going to cycle with guppies

cain420

cain420

Active Member
personally i wouldnt try any experiments. but i guess if it works, let us know and maybe it will be an alternative to using damsels.. he is right, there is alot of negativity, and he even pointed out that he has read the controversey concerning this, and yet every feels the need to throw their opinion at him and their self beliefs. A tank CAN and HAS BEEN successfully started using fish to cycle the tank, and I wonder if it actually might be better then dead shrimp as the live fish create the waste that your system needs. It is very controversial, and I see alot of slamming up top. I dont think he was asking to get hit with the base ball bat everyone. I think he was wanting to experiment, but try it as properly as possible. I dont support such experiments but if he comes up with a cheaper, consistant way to cycle a tank, the more power to him. The first tank was a HUGE experiment and experiments continue everyday to try to breed new fish, etc. If you are still participating in the forum ecoman, let us know if it works or not.. For those who prefer to cycle using live fish, it could be an advance...
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
The "food" needed to start is ammonia. Whether from fish waste, fish food or a dead shrimp, it is all the same. Really again the only reason to do it (and it has been done successfully yes) is to have fish in the tank.
In fact, in traditional damselfish method (again, a hard cycle worst case scenario ammonia through the roof 1 damsel per 5 gallon method), you would even leave dead fish in the tank. Dead damsel, dead shrimp....same deal.
The problem I see is that yes, people tend to jump down peoples throats on this, but people reply in the same way, and in no way is the conversation productive. It is a two way street, IMO whenever you have controversy.
But I think what people look for is a well founded argument either way. If you just revert to name calling or attacks or defensiveness, it just breeds more.
I'll tell you what though...use only males, and don't waste money on the fancy one's either.
 
uberlink

uberlink

Active Member
I agree that a lot of nasty ink has been spilled over this one. To me it isn't as much the desire to cycle with fish, which is a time honored (if somewhat unnecessary) procedure. It's the decision to cycle with freshwater fish, which he apparently plans to acclimate quite quickly to saltwater. My guess is that they won't live long enough in the tank to get any of the occasionally claimed benefits of cycling with fish. I think they'll be dead within a day or two, in which case he may as well have thrown in something dead from the start and prevent needless suffering.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
I cycled with damsels but it wasn't my intent..just ignorance. I asked the LFS store was there a fish I could add while I was cycling (before I knew what cyling really was
). He suggested damsels so I got 4 plain orange damsels. Two died immediatlely and one died a few days later. I asked the LFS store how to get the dead ones out and he said that this was the best thing for my tank...I did not like that response :mad: Actually that sort of response is what got me questioning his advice which got me doing my own research. The fourth damsel is still alive and happy. He's plain looking but I never have thought about removing him since he he did make it through the hell month so he's earned his stay. If I could go back, I would use chunks of shrimp. Too late now.
 
cain420

cain420

Active Member
agreed on the shrimp.. I wish they made a chemical concentrate that you could just squirt in there to start the cycle and noone would use fish ever again! but hey.. to each their own..
 
spanish dancer

spanish dancer

Member
Originally Posted by cain420
agreed on the shrimp.. I wish they made a chemical concentrate that you could just squirt in there to start the cycle and noone would use fish ever again! but hey.. to each their own..
"Proquatics makes a product like this...
All you do is squirt some in the tank, a week later squirt a little more, and then a week later, add a little more... and you are done... as so they say on the bottle that I own...
strangely, I have never used it, though...LOL
And get this...It smells JUST LIKE ammonia!!!!!
 
spanish dancer

spanish dancer

Member
Originally Posted by cain420
agreed on the shrimp.. I wish they made a chemical concentrate that you could just squirt in there to start the cycle and noone would use fish ever again! but hey.. to each their own..
"Proquatics" makes a product like this...
All you do is squirt some in the tank, a week later squirt a little more, and then a week later, add a little more... and you are done... as so they say on the bottle that I own...
strangely, I have never used it, though...LOL
 
atlfish

atlfish

Member
Originally Posted by alyssia
Guppies can be acclimated to saltwater. Cycling with fish is cruel! Why not just cycle the normal way, with a piece of shrimp and time?
that's what Im doing now. is the shrimp suposed to get this white cloudy stuff on it?
 
atlfish

atlfish

Member
Originally Posted by cain420
i believe that is the shrimp rottin away.. i dont know how long to leave it in tho..
I think im going to take it out
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Originally Posted by AtlFish
I think im going to take it out
The decision to remove is usually based on what your ammonia level is....if you've got a good amount of ammonia in there, then the shrimp can come out.
And you could, in theory, cycle the tank with pure ammonia - just most people might use like Mr. Clean or something and that would be a disaster :scared: So fish food or something is a bit safer, LOL!
 
morales67

morales67

Member
Originally Posted by ruaround
I have read where mollies and PLECOS can be acclimated to saltwater...but not a guppy... all I have seen is that guppies can be in brackish water...
any one truly think it would be a bad idea to put a plecostomus in a saltwater tank can i REALY do that???? :thinking:
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Originally Posted by morales67
any one truly think it would be a bad idea to put a plecostomus in a saltwater tank can i REALY do that???? :thinking:


I really, REALLY would not do this. I don't care, personally, what is possible. I'm frankly pretty tired of that answer and the whole experimenting idea.
They are not saltwater fish. Some are marginally brackish. Marginally, IMO.
I have to ask, why, honestly, would you take up room in a saltwater tank with something like a pleco? :notsure: Even if they were perfectly fine - even if they were saltwater fish- I can not think of a single good reason to put a pleco in there. They would be destructive. They would be bulldozers. They get huge. They are not particularly attractive. So to answer the question, YES, I truly think it would be a bad idea.
 
cain420

cain420

Active Member
these people might be trying to start arguments ophiura.. just tell em its not suggested and that it truly would have a better chance of makin it across the main highway at rush hour.. i think some of these people feed on negativity...
 
archon210

archon210

Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
I really, REALLY would not do this. I don't care, personally, what is possible. I'm frankly pretty tired of that answer and the whole experimenting idea.
They are not saltwater fish. Some are marginally brackish. Marginally, IMO.
I have to ask, why, honestly, would you take up room in a saltwater tank with something like a pleco? :notsure: Even if they were perfectly fine - even if they were saltwater fish- I can not think of a single good reason to put a pleco in there. They would be destructive. They would be bulldozers. They get huge. They are not particularly attractive. So to answer the question, YES, I truly think it would be a bad idea.
I find plecos to be attractive... I love plecos <3
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Leave the shrimp in the tank as it decays, or else start "feeding" your tank a little bit every few days.
You want a constant source of "decay" in your tank until you add fish. Otherwise your ammonia fixing bacteria will starve and die off.
 
olga

olga

Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
I- I can not think of a single good reason to put a pleco in there. They would be destructive. They would be bulldozers. They get huge. They are not particularly attractive.
Talk for yourself: "plecos are not attractive"!
Its a very handsome fish. Big head, reasonably lazy, relaxed, observant, smart, very flexible body, masters of escape.
Plecos are very tasty too, a bit like monkfish: just a bit more bony and less dense flesh. Yum!
 
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