# cycle?



## bettaboi (Jan 29, 2005)

i jsut got a 20 and 3 gallon tank from my friend hes nevr used either it came wirh filters, decorations, heaters, lights the workks all for 35$ great beal but any way i need to know how to cycle it any information will help

p.s. my dad has a 300$ r.o. system for his saltwater tank it cleans and thakes out all chlorine and any thing else that could be harmful to your fish do i still need to cycle it?


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

yes you still need to cycle.


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## thatsfishy (Jan 18, 2005)

Yes, cycling and conditioning water are two very different pairs of shoes. All the RO does is take pretty much everything out of the water, that's why usually people add a special kind of conditioner to RO water that adds nutrients etc. back into it the fish need. Cycling on the other hand is the process that establishes the good bacteria in a tank by converting the toxic ammonia from fish waste, leftover food and plant particles into Nitrate (in a nutshell). Here's a link to a great site on the process: http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/startover/fishless.shtml#fishless w/great links.


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