After-cycle quiestion.

Sir Alex

Sir Alex

Dragon the eel (below)
After I take the piece of shrimp out of the cycled tank do I need to get fish right away? Will the bacteria die if there isn't any waste to feed off of?
 
If I get my cleaner crew early on before I have much algae wont they starve? I guess a lot of algae grows during the cycle?
 
Lol ...I would go ahead and get live rock the cleaning crew...crabs,snails and so on ...I would also put a few damsels in like 3 of them that should start a good waste load for your tank..please add your fish slowly ..the reason is your tank is fairly new the water is not used to lots of waste and if you put to much in to quick the tank could be thrown back in to a nitrogen cycle. Add a couple of things wait a week then repeat and so on :) good luck on your tank :)
 
dont worry they wont starve ..
there will be growth right through the cycle that they can get started on..
and even with just snails and crabs in it, just remember to keep throwing some food in now and then..
 
I'm not sure I would put Damsels in just to start a waste load. Unless, of course, you actually want them. They can be agressive and territorial. If you plan to have other fish, it's more difficult to find something that can coexist with a damsel.
 
Please don't use damsels. It's an outdated and cruel practice. If they live, they only create a hassle for you down the road. Instead take Erin's advice and use a piece of food.
 
Yeah dont use fish until your water is done and stable thats just mean.

Once the cycle is started you should have diatom algae so the clean up crew will be fine, if you dont then you can use a piece of dried algae sheet to feed them once a week.
 
Due to my, ummm, very low income, I won't be cycling any time soon. I won't be getting any damsels. I'll probably do what Marcah suggested.
 
Guys yall are cracking me up lol ...I used 3 yellow tail damsels Wich makes them none aggressive when I started my tank ..guess what 1 year later I still have my damsels and they do not bother any of my other fish lol ..now if you get like one damsel in a very small tank yea gonna be mean as all heck. Damsels are hardy fish and can go through some crazy cycles with out dieing lol . If you find that cruel I am so sorry but it worked really well for me. Just thought I would share :)
 
Lab_boy said:
Damsels are hardy fish and can go through some crazy cycles with out dieing lol . If you find that cruel I am so sorry but it worked really well for me. Just thought I would share :)
Click to expand...

Just cuz they can survive the cycle doesn't make it right.
 
I agree with wontonflip.

I don't want to use up the space with damsels when I could be using it for cooler fish.
 
Lab_boy said:
Guys yall are cracking me up lol ...I used 3 yellow tail damsels Wich makes them none aggressive when I started my tank ..guess what 1 year later I still have my damsels and they do not bother any of my other fish lol ..now if you get like one damsel in a very small tank yea gonna be mean as all heck. Damsels are hardy fish and can go through some crazy cycles with out dieing lol . If you find that cruel I am so sorry but it worked really well for me. Just thought I would share :)
Click to expand...

People can live in highly polluted areas and not die immediately but it doesnt mean they should or that it doesnt cause long term damage by shortening their life.
 
This method is indeed effective, however, it is very stressful for even the strongest fish. Ammonia is highly toxic, and its effect on the fish's gills could be compared to shampoo in your eyes...it "burns"! Worse yet, it will also cause permanent damage to the very tissues that allow the fish to breath. This damage is so serious that a significant fraction of fish used to cycle a tank die during the cycling period itself, and even those who do manage to survive the cycle have their life expectancy greatly shortened, often dying within the next few months instead of living a happy life of 3-10 years that almost all fish are capable of. In many cases, people also end up getting stuck with a few fish that they really didn't want to have in the first place, but bought them anyway because someone told them they were "good for cycling", if such a thing exists.
Click to expand...

Came from this article on cycling. Fishless Cycling - Article at The Age of Aquariums - Tropical Fish
Just because your fish are still alive after a year does not mean it was a success, they may still have a shortened lifespan.
 
Wow ...sorry to offend any one :( not my intentions ...when I started I was doing lots of research and I came across this method so naturally I tried it ..I guess I didn't think that the fish would be put in that kind of danger :( I will deff not recommend this process to any one ever agin...see we all learn some thing every day ...I was told the fish are hardy and the ammonia levels would not hrt the fish so I didn't think any thing else about it...but the shampoo comment wow now I feel bad :( sorry guys if I preformed some animal cruelty :( not what I was going for :(
 
I'm sure no one was offended, if you didn't know then there's nothing you could have done. That's what these forums are/should be for to help pass on knowledgeable and responsible reef keeping techniques.
 
It's okay lab boy, cycling with fish is one of the most common suggestions we see here. A lot of people think it's an okay way to cycle a tank. Most of the time, the fish die. I think you got lucky. :)
 

Similar threads

F
New to marine.
Replies
2
Views
1K
kbuser92
kbuser92
Mike
Species Database Photography
Replies
0
Views
754
Mike
Mike
Mike
  • Sticky
New Member (Owner 😲)
Replies
0
Views
731
Mike
Mike
Mike
We're Back!
Replies
0
Views
684
Mike
Mike
drm180
LPS frag ID
Replies
0
Views
2K
drm180
drm180
Back
Top