Thoughts on adding a fish for the cycle?

joem1cha3l · 03/15/2011, 12:17 PM

Hey guys, whats the true facts and insight on adding a fish to help the cycle. I have read here before that some people add damsels to start the process

jdegrasse · 03/15/2011, 12:19 PM

It's a bit rough on the fish and unnecessary. You can accomplish starting the cycle without harming livestock.

Brwestern · 03/15/2011, 12:20 PM

No reason to be cruel to the fish.. Why put it through it? Just be patient and do it the right way.

patsfan1130 · 03/15/2011, 12:35 PM

The thought of using a damsel to cycle a tank is because they are cheap is both moronic and cruel. Not to mention it goes against what we are all trying to do which is sustain aquatic life in our living rooms. Certainly not risk killing it.

joem1cha3l · 03/15/2011, 12:38 PM

i guess im just confused guys....what would adding a fish to the tank even do?

jdegrasse · 03/15/2011, 12:43 PM

The biological filter is the bacteria that coats LR/LS or some other substrate. The presence of ammonia spurs the growth of this bacteria to a suitable level (the time it takes to have a sustainable bacterial colony and chemistry that occurs is the cycle). One can add ammonia and start the growth by:

1) A fish which will excrete ammonia as you feed it (not a popular choice)
2) Curing LR/LS (common for FOWLR and reef tanks)
3) a piece of table shrimp will do if you are not using LR/LS

MrTuskfish · 03/15/2011, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joem1cha3l

i guess im just confused guys....what would adding a fish to the tank even do?

Adding a fish, or (preferably) a dead uncooked shrimp. Starts the nitrogen cycle by producing ammonia. Other than being cruel, starting with a damsel means that you;re stuck with a damsel. Seriously, if you don't know how the nitrogen cycle works, you have a lot or reasearch to do before adding any livestock. The stickys at the top of this forum are a good place to start.

mgraff00 · 03/15/2011, 12:45 PM

a small piece of live rock from an established tank will kick start the whole thing and it's a lot more humane

Sk8r · 03/15/2011, 12:51 PM

Cruel and, these days, very wrong, and whoever advised it is 30 years behind the times. It's what was done in the 1980's. Just drop a few flakes of fishfood into your tank daily until it produces ammonia, then continue it until that small dose CANNOT produce ammonia. Make sense? It's how to first grow the right bacteria and then prove your tank can cope with a little detritus. After that you can buy a fish and start a 4 week quarantine in a separate tank---and you can go to snails and hermits in your tank. After they've worked for those weeks, you can put the fish in and start another fish in quarantine.

03/15/2011, 12:17 PM	#1
joem1cha3l Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,158	Thoughts on adding a fish for the cycle? Hey guys, whats the true facts and insight on adding a fish to help the cycle. I have read here before that some people add damsels to start the process __________________ IM10G Nano - MP10, AI Nano, RKL

03/15/2011, 12:35 PM	#4
patsfan1130 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Woburn, Ma Posts: 2,010	The thought of using a damsel to cycle a tank is because they are cheap is both moronic and cruel. Not to mention it goes against what we are all trying to do which is sustain aquatic life in our living rooms. Certainly not risk killing it. __________________ My cat's breath smells like cat food Member of the Boston Reefers Society Current Tank Info: 75g lps, 90g sps, 120g mixed, 180 nem tank, 300g reef, 600g up & coming reef

03/15/2011, 12:38 PM	#5
joem1cha3l Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,158	i guess im just confused guys....what would adding a fish to the tank even do? __________________ IM10G Nano - MP10, AI Nano, RKL

03/15/2011, 12:45 PM	#8
mgraff00 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: southern ill Posts: 51	a small piece of live rock from an established tank will kick start the whole thing and it's a lot more humane __________________ "Extra-virgin olive oil...for when you don't want your olive oil F@#$ed" - my brother

03/15/2011, 12:51 PM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Cruel and, these days, very wrong, and whoever advised it is 30 years behind the times. It's what was done in the 1980's. Just drop a few flakes of fishfood into your tank daily until it produces ammonia, then continue it until that small dose CANNOT produce ammonia. Make sense? It's how to first grow the right bacteria and then prove your tank can cope with a little detritus. After that you can buy a fish and start a 4 week quarantine in a separate tank---and you can go to snails and hermits in your tank. After they've worked for those weeks, you can put the fish in and start another fish in quarantine. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/15/2011, 12:19 PM	#2
jdegrasse Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 241	It's a bit rough on the fish and unnecessary. You can accomplish starting the cycle without harming livestock.

03/15/2011, 12:20 PM	#3
Brwestern Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Celebration, Fl Posts: 600	No reason to be cruel to the fish.. Why put it through it? Just be patient and do it the right way.

03/15/2011, 12:43 PM	#6
jdegrasse Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 241	The biological filter is the bacteria that coats LR/LS or some other substrate. The presence of ammonia spurs the growth of this bacteria to a suitable level (the time it takes to have a sustainable bacterial colony and chemistry that occurs is the cycle). One can add ammonia and start the growth by: 1) A fish which will excrete ammonia as you feed it (not a popular choice) 2) Curing LR/LS (common for FOWLR and reef tanks) 3) a piece of table shrimp will do if you are not using LR/LS

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