# Cycling tank with pearl danios



## JFancy (Sep 4, 2011)

Im cycling a mbuna tank and have 3 danios in there..My question is how long does it take to cyle and do I add one african cichlid at a time? Can I just leave the Danios in?


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

JFancy said:


> Im cycling a mbuna tank and have 3 danios in there..My question is how long does it take to cyle and do I add one african cichlid at a time? Can I just leave the Danios in?


Cycling time can vary. What size tank are we talking about? Did you seed the filter?


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## JFancy (Sep 4, 2011)

Its a 55 gallon, and I just added a bottle of bacteria that is "suppose" to cycle the tank instantly but Im a little unsure if the product really does what it says.

I set it up 3 days ago and added the danios in yesterday.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

JFancy said:


> Its a 55 gallon, and I just added a bottle of bacteria that is "suppose" to cycle the tank instantly but Im a little unsure if the product really does what it says.
> 
> I set it up 3 days ago and added the danios in yesterday.


The best way is to get an ammonia gauge at Petsmart or Petco. When you first start up a tank the ammonia will start at zero and then shoot up to .05 when you throw in a couple fish and/or food. When it finally does drop back down to 0 then you know the good bacteria is working and the tank is cycled. If a tank is seeded cycling will generally take about a week. If it's not it can take several weeks. I've had a tank take over a month to cycle in the past.


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