Cycling question..........

[soulagent9]

I'm wondering why I have been reading that the fish used to cycle your tank will usually die once the tank has cycled. Mine is a tomato clown (Mater) and he's really cool & full of personality and I don't want to lose him. What's the scoop?

 

[psufan43]

I dont think that is true all the time. I usually always use a damsel or clown,I think i only lost one fish ever to cycling the tank. I mean if people put tangs in there to cycle then yea, But i always use clowns or damsels because they are hardy and i like to keep them. I still have my 2 damsels in my 150 gallon tank from 3 yrs ago and my one clown in my 90 from 2 yrs ago, they were all cycle fish. I guess its all matter of expercines.
I would recomend throwing some cycle in the tank though. It works pretty good.

 

[lion_crazz]

Fish will usually die during a cycle because of the spikes in ammonia and nitrites.
Fish should NEVER be used to cycle a tank because cycling a tank with fish puts them through severely bad water conditions. Fish are not needed to cycle a tank, as a fish tank could easily be cycled with uncured live rock or a cocktail shrimp from the grocery store. Cycling a tank with fish some say is very inhumane to the animal because it puts them through a lot of uneccessary suffering.

 

[psufan43]

I have never had any problems but that is just me. I guess it differs with everyone.

 

[firedog]

Putting fish in a tank to cycle it is inhumane, but picking them out of the ocean, or a tank, stuffing them into a small plastic bag with a small amount of water, no circulation or filtration, and no oxygen exchange is ok.
I don't believe in mistreating animals, but all living things go through periods of stress ( except for that lazy slug at work).
And as for semantics, can you be inhumane to something that is not human?

 

[lion_crazz]

Yes, all animals may go through stress, but that does not mean you have to put it through it a process where it will have its gills burned and not be able to breathe. Why would you do this if you know it is inhumane? Does it come down to selfishness? Do you really need to see something in the tank for the first month to be happy? Live rock or a dead shrimp will cycle the tank just as easily, if not better.
And I see where you are going with the can't being inhumane to something that is not human, but you are looking at the word the wrong way. The definition of inhumane is lacking pity or compassion (Dictionary.com). You definitely can be inhumane to an animal.

 

[psufan43]

I have had many years of success in the hobby, if someone wants to put a damsel in there tank to cycle it , then fine the fish will live its not that big of a deal. Its no more inhumane then taking something like a ornate butterfly, or a regal angel, or a bat fish, or any other almost impossible fish to keep out, so people can make a few bucks.
I have 2 salt tanks one 2 and one 3 yrs old, both have there orignal damsels in the tank put it in after the tank was up only up a week to help cycle it.
They have never had any problems.

 

[firedog]

Well I need to pull my own reins in a little bit. My post was meant a little tongue in cheek. I guess I don't consider cycling with damsels a great offense. But everyone is allowed their own opinion.
But for the record, I cycled my tank with live rock, some live sand to seed my dry aragonite and calcite bed, and a little bit of ammonia. It was done in about 5 or 6 days.
But now someone is going to yell at me for that.

 

[nancysalt]

My tank has just had a major change. I had an undergravel filter and crushed coral, I put in a wet/dry bio-wheel and Live Sand. I also put my live rock back in that had been in the tank for 7 years. The amonia spiked the next day, Then two day later the nitrites where almost spiking, so I have a question? What is the full process until the tank is cycled and ready for livestock again? Does the nitrites have to spike? I don't have a QT so my fish, coral & feather duster are living in a bucket with heater, powerhead and lights.
What can I do to speed up the process?
Thanks, Nancy