Cycling?

[Guppies]

ok so i know what cycling is but if I just de-clorinated the water i placed in the tank would that work? (I had some algae eaters in a tank once with no heater or filter with just de-chlorinated water and they lived)

[weedkiller]

they may have lived but I bet they wondered what they did to deserve the punishment lol.
I add ammonia to cycle, takes approx. 8 weeks maybe less maybe more and patience.
its called a fishless cycle

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/begi...-new-tank.html
this is the latest tread, hope it helps

[lohachata]

well ; it actually looks like you really don't know what cycling is because you would also know about what weed just told you..cycle time take 8-12 weeks..
you need to be patient.

[C. King]

Guppies, look in the beg. freshwater forum section at the top where the posts have stickies. Read the two threads about cycling, and they will be of great help. One article is titled "important! read this before posting if your fish are dying!" (this addresses your question verbatum) and the other is "about cycling" I highly reccommend reading these.

[Guppies]

Ok i did look at the one about cycling and fish dying and I was wondering because I don't have the money for a filter quite yet...

weedkiller, i looked at the link and one of the replies said:

mine took 8 weeks. and I did not use any ammonia or products, just set it up with the plants, seeded my filter with some used filter medium from a friend, and threw in a pinch of fish food every once in a while. Not saying that my way is better or using ammonia is better; this is just what works for me, and I have had tanks since 1980. I did monitor the water parameters for ammonia, ph, nitrites and nitrates, but mostly because I am a science geek and love to play with test tubes, not because I would add anything or do anything different to the tank. It really does just take time before the tests start to come out right consistantly.

and that made me wonder... Is there such a thing as a filterless cycle? (idk if thats a stupid question?) like just monitoring the ammonia and nitrites for 8-12 weeks? if there is such a thing does anyone know how? (plz no mean/obnoxious replies because I have no idea what i'm doing besides what i have read on here lol!)

[C. King]

The reply you quoted was from me. I did exactly as described, but I can't imagine how it would work with no filter. That's just something I have never thought was "optional" Now, an undergravel filter system (which is basically some plastic plates with holes) hooked up to a pump as directed on the instructions would be less $$ than the others, but with no filtration, the water will just sit there and get foul. Not exactly encouraging conditions for delicate tropical fish. I would put everything on hold while I saved up to get the best filter I could afford. Then, I would take about 8-10 weeks to cycle before adding fish, once the tests were normal for 5-7 consecutive days. I know that's likely not what you want to hear, and believe me, I understand the enthusiasum and excitement of a new tank, but there is no shortcut in this, and really no shortcuts in aquarium keeping, either. Consider the wait as a part of your training to be a great aquarium owner...

[WetWork]

Not to sound discouraging but if you dont have the money to afford a filter, you probably shouldnt even get into fish keeping. It is a fairly expensive endeavour, now freshwater is significantly cheaper than saltwater but still expensive nonetheless. If you are set on doing this look on craigslist, there are always people getting out of the hobby.

[weedkiller]

you can cycle with food, is better with ammonia in my experience.
cant imagine a tank without a filter to host your bacteria, if there is no bacteria to munch the ammonia your fish produces or no bacteria to munch the nitrites your fish will die a horrible death, imagine being in a room with a toxic gas and having no protection as you breath it in with your throat burning.....