there are products you can add to the water to provide an ammonia source. Some people will use cooked shrimp (or fish food) to start the nitrogen cycle as the shrimp will begin to rot in the tank, providing a source of "fishy ammonia". This starts the cycle and once the cycle is complete you can remove the rotted shrimp and add fish slowly.
Originally Posted by jay_bunny
i agree. I see people often confusing letting a tank run for a few days to get ph, temperature, alkalinity, and chlorine levels straight (which for some reason they call cycling) and actual cycling which is a nitrogen cycle.
A nitrogen cycle takes anywhere from 4-6 weeks, sometimes more. I have only ever done fish-in cycles (using a few fish to start and complete a cycle).
I would get yourself a test kit (api makes a good one) and test your water over the course of several weeks. The first thing your going to see is a sharp rise in ammonia levels. Depending on the type of fish you have, you might lose some (or all) to high ammonia levels. You could use a bacteria supplement like api stress zyme to help the cycle along.
Originally Posted by jay_bunny
bingo!!!
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