Fishless Cycling Needs

What is required for fishless cycling?

Bio filter media. Biological filtration is that part of an aquarium’s filtration that is made up beneficial bacteria (the good bio bugs), which grow in numbers as a tank cycles, to convert toxic ammonia to less toxic nitrites and then to even less toxic nitrates. These good bio bugs grow in filter media, the gravel, on decorations and on tank walls.

Beneficial bacteria. “Beneficial bacteria” are those bacteria that are responsible for cycling. Some types (“the ammonia bacteria) convert ammonia to nitrite and other types (“the bacteria”) convert nitrites to nitrates during cycling, while other types of bacteria are responsible for this job in the established aquarium. Adding gravel or filter media from an established tank adds mostly the latter type of beneficial bacteria, but the ones responsible for cycling will appear naturally. Your local fish store may give you a hand full of gravel to use for this purpose.

Oxygenated water. A filter will provide the water movement needed to oxygenate the water. An airstone may be added too. Beneficial bacteria require oxygen to live.

A source of pure ammonia. Use “pure” or “clear” ammonia. Check the ingredient list to be sure that it contains only ammonia and water. The household cleaning type, found in most drug or grocery stores in the cleaning section, is perfect for this use just as long as it does not contain any additives, dyes, phospshates, perfumes, surfactants or foaming agents. You can shake the bottle in the store to be sure that it does not produce foam or bubbles on the surface as this is not the type to use. However, the ingredient list should also be checked.

Water testing kits. Get water testing kits for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, so that you’ll know how much ammonia to add and so that you can monitor the tank’s cycling progress. Be sure that your ammonia test kit is compatible with the type of water conditioner that you are using. For example, AmQuel® requires a salicylate based ammonia tester, such as Aquarium Pharmaceutical’s two bottled ammonia tester labeled for both freshwater and saltwater usage.

	What is required for fishless cycling?
	Bio filter media. Biological filtration is that part of an aquarium’s filtration that is made up beneficial bacteria (the good bio bugs), which grow in numbers as a tank cycles, to convert toxic ammonia to less toxic nitrites and then to even less toxic nitrates. These good bio bugs grow in filter media, the gravel, on decorations and on tank walls.
	Beneficial bacteria. “Beneficial bacteria” are those bacteria that are responsible for cycling. Some types (“the ammonia bacteria) convert ammonia to nitrite and other types (“the bacteria”) convert nitrites to nitrates during cycling, while other types of bacteria are responsible for this job in the established aquarium. Adding gravel or filter media from an established tank adds mostly the latter type of beneficial bacteria, but the ones responsible for cycling will appear naturally. Your local fish store may give you a hand full of gravel to use for this purpose.
	Oxygenated water. A filter will provide the water movement needed to oxygenate the water. An airstone may be added too. Beneficial bacteria require oxygen to live.
	A source of pure ammonia. Use “pure” or “clear” ammonia. Check the ingredient list to be sure that it contains only ammonia and water. The household cleaning type, found in most drug or grocery stores in the cleaning section, is perfect for this use just as long as it does not contain any additives, dyes, phospshates, perfumes, surfactants or foaming agents. You can shake the bottle in the store to be sure that it does not produce foam or bubbles on the surface as this is not the type to use. However, the ingredient list should also be checked.
	Water testing kits. Get water testing kits for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, so that you’ll know how much ammonia to add and so that you can monitor the tank’s cycling progress. Be sure that your ammonia test kit is compatible with the type of water conditioner that you are using. For example, AmQuel® requires a salicylate based ammonia tester, such as Aquarium Pharmaceutical’s two bottled ammonia tester labeled for both freshwater and saltwater usage.