new aquarium cycle

[emma_26]

Hi my dad has given me a tropical aquarium allready cycled complete with a stock of fish the works. all is fine there. i have just bought myself a new tank 145 litres and have cleaned it all out stocked it with gravel plants filter heater etc and no fish in it as he said that it needs to be cycled first. dad says that it needs to be cycled for 2 weeks like that before adding any fish. But then if thats the case what is it cycling? i have been researching on the internet and found out that you have to put a few hardy fish in first to start off the amonia-nitrite-nitrate cycle. what do you think i should do? add some guppies now and start the cycle that way? or leave it to cycle his way? if i add fish how many guppies should i add to the 145 litre tank (32) gallons?
thanks in advance

[hammerman]

There are a couple of ways of cycling a fish tank Emma.

But first of all, "cycling" just means to introduce a bacteria scource which will colonise your filter media and then break down your fish waste (ammonia) into less harmful substances (nitrAte)
This is called the nitrogen cycle....ammonia (lethal to fish) is released by the fish, broken down into nitrite (harmful to fish) which is then broken down nitrate (only harmful in large amounts) which is removed by water changes.

The two ways of doing this is

1) the fishless cycle......where a scource of ammonia is added over a period of days...usually from a shop bought concoction (although i've used fishfingers and even urine can be used !!!). The water is tested daily for ammonia and nitrite which will eventually go down to zero. It is then safe to add a couple of fish. Continue monitoring the water for a week or so and then add a couple more if all is well....etc etc

2) The non fishless cycle.....this is where a small amount of water and gravel is added from an existing mature tank to the new aquarium. The gravel and water will contain enough bacteria so you can add a few hardy fish almost immediatly. Some people will often rinse out a filter sponge from a mature tank into the new aquarium.....this will give loads of bacteria.

Whatever you decide (i always go for no 2 but that's just my personal choice), don't add guppies. These are now being bred so much that the gentics of them are very week and therefore the fish just ain't hardy anymore.

Come and have a look at this forum....very friendly and helpful
http://www.totalfishkeeping.com/index.php?

Good luck

[emma_26]

ok thanks for the advice, i think i will go with number 2, could i just rinse my filter sponge from my smaller aquarium in my new tank then? dunk it in and give it a rub? would that do the trick?

[hammerman]

Yeah....i'd probably do a 20-30% water change in the older aquarium and put the old water in the new aquarium. Top up with tap water.
Also, as you say, just rinse your filter sponges into the new tank.

It'll probably look a bit murky for a day or so but you will need to add a couple of fish pretty sharpish otherwise the lovely new bacteria you've just added will die as it has nothing to feed on.

Oh....and keep asking the questions, however silly they seem....the only stupid question is the one you don't sak !!!

[emma_26]

ok so if not guppies which fish should i add? others i have are neons, angels, loach, cory cats, gouramis, plattys, a siamese fighter and a frog! ?
Oh and thanks for all the help

[hammerman]

A couple of hardy fish....maybe the platies would be a good choice or the gouramies.