# FASTEST way to cycle a tank?



## sunkyokim

hey guys, 
Just wanted to ask for your advice. I have a 37gallon tall (30x12x20) and i really need to get the thing up and running as fast as possible. Could you guys give me some pointers on how to go about making this process quick and painless? a few things that i was thinking about were to use a lot of ecocomplete substrate, obtaining some used biological filter media and putting it into my eheim 2227 wet dry filter, dosing some "cycle", and using purified water to fill the tank. if i do all that, do you think my water will be ready for fish by the end of next week? your feedback is very much appreciated! thanks!


best, 



Sun


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## JenThePlantGeek

The best way to cycle a tank is to pack it full of fast-growing plants  You don't need to cycle a heavily-planted tank.

If that's not an option however, I think the used biological filter media would work wonders. 

Eco is a very good substrate, but I'm not sure it offers any /significant/ advantage with cycling times, but maybe some. And don't use any special fancy water to fill the tank - use tapwater unless it is WAAAY hard or soft. Best not to fight with your water and best not to have to haul jugs to and from the store.


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## cbennett

stuff it full of watersprite - you don't even need substrate in there, just use some suction cup clips - and you'll be set!


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## AndyN

You could also use Bio-spira. I've never personally used it, but I heard it works to quickly cycle a tank!


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## styxx

Bio-Spira works, believe me. Here's what you do:

Step 1. Buy some Bio-Spira
Step 2. Buy some fish
Step 3. Pour Bio-Spira into tank
Step 4. Put fish into tank
Step 5. Done

Bio-Spira eliminates the need to cycle the tank. I bought some Bio-Spira along with 20 rummynose tetras and put both in right after each other into my 20G tank (w/decholorinated H2O) and never lost one fish. It is perfect; works instantly and completely. Next day, zero ammonia/ammonium, nitrites and low nitrates which remained the same from that day forward...


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## retoid

Bio Spira does work great but I would not suggest adding fish to the tank right afterwards. AT LEAST! give it 24 hours.



styxx1 said:


> Bio-Spira works, believe me. Here's what you do:
> 
> Step 1. Buy some Bio-Spira
> Step 2. Buy some fish
> Step 3. Pour Bio-Spira into tank
> Step 4. Put fish into tank
> Step 5. Done
> 
> Bio-Spira eliminates the need to cycle the tank. I bought some Bio-Spira along with 20 rummynose tetras and put both in right after each other into my 20G tank (w/decholorinated H2O) and never lost one fish. It is perfect; works instantly and completely. Next day, zero ammonia/ammonium, nitrites and low nitrates which remained the same from that day forward...


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## Crash_171

*Bio-Spira ROX*



AndyN said:


> You could also use Bio-spira. I've never personally used it, but I heard it works to quickly cycle a tank!


I have used it....WORKS GREAT!!!!!!! It gives you a 24 hour cycle. The only thing you have to watch is that when you add the stuff that gets the chlorine out of your tap water, you have to wait a hour before adding BIO-SPIRA.

I added 14 neons and 8 white clouds, and did not lose and because of the cycle.


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## Rex Grigg

The directions for Bio-Spira give 24 hours as the maximum time to wait before adding fish.


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## sunkyokim

THANKS GUYS for the valuable information! you guys are lifesavers! Now, question is, where can i get bio-spira for a reasonable price? your suggestions and advice are seriously appreciated! thanks again!



Best, 




Sun


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## Rex Grigg

Since it MUST be kept refrigerated your LFS is the best bet.


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## daFrimpster

I had good luck with SeaChem's Stability for this. Cheaper than BioSpira and it needn't be refridgerated. Tastes better too! just kidding...
http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Stability.html


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## Hypancistrus

JenThePlantGeek said:


> The best way to cycle a tank is to pack it full of fast-growing plants


I keep reading this over and over and over, and I just don't get it.

"Cycling" a tank refers to establishing bacterial colonies in the tank with species of bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite, then other species which convert that nitrite to nitrate.

If you were to "pack" a tank with fast growing plants, with the concept being that the plants will absorb ammonia from fish waste very quickly, then you would be _slowing down_ the process of establishing bacterial colonies because their food source (ammonia) would be more limited.

In reality, I don't think an extremely large plant mass in the tank would be able to remove all the ammonia produced from a fully stocked tank. If anything, they provide a bigger surface area for bacteria to colonize. (Bacteria don't "swim," they must be attached to a surface.)

I also don't think it's practical... if I have an aim to create a certain look for a tank, and I have a number of plant species I want to use for that, you're saying that in order to "quickly cycle" the tank I must purchase a lot of "fast growing" plant species I may not necessarily want, then keep them in the tank for one or two months, and add only a few fish at a time. Then, after that, I'm guessing I'm supposed to remove them then aquascape the tank the way I _really_ want.

In the above case, I don't believe those plants helped speed the cycle. I think the bacteria took the same amount of time to become established as it would have with no plants at all. I think it could be replicated simply by using a very good filter with a filter substrate that has a lot of surface area, such as Eheim Ehfisubstrat Pro. By using the "fast growing plants" approach, I end up with a ton of plants I don't want, plus the extra work of planting them then removing them, keeping them trimmed them during that time, etc.

It would be cheaper, quicker, and much more practical to simply use a good filter, aquascape the tank the way you intend to from the beginning, and use Bio Spira along with a full fish load to establish the bacterial colonies immediately. These bacteria work best with lots of dissolved oxygen, so running aeration at night is also very good at helping with rapid bacterial colonization.

I also have no clue why doing a "fishless cycle" is considered wrong for a planted tank. Again, in order to establish the *proper* bacterial colonies for reducing ammonia and urea, you *have* to have a food source. Even if you use the "fast growing plant" approach, what's the difference if the ammonia is coming from a few fish in the tank, or a dosed amount?


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## Hypancistrus

retoid said:


> Bio Spira does work great but I would not suggest adding fish to the tank right afterwards. AT LEAST! give it 24 hours.


That is the 100% incorrect way to use Bio Spira. It must have a food source immediately, and that can only come from fish. It is intended and designed to be added with a full fish load at the *same time*.

I believe that it is this misconception and "sacrilegious" idea of fully stocking a tank from day one that has prevented Bio Spira from being more widely available, or at least stocked by PetSmart, Petco, etc. If you add Bio Spira to the tank, then wait a day, then add only a few fish, most of the bacteria will die off. If you then add more fish in a short time frame, there won't be enough bacteria to get rid of the ammonia and urea that is produced, and you're left with the impression that the Bio Spira didn't work, and is no different than the multitude of other "snake oil" type bacterial products in the aquarium marketplace.


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## <Frawg>

Bio-Spira appears to be the way to go.

Unfortunately, I've got no good LFS anymore. I do have access to Petco and PetSmut, but neither seem to carry it?

s


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## BlueRam

Hypancistrus said:


> "Cycling" a tank refers to establishing bacterial colonies in the tank with species of bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite, then other species which convert that nitrite to nitrate.


I would argue that "cycling" refers to establishing bacterial colonies in tanks where the *bacterial colonies* are the primary of converting ammonia to nitrate. In my heavy planted tanks the ammonia never builds to a point that triggers the rest of the "cycle". Sure the colonies are there in the filter and on the plants but they are not the only thing keeping my fish alive.

Packing in the healthy plants is also a good way to limit algae in my experience.


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## Left Coast DJ

Why not take an entire filter from an established tank and put it in the new tank? Instant cycle!

About 4-5 weeks before I set up a new tank, I stick one of my spare AC50s in an established tank. So when the new tank is ready for fish, I just move the AC50 over along with the first group of fish. So until the canister in the new tank gets going, the AC50 should carry the load.

DJ


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## CarolF

If you have fish friends the quickest way to cycle a tank is to get lots of squeezings from their sponge filter and put it in your tank. Or you can buy a cycled filter online but that costs about as much as the bio starter.

I have other tanks and always keep cycled sponges or sponges as back up. I just take the squeezings and sometimes some of the substrate that is well used and instant cycle.


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## styxx

Well if BioSpira isn't available then I would suggest Seachem's Stability. It works great, is less expensive and does the same thing, albeit over a longer period of time. You *must *follow the directions carefully, failure to follow the schedule will result in fish deaths...but it does work well!


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## chasedafish

*new tank start up*

i have a 20g with a new sand bottom, new filter, plants, etc.. do i run the filter when starting the fishless cycle? also can i add plants right away or should wait till the balance has set in?


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## retoid

Hypancistrus said:


> That is the 100% incorrect way to use Bio Spira. It must have a food source immediately, and that can only come from fish. It is intended and designed to be added with a full fish load at the *same time*.
> 
> I believe that it is this misconception and "sacrilegious" idea of fully stocking a tank from day one that has prevented Bio Spira from being more widely available, or at least stocked by PetSmart, Petco, etc. If you add Bio Spira to the tank, then wait a day, then add only a few fish, most of the bacteria will die off. If you then add more fish in a short time frame, there won't be enough bacteria to get rid of the ammonia and urea that is produced, and you're left with the impression that the Bio Spira didn't work, and is no different than the multitude of other "snake oil" type bacterial products in the aquarium marketplace.


You are totally right. I was unaware of how it worked. Sorry for the incorrect info. I stand corrected.


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## Digsy

Chasedafish, start with a ton of fast growing stems right away. Also, when you mean fishless cycle, are you referring to the process of adding ammonia? This isn't necessary and if you have a good amount of those fast growing stems in your tank from the beginning, you will hardly notice the cycle. All of the tanks I've started in the last year started heavily planted, with fish and BioSpira. I've been told you can skip the BioSpira but, I prefer to be on the safe side.


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## fishscale

To answer your question chasedafish, you should run the filter. But they are all right about planting heavy and really needing to finish the cycle before you stock. 

IME taking an established filter and putting it on a new tank is risky. You need to make sure you have it off and transported in a very short amount of time. The bacteria colonies can die from bad conditions (like a hot car, as I unfortunately found out). Also, much of the bacteria in a nonplanted fish tank exists on other surfaces, such as the gravel. In planted tanks, the bacteria can be found on plants as well. Using the established filter will work for small fish loads, so as long as you stock slowly, you should be ok.


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## fishscale

P.S. I've been cycling a filter in a garbage can for a month and a half


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## chasedafish

*thanks for the help*

thanks for the help! i have one more question about co2 im not sure if that is needed for my setup... it a 20g with a brand new bio wheel filter.


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## Ryzilla

here is what I did to cylce my 10g. I took roughly 10g of water from my established 38g and put it in the 10g. I then took my penguin bio-wheel off of my other 10g and put it on my new 10g. Finished. Less then one week and it is cycled. Oh yeah, I also used endler fry to help the cycle. They are tuff little buggers.


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## Digsy

Whether or not you need CO2 depends on the type of plants you are wanting to grow and the lighting you have. Do you have a lighting fixture already? What types of plants are you hoping to grow?


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## Naja002

styxx1 said:


> Well if BioSpira isn't available then I would suggest Seachem's Stability. It works great, is less expensive and does the same thing, albeit over a longer period of time. You *must *follow the directions carefully, failure to follow the schedule will result in fish deaths...but it does work well!


Sorry, but that's not correct. The best way to use Stability is to* Not* follow the directions and overdose it. Its just different forms of bacteria--so, technically, it can't be overdosed. 

"Over-Dosing" Stability.....?

It has a 4yr shelf-life, doesn't need to be refrigerated, and is generally easier to locate (locally and online).

Believe me, with the influxes of Feeder Fish that I deal with--I've had to learn how to Instant cycle a tank. Seachem's Prime, Stability and Ammonia Alert.

HTH


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## FishScape

You could also use stress-zyme from api. I dont think it works as quick as Bio-Spira but it will help to cycle your tank faster then normal


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## Ukrainetz

Cycling a tank for weeks is a thing of the past. Cycle and stability, are great products that boost the biological filter and work great if you don't kill them (with a UV filter for example) since they are water borne. Eco is an excellent substrate, and comes with living bacteria on it. Plants also aid in cycling because they use up ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. I cycled a 125Gal tank for 3 days before putting in fish, and had no problems at all. Don't be fooled though, putting in too many fish at once at any time can result in problems. In one week you can have the aquarium completely setup if you're careful and work hard. 

You cannot overdose Cycle or Stability or any of those other products. I think what Styxx1 meant was that you *had* to dose as often and as much as they tell you, and not any less. This is *NOT TRUE* and is simply the company's way of getting you to use more of their product. Once your bio filter is setup and your tank is completely finished, you should have no variations in the nitrogen cycle. That means adding extra bacteria will be wasteful. It is at times like adding new fish, or in broad terms, new stress on the bio filter, that you need to add bacteria.


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## ikuzo

why the whole filter? just use the sponge of your established tank to a new one.


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## Homer_Simpson

*"Septo Bac is a powdered pre-measured bacterium in 1 oz packages. One dry ounce will cycle a 150-gallon tank in a few days. Cost $3.49 CAD for 12 packages versus considerably more for a bottle of tank cycling products or other pet store products. The product contains the same aerobic bacteria but Septo Bac is more concentrated and can cycle 10 x 150 gallon tanks."
*
http://www.cichlids.com/disc/read.ph...,23271,quote=1
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/v...ic.php?t=44755
http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=702&st=0

I have successully used this stuff to quickly cycle tanks in a pinch, like when my 20 gallon tank sprung a leak about 2 weeks ago and I had to transfer all the fish in a 10 gallon. The 19 gallon was overstocked and I had to resolve a high nitrite problem. Septo-Bac put an end to that in a hurry(matter of hours and not days) and water remains fully cycled with no nitrite or other spikes for weeks eventhough the 10 gallon is for all intensive purposes is still overstocked. This is not the first time that I have used this for this purpose. I have tried it over many years with no ill effects to fish or invertebrates.

Bio-Spira may work but if I can find something for a fraction of a cost that gets the job done, why would I pay a ton of money for Bio-Spira.

By the way Wal-Mart carries Septo-Bac. It is in the Septic Tank accessories section.


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## plantbrain

Oh how did we ever mange prior to Fishless cycling and Bio spira?

Add lots of plants, add mulm, do not pack the tank full of fish immediately, be a little more patient et.

Adding plants redcues NH4, often extremely effectively.
Plants have lots of bacteria on them. 
Adding some floating or easy to grow stem plants will remove most of the NH4.

A simple test shows this.

The issue is also about the *rate of NH4 being produced* by the fish load, the type of food uses and quanatity of food being added etc etc.

If you add CO2, the NH4 uptake is about 5-10X faster relative to a non CO2 plant tank. Unless you really over load the tank with fish right away or add very little plant biomass/actively growing plants, you are not going to exceed the rate of uptake by the plants easily.

For all the folks suggesting less is more, we should have very few fish and dose the fish food very carefully just like the ferts i you buy into that logic 

I have other goals personally as do most.

Adding mulm, which is primarily organic matter with bacteria, adds instantly and precisely what is issing from an estblished tank's filter and sediment that is lacking in a new tank.

Again, instant cycle.
That's what we did at the LFS some 30 years ago and never had any issues.

Other common sense things:
Use zeolite in the filter, cheap as the dickens, and is exhausted after about 30 days, about the time the bacteria kick it and establish well.

Can be recharged using a strong NaCl brie to exchnage the NH4 for Na and reuse.

Zeolite also makes a great biomedia thereafter and an excellent surface for bacteria as well as a nice site for NH4 source for the bacteria. 

The other very common sense notion, and on you ought to be doing anyways if you have a CO2 enriched new plant tank:

Large frequent water chages, eg 2-3x a week 50-60% for the first month or so.

So...
We have plants(Bio)
We have mulm(Bio)
We Zeolite(chemical)
We have water changes(mechanical/physical).
Add fish wisely and feed carefully.

Now...........if you add these all together, how is this not going to produce a "silent" cycle?

I add lots of plants, do my water changes, add the zeolite, add the mulm.
I add the fish somewhat slowly and feed well and consistently.

Even with higher stocking levels, the mulm alone has a pronounced effect.
And I have some higher stocking levels and large predatory fish etc that produce far more waste than some school of tetras. Plants and mulm and water changes ought to take care of most folk's needs.
Lazy to do water changes?
Zeolite, might be for you.

I like it as a good biomedia personally, but given NH4's role in toxicity and algae inducement, I like it for those reasons as well.

I do not lose fish or inverts.

And I do not use Bio spira, nor Fishless cycling, nor see a need for either, but you are welcomed to buy into the marketing of the bio spira and other commericical items. I think the Marineland product is good and better than the others but the reasons and marketing are still the same.

As fas a FC, that's simply silly to add that to the tank, you can do that easily in a bucket as mentioned, no tank damage or testing is needed then, just wait 3 weeks, 1 if you add mulm.

Adding high levels of NH4 will produce a lot more bacteria than can possibly be supported in the tank also, so those levels will decline pretty quick and settle in.

Same thing with mulm.
Mulm and the above solutions to cycling reduce the time and wait to zero though, FC?
Weeks.Testing etc for NO2/NH4. Numeruous folks inducing GW algae.

I wonder why I was never able to get GW for decades, until I toss some NH4 and urea in there. Then I was able to get some.

But I've been adding mulm for a very long time as well as water changes and other common sense stuff that does not cost much etc.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Homer_Simpson

Fishless cycling still has a place for those who for whatever reason choose not to set up a planted tank and the entailing plant management and monitoring tasks that go hand in hand with keeping such a tank. For those people the only real viable alternative to quickly cycling a tank may be fishless cycling either using seeded filter material, cultured gravel, septo-bac, bio-spira, cycle, etc., and or any combination thereof.

Just remember "there is more than one way to skin a cat." And different routes/roads lead to the same destination.


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## retoid

Rex Grigg said:


> The directions for Bio-Spira give 24 hours as the maximum time to wait before adding fish.



_"BIO-Spira is, perhaps, the most important aquarium product ever as it will make "new tank syndrome" a thing of the past. Fish can be safely introduced to new aquariums within 24 hours rather than weeks...and kept alive and healthy through the initial critical period."_


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