What happens if u don't CYCLE?

I have a tank that's been in my living room for about 5 years, and it has never cycled.

Of course, there's no water in it.....

OverThinker, I think you're missing some info on what constitutes a "cycle". It's a reference to the natural Nitrification cycle where ammonia is turned into nitrogen via complex metabolic action of nitrobacter (and other microbes). Ammonia -> nitrites -> nitrates -> nitrogen.

A cycle is not a fixed set of numbers or a proscribed amount of time, it's a natural function that is one of many bioindicators of a healthy marine environment. the term "cycle" is generically used here to imply the first MAJOR cycle when setting up a new tank, but it's really an ongoing process that ends when the tank is dry.

A basic biology class should school you in how bacteria function, and is really beyond the scope of my post here. Suffice to they have a life cycle and flourish under a given range of parameters. jwin is correct in saying it's a supply and demand issue. Bacteria live on everything, they'll probably be found in the depth of space some day. As soon as you add water and any surface they can survive on, even glass walls and microscopic particulate matter in the water column, they will go to work.

You could have a very slow, low rate, low yield cycle by not adding ANYTHING but water to a tank, but as soon as any significant amount of ammonia is allowed in you'll have a "bloom" of bacteria in your tank. The beneficial microbes do not all reproduce at the same rate however, and that's why you will usually see "spikes" as the demanded nutrient for their growth is supplied by previous strains as metabolites for the new strains to grow off of. In a slow enough cycle you'd never see any appreciable "spikes" as demand would always outpace supply.

Adding a fish, CuC, live rocks, live sand, or anything else you'll put "supply above the demand and it will take a while for the bacteria to catch up. This can be days or weeks, sometimes even months.

Eventually, assuming nothing new is added an equilibrium will be struck and all your bacteria will regulate themselves based on the nutrients available to them. The second you add something new the process starts all ove again, but the late cycles will be less noticeable.

The cycle never stops, but the rapid blooming of various microbes will slow down. They will still process ammonia to nitrogen tho. As some die off others replace them.

There are even bacteria that can take years, even decades, to build up to a level that their effect can be measured. Without a good microscope and a masters in biology you'll probably never know when that is, or if they're even in your tank, as they all serve the same basic function.

Suffice to say you can't stop a cycle, you can only influence it's speed by what you choose to feed it. Or not feed it.

 

But what I mean by spiking is...the ammonia will build up, until it goes up and then down again, giving birth to nitrites, which will go up and down again, and then finally to nitrates. Wouldn't you say at each high point it would be a spike?

So yes, you have answered my question...I get from all this that whether or not you add fish I guess it doesn't make any difference on the abilities of the bacteria. They will run their course over and over whether or not there are heavier loads than day 1. The only difference from today and day 1 is that the bacteria was not established, therefore the "spikes" were heavier and lethal to fish.

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u pulled out the akward turtle OMG THATS TOO FUNNY K+ lmaoooooooooooooo

 

??? how come it takes me so long to get these things? Is it because I am a girl? Awkward turtle??????

 

........i'm a girl too.......

idk where jwin got it but where i live they teach it at freshmen orientation (college) lol as a joke, ur supposed to throw it out all the time, like during an awkward moment to "diffuse" the strangeness by doing something equally weird i guess.

this is how u do it, u put one hand (palm down) over the other and move ur thumbs in circles, it "resembles" a turtle with only two flippers...which makes it an "awkward" turtle.

idk its one of those things that funny if you have a group of friends doing it randomly i guess. if you google it u'll find a PLETHORA of "awkward" animals

 

lol - wonderful thread with the morning coffee !

Awkward Turtles - Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia

remember, when used and someone doesn't know/get it -- follow up with a smile and comment "tumbleweeds passing by, eh?"

 

I just graduated from highschool. OF COURSE I know what awkard turtle is. There's no highschooler around here that doesn't know.

 

Wooooooowwww

I last visited this thread in June, and now in October I finally just got the whole pregnancy joke. Strange phenomena not to see that one without running into a windex-cleaned, streak-free, sliding glass back door.

 

LMAO! I loved this.
Especially jwins picture on how to do the akward turtle and Crimson Ghosts wiki page.

 

Well some people are just a little slow at some things...it's nothing to be ashamed of.