Tank Cycling with Fish??

[BlueFish]

Hi! I recently bought a betta. Before that I didn't know about tank cycling and stuff, but I've since read up about it. The problem is that my attempt to cycle has been going really slowly, and I'll be changing my filter canister thing into better filter media so whatever bacteria (if any) that's been built up will be gone.

So I wanted to ask if there's a better way to cycle! I'm sure it takes patience, but ammonia levels haven't spiked or anything so I'm worried it hasn't even started. I read about Tetra Safestart and wanted to try but I don't know if Singapore has any?? I found one online but they didn't ship to Singapore so I've been wondering if they do. If not, are there any similar products that will help kickstart my cycle (with fish?). I usually go to C328 so it'll be helpful if the product can be found there!

Thank you so much!

[Atlas]

I think seachem stability can also be used to kickstart your cycling.


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[tetrakid]

The best kickstart is some rotting organic material such as fish urine/poo or other rotting material.
During rotting, ammonia is produced, and that ammonia is what bacteria need for them to survive and multiply.
But although the ammonia thus produced is great for growing bacteria, at the same time, it is poisonous to fish.
And that is why daily water change is required, to lower the concentration of ammonia poison and thus somewhat protect the fish.
This goes on until the bacteria has multiplied sufficiently to be able to constantly consume the amount of ammonia produced.
Thus it is important to wait and wait and (wait some more) until that stage is reached. Natural is best. Personally, I don't like to use any chemicals to quicken the waiting period, because I believe that will cause some chemical complications which I am not aware of. Don't be too ganjiong to add in your precious new fish.

Seasoning a tank is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the hobby, which is often neglected by many beginners. Before I was aware of this aspect, I had many problems. One learns a lot from the experience. But the learning still continues. This is a great hobby.

[Griffith DreamWalker]

If you want to quicken your tank cycling process, ask around for some filter medium. A handful of gravel in an established tank, a piece of filter foam or anything in mature tanks will contain beneficial bacteria. This being said, when taking your filter stuff, there's always a risk of transferring unwanted bacteria/pests into your tanks(Also, don't let the filter medium dry out-the bacteria will die). Another thing you can use is API Quickstart- which already has live bacteria in it. Simply dump the required amount into your tank and you can add fish immediately. However, there is a chance for a PH crash when using chemicals, so do be careful and monitor the PH and water parameters for the first few months.

One important thing to add: Fishless cycling(which can take around eight weeks) is better as it actually makes the filter bacteria stronger.