35 gallon bin up with water hooked my filter on which was a bio wheel 330...stuck in a heater
stuck all my plants in it.....
barteri nanas wide leaf sageitarius and hygrophilia difformis and a bunch of others, lloyedeila other types of hygrophilai
cryps....


i have 4 turquise rainbows...bout 4 inches long each
2 large anasurgi ctenopomas aka leopard bushfish 6 inches
2 other ctenapomas 3 inches
1 feather fin synadontis 5 inches
ocellifer synadontis at about 4 1/2 inch.....
2 big anicustris the male at 5 and female at 6
1 tiger peckolitia pleco abnout 6 inch....
2 pearl gouramis 4 inches....
4 emporer tetras
5 black tetera aka water roaches lol
2 reticulated corys....
1 zebra loach 3 inches
1 yoyo loach 4 inches
1 male betta
2 female bettas
2 black paradise fish AMAZING FISH!!!!
and yea thats it.....

THATS A HEAVY LOAD

especially for 35 gallons of water....
the ammonia an nitrite levels shot up in the bin in two days


anyways,
for the 55 i took out all the gravel wiped it down.....
pealed off all the silicone(which was the sorce of the leak)
resealed it....
threw it back on the stand.....
instead of using the old gravel i got flourite
filled it up with gravel
started filling.....
added decor
added back my plants......
let the water warm up......
got to 76
which was the tempt of the bin.....
threw all the fish in the tank......
this process from the leak to the fish back in the same tank took 3 days......
added abunch of slime coat conditioner......
fed lightly....
this happend in december....
its now march......
same fish still crusin along.....
except one female betta, she died from to much harrasment form the male.....


now the thing is....
i check ph,ammonias nitrites daily.....
a slight rise in ammonia and nitrites,
and a decrease from my ph at 7.6 to 7.0 in a weeks time.....
7.6 being my citys water ph....
7.o being my tanks natural ph with everything in it an movin along.......

now my only explination on how every worked out is, the bacteria that colonised the bio wheel, and the bacteria that took the ride on my plants and little rocks to the bin......
what this proves is other media and decors including plants rocks gravel if added will speed up ur tanks cycle extremly.....
what i worked with was very little.....
i think the main key into keeping my fish alive was the roots of my barteri
havng hundreds of roots
and plenty of room for bacteria....
i was`nt to suprised that i didnt lose any fish.....
i mean in a couple of hours i added 32 fish to a newly set up tank!!!!!!!
without one dieing
this is not a recomendation....

but there are ways to speed up cycling like what finniper said above............


i usually cycle my tanks with plants......

being from a petshop there will be some bacteria colonised on the plants.......
also the plants photosynthesizing cycle does produce ammoinias......
there fore starting your tank off with some tough plant types like hygrophilia or water sprite hornwort is not a bad idea.............

these plants are durable!!!! i mean they are really tough....
hygro being my preferration....
this stuff, grew in a water bin nbout 6 ft away from my tanks light and with no water movement or any type of agitaion and what it seems like noway of getting sufficent c02......
i mean it grew....
from a couple cuttings each stem producing 2 or 3 new stems in about a month....
pretty tuff plant.....also the water in the bin was around 50 degrees F..........

but if u want live plants in ur tank.....
u can help cycle with them.....
also rinsing off a bio wheel or any other object that will contain some benifical bacteria is a good idea.....
these will speed up the process...

and if u just have to have fish.......

black tetras!!!!
are in my opionin the toughest of the most hardiest fish

even tho they can tolerate extreme conditions it is not healthy or right to put an animal through needless harm.....
so i recomend a fishless cycle but with plants.....

Good save! Good thing you had access to another tank that could house all those fish on a temp.basis. I've read there are several ways to cycle a tank. It sounds like you came across your method on an emergency basis. Used gravel is always a good cycling method. I have a bio-wheel in a 10 gallon. That thing cycled very quickly. I didn't have as much luck on larger tanks with bio-wheels. Do you use a canister as well? Or just the independant bio-wheel?

No fear greater than a cracked tank!

For me, the personal favorite for hardiness and cycling is the good-old Zebra Danio.

yea just the biowheel

i think there great

as long as u maintain them

it is a pretty heavy load of fish but thats what bio wheels are good for....

they can handle a sudden heavy load of ammonias and nitrites really well

i might use a canister filter for like a wuick clean up job....
but yea i trust the bio wheels i got one on evry tank

sep my 40 breeder which has an aqua clear and i bio wheel