TOP TEN LIST - Fishless Cycling

So... I started this "article" way back in 2005 in another forum but I decided to move it here to my blog. I hope you enjoy it!

After I recently posted about the NUMBER ONE reason to "Fishless Cycle", was to give yourself a break from daily PWC's, constant water testing, stress and strain from the constant worry if your fish were going to live or die, etc., I decided to start a TOP TEN LIST.


I will edit this first post to make the LIST complete so now I need your suggestions for the:

TOP TEN LIST, as of July 1, 2006, for why you should Fishless Cycle:

10. A 99 cents bottle of Ammonia is much cheaper than losing ALL of your fish and the cost to replace them.[^](GoldLenny)


9. Gives you time to get parameters stable (ie. if you are going to have any PH swings they are going to be right from the start), and to find out how it all works without fish lives on the line (like if you have rocks, will they leech? That first month gives you a chance to find out without fish dying.[:O](Hailey)


8. Gives you time to really research stocking, and decide what you want. Most people decide on one stocking list and then find something else they like better, maybe even two or three times before settling on one.[:X](Hailey)


7. Can introduce a much higher bioload right from the start (starting your tank with, say, 10 fish instead of 3...makes it a lot more interesting.[](Hailey)


6. Because a month of time spent cycling is better than a month of money saving for more fish.[^](Krazy_Keeper) ...and you dont have to deal with constant ich in the begining.[:O](TrixR4Kids364)(TIE... lol...I'm running out of room.[^])


5. You won't have to worry about a bunch of overzealous PETA members setting up a picket line in front of your house and then throwing a bucket of rotting fish guts on you when you try to leave the house.[](GoldLenny)


4. Gives you time to make sure you didn't get any defective equipment (leaky tank, spazzy heater, etc).[B)](Hailey)


3. To give yourself a break from doing daily, twice daily or even every four hour PWC's (25% partial water changes) and the stress and strain from the constant worry if your fish were going to live or die from day to day.[xx(](GoldLenny)


2. Faster (much faster...a few weeks as opposed to a few months).[](Hailey)


AND THE NUMBER ONE REASONS (we have a TIE) TO FISHLESS CYCLE YOUR TANK IS:


1a. You get to play Mad Scientist! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


And since we now have a TIE for the Number One answer...


1b. Because you might just get a compliment and a "smiley with some tongue" [] from one of the Mermaids out here

So post your suggested TOP TEN reasons in the comments section below and I'll combine them to complete the above list. If you have something better, please add to the thread and I may edit this list from time to time. I'll edit it every Saturday if new answers warrant going into the TOP TEN LIST.

And if you do not know what "Fishless Cycling" is, here is a good article:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080324030809/http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html (may take a minute to load since this is an archived page)

And if you are stuck with "Cycling With Fish", here is a good article:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080822012856/http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishcycling.html

Here is the original link to a once VERY GOOD website, http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/ that has shut down for some reason. At least their articles are archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine (above link) http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html

I know a common complaint is people not being able to find the 10% Ammonia Hydroxide (clear ammonia) at their local stores but I recently saw online that Ace Hardware sells their own brand for around $2.00 a quart. Here's their online link to buy it by the case... but the stores sell individual units. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1307957&cp=&fbn=Brand%7CAce+Hardware&f=Brand%2F19262%2F&fbc=1&kw=ammonia&parentPage=search&searchId=18414252422
Also read ALL of the articles on this page:

http://faq.thekrib.com/begin.html and ask lots of questions here in the forum until you understand these beginner tips.

Also read this MONEY SAVING and FISH SAVING page of tips on Filter Maintenance and Cleaning -
http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/notice-this-article-is-very-important.html

Thanks and HAVE FUN with this one!

Lenny V. a/k/a GoldLenny

Bio-Spira online - Where to buy???

2008-AUGUST - MORE LATE BREAKING NEWS

It seems that Dr. Tim Hovanec and Marineland have parted ways and the bad news is that Marineland has merged into Tetra which I consider to be a lesser quality company.... but the good news is that Dr. Tim has started his own company at http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/ and you can now buy his own version of an improved Bio-Spira-like product called Dr. Tim's One And Only http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/productguide/H2O-PURE_Products/H2O-PURE_Products.html which can also be purchased at most major retailers and online etailers. It doesn't have to be refrigerated and can last for up to six months at room temperatures but does last longer if it is kept refrigerated.

2008-0405 - LATE BREAKING NEWS ABOUT BIO-SPIRA

See the late breaking news here... http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2008/04/bio-spira-late-breaking-news-good-or.html

For years and years, I use to recommend people buy their Bio-Spira from The Fish Store in Tennessee since they had the best prices and lowest shipping costs. I just learned today that they are no longer in business so I went to work finding a new online source for Bio-Spira

After Froogling and Yahoo Shopping searching, I found that DrsFosterSmith.com is the only online source at this time. They are a reputable website but their prices aren't always the best and when I check their online prices just now, http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15462&Ntt=bio%2Dspira&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1 , it looks like it will cost around $40.00 for a 1 oz package and $50.00 for a 3 oz package, including overnight refrigerated shipping. Not cheap but still much better than spending a month or more humanely fishless cycling or putting you and your fish through the arduous process of cycling with fish.

If you come across other online sources of Bio-Spira, please leave me a comment so I can add that resource to this blog and to my favorites folder.

You can also go to the Marineland.com - Order Bio-Spira page and on the left side, there is a place to enter your zip code to find a retailer but I've found that many of the retailers listed do not actually stock Bio-Spira but do carry other Marineland products. If you ask your local retailer, they may be able to order it for you and save you the expensive shipping charges associated with ordering a single pouch for yourself.

Hope this helps and saves a few "newbies" from having to go through the "cycling with fish"process. They can get Bio-Spira one day and get their fish the next day.

GoldLenny

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A to Z of Fish Keeping: "How-To", Training and Information for New Fish Keepers and Experts alike!

http://tinyurl.com/A-To-Z-Of-Fish-Keeping

NOTICE - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS IN FORUMS LISTED TO THE RIGHT WHERE YOU WILL FIND ME OR MANY OTHER EXPERIENCED FISH KEEPERS. YOU CAN ALSO POST COMMENTS AT THE BOTTOM AND I WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION(S) HERE ON MY BLOG.

THE TOP TWO PROBLEMS FOR BEGINNERS - 1) OVERSTOCKING YOUR TANK and 2) THE NITROGEN CYCLE (Commonly called New Tank Syndrome). Scroll down a little for two free online fish keeping tutorials that will walk you through all of the basics and then there is also a free online beginner quiz to see how well you are doing.

Here are the answers to both of those problems:

DO NOT OVERSTOCK YOUR AQUARIUM: A BETTER SET OF GUIDELINES TO REPLACE THE FISH-KILLING 1" PER GALLON RULE THAT IS MISUSED AND MISUNDERSTOOD SO OFTEN - http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/new-rules-guidelines-to-replace-1-per.html

NEW TANK SYNDROME / THE NITROGEN CYCLE: WHILE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER FOR YOU AND YOUR FISH IF YOU WOULD HAVE DONE A "FISHLESS CYCLE" OR Dr. Tim's Comparison Article OR http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/startover/fishless.shtml ON YOUR TANK OR USE DR. TIM'S ONE AND ONLY, http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/productguide/H2O-PURE_Products/H2O-PURE_Products.html. DR. TIM WAS THE INVENTOR OF A PRODUCT FORMERLY KNOWN AS BIO-SPIRA WHICH IS NOT AVAILABLE IN IT'S ORIGINAL FORMULA. IF YOU ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, THEN YOU ARE "STUCK" WITH "CYCLING WITH FISH". GO TO ONE OF THE FORUMS I HAVE LISTED ON THE RIGHT TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON "CYCLING WITH FISH".

IF YOU ARE NOT HAVING THOSE PROBLEMS, GREAT!!! THEN START HERE:

BEGINNERS TUTORIAL - START HERE -http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-intro.html
This is one of my favorite places to send new fish keepers as they can learn about the various aspects of fish keeping by following all of the links in this tutorial. Pay particular attention to "The Nitrogen Cycle", "Fishless Cycling" (recommended), "Cycling With Fish"(not recommended but you may already be stuck with this) and Basic Water Chemistry but please read over all of the other links as well and feel free to ask lots of questions at the forums I have listed to the right, where you will usually find me or many other experienced fish keepers.

And if you want to learn even more, here is another tutorial site - http://badmanstropicalfish.com/basics/basics_aquariums.html

And if you feel you are doing well already, take this online quiz to see how you do.
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/quiz1.htm

If you have any questions, please feel free to look for me at the forums listed above.

TOP TEN REASONS TO FISHLESS CYCLE -
(A little humor to help emphasize this very serious matter)
http://board.fishchannel.com/Topic69655-5-1.aspx

The old link was http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/board/Topic69655-5-1.aspx  but when AF changed to FishChannel, the old links no longer work.

FISHLESS CYCLING TIP!!! - I know a common complaint is people not being able to find the 10% Ammonia Hydroxide (clear ammonia) at their local stores but I recently saw online that Ace Hardware sells their own brand for around $2.00 a quart. Here's their online link to buy it by the case... but the stores sell individual units. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1307957&cp=&fbn=Brand%7CAce+Hardware&f=Brand%2F19262%2F&fbc=1&kw=ammonia&parentPage=search&searchId=18414252422

Another source of "ammonia", if you cannot find the plain ammonia at your local stores, is to look in the spice or baking section of your grocery store and get some Bicarbonate Of Ammonia or Powdered Baking Ammonia which can be used in place of the plain ammonia. This will also raise your alkalinity and KH but when you do your large water change after the fishless cycle is complete, you will get rid of the excess KH and nitrates at the same time.

THE NITROGEN CYCLE EXPLAINED - (In case you did not read the beginners tutorial above) http://fish.orbust.net/cycling.html


AMMONIA FURTHER EXPLAINED - (The beginning of "The Nitrogen Cycle") FAMA Article - Controlling Ammonia by Ben Helm http://www.animalnetwork.com/fama/detail.aspx?aid=26872&sts=all For further information and a good CHART to show ammonia toxicity as it relates to pH levels, go here... http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/AmmoniaTox.html


NITRITES FURTHER EXPLAINED - (The middle of "The Nitrogen Cycle")
http://www.vcnet.com/koi_net/H2Oquality.html#nitri

NITRATES FURTHER EXPLAINED - (The end product of "The Nitrogen Cycle")
http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/nitrates-long-explanation-thanks-to.html and
http://www.vcnet.com/koi_net/H2Oquality.html#nitra


FILTER MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING - (How to keep your tank from going into constant mini-cycles) http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/notice-this-article-is-very-important.html

MASTER TEST KITS ON SALE FOR $12.99 AND UP - (Everybody needs a decent Master Test Kit) http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/03/everyone-needs-decent-master-test-kit.html

WATER CHEMISTRY FURTHER EXPLAINED - This site is mostly about Pond Water Chemistry but it's just as applicable for aquariums and I believe it's well written and easy to understand. http://www.vcnet.com/koi_net/H2Oquality.html

FISH PROFILES AND COMPATIBILITY - (Mongabay has the best profiles and largest assortment. Very accurate and detailed species profiles for most fish so you can check out the type of fish you want while you are fishless cycling your new tank. Pay particular attention to the SC (Species Compatibility) section, which will help you in deciding suitable tank mates) MONGABAY - http://fish.mongabay.com/index.htm

Or GoldLenny's complete listing of Profile and Compatibility sites at: http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/fish-compatibility-charts-fish.html

HAILEY'S 10 GALLON STOCKING LIST - This is a list of suitable fish for a 10G tank and stocking/mixing recommendations. Updated to include Betta's in a 10G. (PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU CANNOT KEEP EVEN A SINGLE GOLDFISH IN A 10G TANK. SEE NEXT PARAGRAPH FOR GOLDFISH INFORMATION) http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/03/haileys-10-gallon-tank-stocking-list.html

A REALLY GOOD FOUR PAGE ARTICLE ON KEEPING GOLDFISH... ONE OF THE ONLY ONES THAT I'VE FOUND THAT HAS PROPER TANK SIZE INFORMATION: http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/ponds/Wilkinson_1Goldfish.html

MORE FISH COMPATIBILITY CHARTS AND PROFILE SITES -

http://www.klsnet.com/files/Fishchrt.xls (Downloadable file)

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm

http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/freshwater_compatibility_chart.php


OR FOR MY COMPLETE LIST OF COMPATIBILITY & PROFILE SITES: http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/fish-compatibility-charts-fish.html

NOTICE: ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT COMPATIBILITY CHARTS ARE SUBJECT TO MANY VARIABLES AND MAY NOT BE AS ACCURATE AS YOU WOULD LIKE SINCE OTHER FACTORS IN YOUR TANK/SETUP MAY INFLUENCE FISH BEHAVIOR. WHEN A CHART SAYS TWO FISH ARE COMPATIBLE, IT MAY NOT BE CLEAR IN SAYING THEY NEED TO BE IN A HUGE TANK SO THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN TERRITORY. PLEASE CHECK YOUR TANK SETUP AND COMPATIBILITY AT ONE OF THE FORUMS LISTED ON THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS PAGE.


WHY YOU SHOULD NOT ADD SALT TO YOUR FRESHWATER AQUARIUM except for occasional treatment of disease, nitrite issues, etc. - (The Osmoregulatory System)

http://groups.msn.com/Breedingtropicalfish/osmoregulation.msnw

http://www.fishdoc.co.uk/water/osmoregulation.htm

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/salt.shtml

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article22.html

http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article5.html

http://www.goldfishinfo.com/salt.htm

http://thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5427 - TheGab.org (Goldfish & Aquarium Board) forum thread on Calcium and the Osmoregulatory System. (GoldLenny)

http://www.koivet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15967 - KoiVet.com LONG forum thread on the use of Salt, Chloride and other minerals/chemicals related to Salt & Osmoregulation in Koi/Goldfish. (GoldLenny)





DISEASE & ILLNESS DIAGNOSIS SITES:
GoldLenny's Complete List of Fish-Health related sites: http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/disease-illness-diagnosis-treatment.html


DICTIONARY: ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND KEYWORDS COMMONLY USED IN FISH KEEPING - (To help you navigate the many acronyms and abbreviations used in these forums) http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/04/dictionary-acronyms-abbreviations-and.html or http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/glossary.html


POLL - Did your LFS or CS give you good advice... or NOT? (Actual POLL on new forums) http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/board/Topic111975-5-1.aspx

HOW LONG SHOULD FISH LIVE? An expected lifespan guide for fish keepers - http://goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/how-long-should-aquarium-fish-live.html

*** This list was compiled with the help of Hailey (Our forums most popular advisor and one of the most knowledgeable fish keepers out here on the net) and many, many others who have taught me over the years.

NOTICE TO OTHER READERS OR CONTRIBUTORS - This Blog article will continually be developed so please post links and threads in the comments section and I will update this article with credit given to you.

Once again, if you have any questions, please feel free to look for me at one of the three forums at the top of this article.

Thanks,

GoldLenny
Mozy.com - FREE, secure, encrypted and automatic online backup of your documents and files. Check out how simple and secure it can be to use the Mozy backup system. It will back up your most important files, photos and folders... or your entire hard drive, every day/night (you set the schedule) while you aren't using your computer... and did I mention... it's FREE. I have been using this product/service since it was in Beta Testing and have been 100% satisfied with the final product!!!