Black Moor Goldfish

[tom00_uk]

using "hardy" sacrificial fish to cycle a tank is now seen as old fashioned and cruel, for the best results in terms of a stable tank at the end and for the welfare of the stock then its fish less cycling. you will unfortunately have a tank with only plants, stones and water for as long as it takes to stabilize.

you can use food, ammonia in neat chemical form or some advocate using waste products. there are cultures of filter start available to assist in getting the numbers of microbes up, but you will need a good test kit, patience and the will power to go through the various chemical peaks before the tank is stock ready

it is a "how long is a bit of string" scenario as some tanks will cycle and be stable in a few weeks and others 6 weeks or more.