Their waste products
Their waste products will contain live bacteria than can start to colonies suitable homes in the aquarium, such as sponge filters and gravel. If you want to jump start the process, you can purchase a bacterial solution from the fish store that contains the right type of nitrifying bacteria. You can also use gravel or sponge from an already established aquarium when you set up a new one, but you should keep in mind that this can introduce benevolent bacteria as well.
Another method of cycling the aquarium is the so called “fish less cycle”. This cycling method is much less frequently used compared to the one that uses cycling fish, but it has grown increasingly popular during the last few years. During fish less cycling, you will add small amounts of pure ammonia to the water together with nitrifying bacteria and wait for them to form large colonies. You will need a test kit to measure the amounts of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Investing in a test kit is however a good idea even if you use fish to cycle your aquarium.
A third cycling method uses plants and is commonly referred to as “silent cycling”.
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