1st cycle

[DS5000]

started cycle with one bottle Dr Tims and their NH4 bottle. This is my first time cycling and just wanted to bounce off you guys how its going, for any feedback

RS 170 max 45gal, skimmer on, sponge filter, but nothing else running in tank. Have caribsea liferock and live sand

using Redsea test kit

NH4 NO3 nitrate pH dKH

day 1: 2 0 0 8.2 10.5

day 8: 2 0.5 10 8.2 9.0

day 10 1.2 1 10-20 8.2 9

day 12 1.2 1 20 8.2 8.2



I havent had a day where the ammonia was zero, and I havent re-dosed any ammonia.
I started dosing Microbacter7 this week to see if that would speed things up.

I just thought the cycle would have been faster with tims/microbacter7.

Anything else I shoulder do, or just be patient! Should i add another Dr Tims or even try Biospira ?

Thanks guys

 

[brandon429]

where you stand: adding nothing, life rock is fully activated alone in 12 days

so in 12 days you are cycled easy huh

cant fail. cant stall

the extras you added actually get it ready in 5 days, wait the 12.

 

[brandon429]

the stuff you added might make test kits look too much, too low, but it doesnt matter what the 12 day wastewater does its all bac feed


just change out most of the water and begin at the end. pls update us with the new life added, I have cycling threads where we track liferock predictability and we never test a single parameter since the likelihood of getting dead bottle bac and dead liferock is nil

when you can add fish-

when there is a set plan to prevent this:

EMERGENCY - Ich

I have been seeingwhite spots on my six line wrasse. It is ich. Along with the wrasse I have two clownfish. I just ordered some garlic and selcon for feeding. What should I do, can the fish naturally fight it off with garlic and selcon or do I need to do a treatment. Or quarantine and do a...

www.reef2reef.com

when you can add corals and a clean up crew and everything not fish

day 14 after the water change

cycled means cycled but has nothing to do with disease control. off to the races.

 

[DS5000]

Thanks Bradon, can you expound more on why my bac additions could make my testing be off high/low?

Also, just so I understand - you recommend doing a large WC (at least 50%?), and then start adding fish? or shoulder I WC and trend out NH4 for a bit longer.

Thanks

 

[brandon429]

Only nh3 matters, very helpful detail in reefing vs freshwater

And vs guessing there's a for sure way to test at the end, before starting

Agreed change that much when your test passes like this one in ~12 days:

100% Water Change

So in my previous thread, I had an ammonia issue that was out of hand. As suggested, I did a 100% WC and now i’m wondering when I should start adding fish back. If anyone has suggestions, let me know!

www.reef2reef.com

Using updated cycle science that's the only param we need to know, not nitrite or nitrate

You have to arrange your ammonia tester that way to make it work, then it will work great

The bacteria added make all kinds of different metabolites relative to approximate amounts of ammonia added, we never know the true amounts because non digital testers vary so much, but that's how to align them above

 

[brandon429]

even though thats an API calibration above, run the steps from post #4 and it works on red sea or salifert etc

motion is what shows cycling, not a zero nh3 reading/nh4 we flatly dont even measure it/not impactful for marine tank reasons and pH temps

in fw, its very impactful

the reason we can skip nitrite factoring is marine tank vs freshwater where it is impactful, its fully not impactful in reefing/chloride reasons per Randy's forum.

using that arrangement above we can reliably know if your tank is ready at day 12
no need to water change before that time, do your three picture ammonia step on that date then save the big water change till after proofing.

easy guaranteed cycle.

 

[Nargard]

even though thats an API calibration above, run the steps from post #4 and it works on red sea or salifert etc

motion is what shows cycling, not a zero nh3 reading/nh4 we flatly dont even measure it/not impactful for marine tank reasons and pH temps

in fw, its very impactful

the reason we can skip nitrite factoring is marine tank vs freshwater where it is impactful, its fully not impactful in reefing/chloride reasons per Randy's forum.

using that arrangement above we can reliably know if your tank is ready at day 12
no need to water change before that time, do your three picture ammonia step on that date then save the big water change till after proofing.

easy guaranteed cycle.

Hey Brandon. So I'm trying to follow your previous posts and I got lost a bit. I'm 7 days into a new tank cycle myself. Used Life Rock and Live Sand. I've never read that Life Rock is fully activated at 12 days so I'm pretty interested in that info. Did I understand correctly that at 12 days my tank will be cycled? I get my test kit tomorrow so I will be able to see where my levels are. Everything I've read led me to believe it would be 4-5 weeks before I will be able to add any life to the tank. Thanks!

 

[brandon429]

Most people add bottle bac to the liferock and feed it, plus wet sand isn’t expected to be free of bacteria it’s probably a valid source like bottled bacteria. The compound sources amount to being cycled by then, able to carry life etc.

the website says caribsea has attached bacteria in the pigment coloring the rocks, then with hydration they re emerge. Not sure many people have ran that arrangement without bottle bacteria to test rocks alone. Our example threads on liferock cycling were ready by day 12. Most people put fish in right along with the bottled bacteria, waiting 12 days is really prudent comparatively

 

[Nargard]

Most people add bottle bac to the liferock and feed it, plus wet sand isn’t expected to be free of bacteria it’s probably a valid source like bottled bacteria. The compound sources amount to being cycled by then, able to carry life etc.

the website says caribsea has attached bacteria in the pigment coloring the rocks, then with hydration they re emerge. Not sure many people have ran that arrangement without bottle bacteria to test rocks alone. Our example threads on liferock cycling were ready by day 12. Most people put fish in right along with the bottled bacteria, waiting 12 days is really prudent comparatively

After further reading I think I may be missing something. I have been using Microbacter7, one cap full a day per the recommended dosage, and have live sand and life rock. I'm 10 days in. I tested ammonia using Red Sea yesterday and it was between 0.0 and 0.2. Do I need to be adding a different type of bacteria or an ammonia source at this time? Thanks for your input!

 

[brandon429]

Add some liquid ammonia barely enough to raise the kit levels


then let’s see if it’s down within 2 days wait I’m curious to see if that bac was enough

 

[Nargard]

Add some liquid ammonia barely enough to raise the kit levels


then let’s see if it’s down within 2 days wait I’m curious to see if that bac was enough

Thanks Brandon. I need to buy liquid ammonia. Any suggestions? Dr.Tim's Ammonium Chloride Solution?

 

[brandon429]

Agreed that’s the one and watch out for over addition or we w be waiting seven days for the drop

only a very few drops into tank and take test see if minor color change

if after a little bit of ammonia added nothing changes that means the kit can’t detect the minor levels and is waiting for a lot

hopefully it’s sensitive kit and will detect a normal light addition, then we can check in 24/48 for oxidation back down movement

 

[Nargard]

Agreed that’s the one and watch out for over addition or we w be waiting seven days for the drop

only a very few drops into tank and take test see if minor color change

if after a little bit of ammonia added nothing changes that means the kit can’t detect the minor levels and is waiting for a lot

hopefully it’s sensitive kit and will detect a normal light addition, then we can check in 24/48 for oxidation back down movement

Dr. Tim's will arrive in 1-4 days. I will post results here. Thanks again.

 

[Nalca Ozius]

I usually put a bit of food in my tank and let it break down for a couple days before i dose bacteria. Do you have a CuC?
I add hermits after a week and snails around 3-4 when you start to see an algae bloom thats a decent indicator that your tank is nearing end of its cycle.

 

[Nargard]

I usually put a bit of food in my tank and let it break down for a couple days before i dose bacteria. Do you have a CuC?
I add hermits after a week and snails around 3-4 when you start to see an algae bloom thats a decent indicator that your tank is nearing end of its cycle.

I am staying away with lights for 3-4 months as suggested by Ryan with BRS.

 

[Nargard]

Add some liquid ammonia barely enough to raise the kit levels


then let’s see if it’s down within 2 days wait I’m curious to see if that bac was enough

Ok so I just received Dr Tim's Ammonium Chloride Solution. I've stuck with my MB7 and Fastart-M and my levels are consistent - Ammonia at between 0-0.2 and Nitrate barely above 0. Dr Tim's says 4 drops per gallon. I have a 22 long and a small 10 gallon sump. So I figure I probably have 22 gallons of water considering sand, rock, water level 1-2" below the top of the tank, etc. You think I should put in 88 drops? Seems like a lot.

 

[brandon429]

It's a huge amount agreed it would take days for api to respond with all those metabolites in tow.

How about 20 drops, wait 2 mins for circulation, and test to see if the kit even shows it.

If no movement, abandon trusting the kit. But if it moves off a quarter dose and it should a little, we can watch for the reduction in a day or two. Even twenty drops may peg it green who knows, at least we aren't blasting it in first test

 

[Nargard]

It's a huge amount agreed it would take days for api to respond with all those metabolites in tow.

How about 20 drops, wait 2 mins for circulation, and test to see if the kit even shows it.

If no movement, abandon trusting the kit. But if it moves off a quarter dose and it should a little, we can watch for the reduction in a day or two. Even twenty drops may peg it green who knows, at least we aren't blasting it in first test

Before adding Dr. Tim's ammonium solution.

 

[Nargard]

Before adding Dr. Tim's ammonium solution.

It's a huge amount agreed it would take days for api to respond with all those metabolites in tow.

How about 20 drops, wait 2 mins for circulation, and test to see if the kit even shows it.

If no movement, abandon trusting the kit. But if it moves off a quarter dose and it should a little, we can watch for the reduction in a day or two. Even twenty drops may peg it green who knows, at least we aren't blasting it in first test

After adding half the recommended dose of Dr. Tim's......

 

[brandon429]

Nice, glad we did not do eighty that may take a couple days to watch for movement so we have a very nice baseline set of pics here, can’t wait to see if it’s locked for days or can show slight change soon

it’s really uber dark, nh3 is very potent stuff for sure.