1st time cycle with caribsea life rock. Pointers?

[Taylor Tucker]

I am using a 20 gallon tank with live sand and 20lbs of life rock. I also purchased some dr tims ammonia and biospira. I am trying to figure out when I should add the ammonia and biospira and if there is a certain order.

Also, if anyone else with a similar cycle has any pointers or experiences they would like to share.

Thanks!

 

[brandon429]

guaranteed way to cycle without any testing:

your life rocks have painted on bacteria. no extra is required, but if you want to dose some you can. this step will work below with or without adding extra bacteria.

add ammonia to 1 ppm and let the tank swirl with the bac + 1ppm for two weeks doing nothing.

repeat in two weeks let swirl for two more

at the end of 30 days, change out all your tank water, its cycled for a starting normal entry bioload. it cannot fail to cycle by this time, its universal due to your cheats. testing is not required at all other than the 1 ppm portion, and even that can come from online charts not even using the ammonia test kit. testless cycling is awesome.

if you want to dose ammonia to 1 ppm 3x its no big deal over this coming month. twice is enough, the point is keep a couple times at least refreshing it and during that 30 days the base biofilm layers will be set and ready. doing the big water change at the end is how you start clean in the post cycle.

by never going over 1 or 2 ppm max, your nitrite ranges are already known and don't have to be tested for. nitrate has no bearing in a cycle measure and that's how we arrived at ammonia only testing if even that. the online ammonia calculator uses your tank volume and % ammonia solution to say how much to put in, for those w no ammonia test kits.

 

[GoVols]

I am using a 20 gallon tank with live sand and 20lbs of life rock. I also purchased some dr tims ammonia and biospira. I am trying to figure out when I should add the ammonia and biospira and if there is a certain order.

Also, if anyone else with a similar cycle has any pointers or experiences they would like to share.

Thanks!

TT,

Welcome to Reef 2 Reef and hope you feel at home.

 

[Taylor Tucker]

TT,

Welcome to Reef 2 Reef and hope you feel at home.

I just moved from Knoxville to Nashville! Go vols!

 

[GoVols]

I just moved from Knoxville to Nashville! Go vols!

Fingers crossed for tomorrow's "national" signing day ;Nailbiting

 

[GoVols]

@Taylor Tucker

Have you found The Aquatic Critter in Nashville?

 

[Taylor Tucker]

@GoVols

I went there for the first time two days ago. Was very busy but they had a wider variety of everything. Will definitely go back for sure!

 

[GoVols]

@GoVols

I went there for the first time two days ago. Was very busy but they had a wider variety of everything. Will definitely go back for sure!

Their great, but sky high $$$ on dry goods ;Wacky

 

[BGrand]

guaranteed way to cycle without any testing:

your life rocks have painted on bacteria. no extra is required, but if you want to dose some you can. this step will work below with or without adding extra bacteria.

add ammonia to 1 ppm and let the tank swirl with the bac + 1ppm for two weeks doing nothing.

repeat in two weeks let swirl for two more

at the end of 30 days, change out all your tank water, its cycled for a starting normal entry bioload. it cannot fail to cycle by this time, its universal due to your cheats. testing is not required at all other than the 1 ppm portion, and even that can come from online charts not even using the ammonia test kit. testless cycling is awesome.

if you want to dose ammonia to 1 ppm 3x its no big deal over this coming month. twice is enough, the point is keep a couple times at least refreshing it and during that 30 days the base biofilm layers will be set and ready. doing the big water change at the end is how you start clean in the post cycle.

by never going over 1 or 2 ppm max, your nitrite ranges are already known and don't have to be tested for. nitrate has no bearing in a cycle measure and that's how we arrived at ammonia only testing if even that. the online ammonia calculator uses your tank volume and % ammonia solution to say how much to put in, for those w no ammonia test kits.

I am super new to this process and I am starting a new 54 gallon tank and plan on using CaribSea Life Rock only. Please explain this process again (detail and brand names) and include the actual location of this awesome ammonia calculator. After this do I drain all the water out of the tank and sump? Also do I remove the sump sock and the skimmer during the month process?

 

[brandon429]

http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm

That's the one

 

[brandon429]

Doesn't matter about skimmer, sump, ammonia level accuracy, temp, only that 30 days required and a little feed

 

[BGrand]

http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm

That's the one

Thank you!

 

[BGrand]

Doesn't matter about skimmer, sump, ammonia level accuracy, temp, only that 30 days required and a little feed

So I could legitimately do this in 5 gallon buckets with propeller pumps and then pull the rock out in 30 days and place it in a new aquarium full of fresh saltwater?

Also what do you mean by a little feed?

What type of ammonia solution do you suggest?

 

[brandon429]

For sure, my friend John M Cole on this site did just that and it works perfect. Those bac would have grown anyway with only soaking in water fit that time, engineered to. They're painted on with a food source, standard contamination during setup adds feed sources anyway. The ammonia is turbo

The feed is just a little kicker boost to round out/feel good for humans ha

 

[BGrand]

For sure, my friend John M Cole on this site did just that and it works perfect. Those bac would have grown anyway with only soaking in water fit that time, engineered to. They're painted on with a food source, standard contamination during setup adds feed sources anyway. The ammonia is turbo

The feed is just a little kicker boost to round out/feel good for humans ha

What do you mean by a little feed?

What type of ammonia solution do you suggest?

 

[brandon429]

I'd buy the dedicated cycling ammonia from dr Tim's, few bucks on Amazon

By feed was just meaning that extra ammonia serves to add the final boost so that it's all done before thirty days, but we wait thirty days just to be safe/no rush and it's always good by then

 

[BGrand]

I'd buy the dedicated cycling ammonia from dr Tim's, few bucks on Amazon

By feed was just meaning that extra ammonia serves to add the final boost so that it's all done before thirty days, but we wait thirty days just to be safe/no rush and it's always good by then

Dr. Tim's does not show the % of ammonia and the calculator wants the %. What did you do or should I just go with the 1 drop/gallon as stated on Dr. Tim's instructions?

 

[brandon429]

Yep that'll do

 

[BGrand]

Yep that'll do

Thanks again for all of your help.

 

[Pntbll687]

I am using a 20 gallon tank with live sand and 20lbs of life rock. I also purchased some dr tims ammonia and biospira. I am trying to figure out when I should add the ammonia and biospira and if there is a certain order.

Also, if anyone else with a similar cycle has any pointers or experiences they would like to share.

Thanks!

Both Dr Tims and bio spira are good products. You can use both it just one.

I checked my last tank with Dr Tim's and had no problems.

You could dose the bio spira when doing water changes.

The theory is that adding different strains of beneficial bacteria promotes biodiversity in the tank. That way you're not dependent on one stain.

Both products are great to use after medicating a tank to re establish bacteria that may have been killed off by the medication.