# Cycling Fluval spec V



## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

Congratulations on your purchases!

The planted folks know more about this, so they'll have to weigh in.

1. Old School -- you put fish in and hoped they lived. This was usually done with hard fish like danios.

2. Fishless Cycling -- you add an ammonia source, let the let bacteria establish their colonies. This can be greatly speeded by "seeding" it with a bit if filter material when you start, and about 4 days later. You know you're done when you're reading nitrates, 
and the amount of ammonia you add has been processed within a day. Then you're ready for a big water change and fish.

3. Newfangled no cycling -- If you have a heavily planted tank, often the plants can handle the fauna wastes all their own, thus there is no need for a traditional cycle. I believe this traditionally used to reduce the nitrates in the water, but maybe nitrites and ammonia as well. 

Someone please jump in. Amnesia + ambien is probably making this completely incomprehensible.


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