# How long to cycle new 55 gallon tank?



## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

How long should i cycle a new set up of a 55 gallon tank before adding kygoa flamebacks? most of what i hear is like a week or two. is that enough time to get bacteria on the bio filter and in the tank? Should i cycle the tank with some minow's or something first to help or what? would like to find the fastest way to cycle my tank!


----------



## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

thing is im buying like $200 worth of fish to put in the tank and i dont wanna kill em cus i didnt do this right. i dont have any cycled media i can get or anything. i read the artical on fishless cycling and it never said how much ammonia to add or anything. all it did was confuse the piss out of me lol


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It could take six weeks.

I remember feeling the same way when reading about fishless cycling the first time. But it's not all that hard. First buy a test kit.

Then add some plain ammonia and test the water. I used method 2 but you can start with 4 drops per 10 gallons as mentioned in the first method to get an idea of the beginning amount. NH3 is ammonia.

You want the test reading to be 5ppm.

Do you have any other questions or concerns?


----------



## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

yeah actually im getting a spounge filter now because i was told it would be alot better and the filters are better vrs. HOB filters. What are your thoughts on this matter? im gonna be setting up a species tank of kyoga flamebacks and i need great filtration and clean water.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have not tried a sponge filter, but it's was the breeders use. Not too attractive and noisy I would think. Also I don't get how the debris gets removed. I've heard that when you turn off the suction the debris flys all over the tank.

HOB is inexpensive and great at removing debris and oxygenating.

Canister is more expensive, but also removed debris. It has the unique benefit of being almost 100% silent which is important to me.


----------



## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

Sponge filters are cheap, and great bio filters. They're usually used in bare tanks though, because you just vacuum up the poo instead of removing it from the filter. They're silent with a powerhead, not so silent with air power. I'd skip them if this is a display tank, go for it if it isn't.


----------

