# cycling confusion



## j-man the skater-man (Apr 4, 2005)

I AM CONFUSED

off from my understanding the following things i say are true if they arent tell me otherwise:

amonia is bad for fish but when cycling a tank you need for it to get reasonably high for the good bacteria to start to grow and change the amonia to nitrites yet you need to keep the amonia low so the fish dont die my question is by changing the water arent you slowing or stoping the cycling prosess?


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

You could possibly be slowing it, but what your looking for (i think) is a low, continous amount of ammonia to supply the bacteria you want to grow with food. Then the same with nitrites. 
Im not sure that it matters how much ammonia, as long as you have some. Because once you have a decent colony going the bacteria will grow quite fast. It is the initial growth that takes time, i believe.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

you don't want to get too much ammonia in the water cuz it can actually overwelm and kill the bacteria in your tank. if you are going with a fishless cycle you may get the ammonia higher than you would with a cycle with fish. This quickens the cycle.


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

amonia is bad for fish but when cycling a tank you need for it to get reasonably high for the good bacteria to start to grow and change the amonia to nitrites yet you need to keep the amonia low so the fish dont die my question is by changing the water arent you slowing or stoping the cycling prosess?

It is not the high ammonia that start the growing of the ammonia it is instead the ammonia climbs that high until the bacteria is established enough to get it under control. So by just changing water you are slowing the cycle a little but you still allow the bacteria to grow on the surfaces in the tank creating the bacteria bed necessary to keep the cycle under control.

I hope that makes sense.


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## j-man the skater-man (Apr 4, 2005)

*completely new ?*

thanks for the help!

i had a betta in a bowl and knew it was cruel so i have him in a nice garage sale find 5 gallon tank which he is settled into happily
the 5 gallon betta tank has a 2 inch betta and 1 1/2 inch gravel floor and a plastic plant, it has no filtration of any kind. (except water changes)

what would u recomend for filtration if any at all?

i was thinking of turning the 5 gallon into a quarintine tank later and a 10 gallon for betta or should the 10 gallon be the quarintine tank?

it is cycling quit nicely with the nitrites starting there last conversion but my IMPORTANT question is why is my 5 gallon tank cycling nicely while the 29 gallon i started a week later is doing nothing at all?


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## Thunderkiss (Mar 19, 2005)

Red sea nano filter for the 5.

5 is too small ofr a QT tank, get a 20.

Can't answer anything about the 29 til you give the specs.


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