How shoul I cycle my system

[Andrew Cope]

Hello.

 

I have a 275g tank  with nine half blue barrels grow beds that I just completed.  How do I start the cycling process.

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Andrew,

There are different ways to cycle. I prefer the fishless cycling method. It is easy enough and painless to fish than with using the other methods of cycling with fish.

You can learn more here

http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/how-do-you-cyc...

And here

http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/categories/system-cyc...

[James Stratton]

Everyone I've talked to says fishless cycling is best. I ended up cycling with fish because I could not find a source of pure ammonia. I started by using what was called "pure" ammonia from a local store but on the back label, it listed "surfactants." Of course I read this after pouring the ammonia into the two hundred gallon tank. It resulted in an emergency shutdown of the pump and replacement of the water. About two weeks later, I started cycling using feeder goldfish. At one point I think I had about a hundred little goldfish in there. It was disheartening to watch the fish die but I still have about twenty survivors in with twenty tilapia about ten times their size. So, I would say that fishless cycling is probably the least painful if you can find pure ammonia or ammonia hydroxide(?) but using fish will work too if you are prepared to dispose of floaters everyday for about six weeks.

I think that Hallam (what's his first name?) has a hybrid method of cycling that many aquapons like. I think it starts fishless with plants and seaweed extract, and then fish are added a couple weeks later. I think you can find videos of all this.

Best of luck to you. My method was to learn as I went along. I bought the aquaponic gardening book AFTER my system was running and have kicked myself numerous times for not just purchasing it and reading it first. It explains all the basic information on aquaponics gardening. Even so, I'm still learning.