# cycle a tank



## munki (Mar 31, 2006)

im just going by what people tell me so thats why im asking you guys. if someone were to clean a tank out real good and then try and cycle the tank with gold fish couldnt that just allow more parasites and diseases to enter the tank? and would someone have to cycle if the ammonia and nitrite levels are perfect and the fish that i would be adding to the tank would go "poop" a lot???
-thanks so much:-|


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

I prefer the fishless cycle method and yes, you have to cycle the tank- period- if you want healthy fish.


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## munki (Mar 31, 2006)

but couldnt it cycle the tank if the fish craps all over the place. wouldnt that be the same things the gold fish would be doing.?.
could i just add the fish and add a large handful of java moss from one of my other tanks? 

-thanks so much
im not trying to be lazy im just trying to get the different things that people have told me and put them together...


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

Your ammonia and nitrite are going to be perfect to start because there are no fish to create the waste which causes the ammonia and nitrite. Yes, you could cycle the tank "if the fish craps all over the place." However, the cycle process is deadly to the fish. Or you could buy some bio-spira or Stability if you MUST add your fish now.


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## munki (Mar 31, 2006)

munki said:


> im just going by what people tell me so thats why im asking you guys. if someone were to clean a tank out real good and then try and cycle the tank with gold fish couldnt that just allow more parasites and diseases to enter the tank? and would someone have to cycle if the ammonia and nitrite levels are perfect and the fish that i would be adding to the tank would go "poop" a lot???
> -thanks so much:-|


but could goldfish introduce bad things to the tank?.. im not going to add the fish now im just kind of stuck. people are telling me to do a fishless cycle people are telling me to do a fish cycle and people are telling me to just not worry about it.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You said you have another tank. Can you put the new tanks filter on the old tank (without removing the old tank's filter) for awhile to colonize the filter and then move it to the new tank? It could shorten cycle time drastically. If the new tank is bigger you could put a cartridge fromt the old tank in with the new filter. Of course, any diseases from the old tank would hitch a ride as they would on goldfish. With any new tank, you should keep an eye on ammonia, and nitrite until they go up and back down. I don't believe in getting fish just to cycle a tank. That just creates another chance to add disease (feeder goldfish are notorious carriers). Either do fishless or do it with the fish you'll be keeping in it and change enough water to keep the level in the safe range.


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