Using Dead Fish For Nitrogen Cycle

HI team member,

Please suggest as I have setup my new tank of 50gallon. Currently my tank is under nitrogen cycle process and for cycle process I put one dead fish in water to boost up process its 5th day and filter and light running properly but now water is cloudy in viewing and white color hair like substances showing in dead fish, so please suggest what am I supposed to do? And sorry for bad English

 

I wouldn't use a dead fish. That will just introduce diseases and parasites into your tank. Instead, you should be using pure bottle ammonia or fish food.
The cloudy water is from a bacterial bloom as the dead fish rots and releases high amounts of ammonia and nutrients. I would immediately take the fish out and do a water change

 

Okey, I will do the same but in the other websites also showing that In nitrogen cycle you can fasten this process by this dead fish process.
And you were saying about water change so how much water am I supposed to change? And again I have to start cycle? Water should be treated with dechlorinator?

 

HI there. It would be better to use 100% pure ammonia instead of dead fish. In fact live fish would be better than a dead fish.

What country do you live in? Do they chlorinate your water? If they do, then you will need a dechlorinator for your tank. Chlorine kills bacteria, and the goal with the nitrogen cycle is to grow bacteria. The best dechlorinator is Seachem Prime. It detoxifies Ammonia, not and nitrates also. So it is ideal for a fish-in cycle.

You will also need to get a testing kit if you can. It’s hard to get your nitrogen cycle figured out without a way to measure your water parameters.

The most common testing kit used is API Freshwater Master Test Kit. It will test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH. Test strips will work too, but you will need a way to test your ammonia level, and strips don’t test for ammonia.

I would remove the dead fish, and do a 100% water change. Then you need to get some ammonia to do a fishless cycle, or a couple of live fish for a fish-in cycle.

How big is your tank? What sort of filter do you have?

 

Alliesten Thanks,
Me having a 50-gallon tank and I m residing in and India(Delhi) here I am getting chlorine treated water for the aquarium. surely I am going to use de-chlorinator before water change in the aquarium.

2. I would like to take advice from you that, if I am using active carbon filter and mechanical filter both, so is it necessary to change water as it will destroy all harmful bacteria from water automatically?

3. API kit suggestion already ordered from amazon soon in will going to check the water.

4. Dead fish already removed from the aquarium in the night only.
thanks in advance.

 

Carbon is optional in filters. It is used to mainly remove medications and other chemicals from the water. It also polishes the water, making it more sparkling. It however isn’t a great source of actual mechanical filtration. I would consider it more of a source of chemical filtration. It does grow some beneficial bacteria on its surface, but it doesn’t grow much.

While you are in the early stages of growing bacteria, getting your nitrogen cycle started, you do have to be careful with water changes. You want to be strategic about it. I was suggesting doing a large water change to get rid of the rotting fish from the tank. It can cause more issues having those other bacteria in the tank. If you don’t have access to pure ammonia, I would use fish food instead. It is messy, but you won’t have to deal with rotting flesh.

Once your tank is completely cycled, doing water changes will not affect your bacteria. 99% of your beneficial bacteria/nitrogen cycle lives in and on your filter media, not in your actual tank water.

As far as products go, the API Freshwater Master Test kit is the perfect kit to use. I also suggest Seachem Prime as a dechlorinator. It is the best on the market. If you can get bottled starter bacteria, I recommend it highly. You want nitrifying bacteria. Without bottled bacteria, it can take 8-12 weeks to get your tank cycled. With bacteria it takes 14-21 days. So it is a huge difference in time spent cycling your tank. Seachem Stability, API QuickStart, Tetra Safe Start plus (TSS+) or Dr Tim’s One and Only are all good bacteria brands.

Good luck. I hope I have helped some.

 

Carbon is optional in filters. It is used to mainly remove medications and other chemicals from the water. It also polishes the water, making it more sparkling. It however isn’t a great source of actual mechanical filtration. I would consider it more of a source of chemical filtration. It does grow some beneficial bacteria on its surface, but it doesn’t grow much.

While you are in the early stages of growing bacteria, getting your nitrogen cycle started, you do have to be careful with water changes. You want to be strategic about it. I was suggesting doing a large water change to get rid of the rotting fish from the tank. It can cause more issues having those other bacteria in the tank. If you don’t have access to pure ammonia, I would use fish food instead. It is messy, but you won’t have to deal with rotting flesh.

Once your tank is completely cycled, doing water changes will not affect your bacteria. 99% of your beneficial bacteria/nitrogen cycle lives in and on your filter media, not in your actual tank water.

As far as products go, the API Freshwater Master Test kit is the perfect kit to use. I also suggest Seachem Prime as a dechlorinator. It is the best on the market. If you can get bottled starter bacteria, I recommend it highly. You want nitrifying bacteria. Without bottled bacteria, it can take 8-12 weeks to get your tank cycled. With bacteria it takes 14-21 days. So it is a huge difference in time spent cycling your tank. Seachem Stability, API QuickStart, Tetra Safe Start plus (TSS+) or Dr Tim’s One and Only are all good bacteria brands.

Good luck. I hope I have helped some.

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Thanks, Alliesten
I went through your reply for my queries, hope for proper guidance in future as well from your side.

I had already thrown the dead fish out of the aquarium as per your instruction, dead fish was planted just 3 days back only. currently, pothus planted in the aquarium and filters continuously running to filter whole aquarium water. but water change not done yet, I was thinking to test the water first for ammonia spikes. please suggest ammonia spike need to be highest or slight highest is quite sufficient, so that keep I will keep adding fish food for ammonia spike in water.

 

please suggest ammonia spike need to be highest or slight highest is quite sufficient, so that I will stop adding fish food for ammonia spike in water.

 

For your 50 gallon you should get your ammonia up to 3 or 4ppm.

 

To cycle my tank I used a single store bought jumbo shrimp tail let it rot a little then take it out. By doing that you wouldn't have to worry about disease or parasites. Then you can fuel the need for any further ammonia with fish food.