Adding fish back after fallow

[Ribo15]

Hey guys, sorry if this is a dumb question but I can’t find the answer in my searches. I had ich in my tank and followed the proper fallow protocols and now it’s time for me to add back my fish which a friend has been holding. 8 fish ranging from a small Chromis to a 7” Naso tang. The tank is 180 gallons and the sump is a 75 gallon tank.

My question is this: I’ve read that if your tank has no fish the ability for it to support the bioload decreases so I’m curious when I add these fish back in will I see ammonia spikes and a possible new cycle? Or am I just being paranoid and it will be okay. Any insight will be much appreciated!

 

[brandon429]

You could add more back than what you removed. I know it sounds against the common rule but they’re wrong, fallow doesn’t alter bioload carry ability. Several ways bacteria eat just the same while under hold


I’ve been tracking fallow test threads for the very dynamic you mentioned


longest test on file so far where fallow rocks instantly pass full cycling ammonia oxidation check: three years. You did eighty days
(Poster DJCity here, 15 gallon nano thread rocks in garage tested after 36 mos in half drained tank barely kept topped off.)



ask yourself this: on top of 36 month fallow test that will go against claims of starvation, how are we getting away with ripping sandbeds out of tanks instantly, no ramp down for new bac, for five years and 200 tanks with no loss in our 36 page sand rinse thread?
because ramp up doesn’t occur in reefing.

*ammonia test your system pls I need new data

don’t dose your tank with ammonia pull some test rocks out and put in a bucket of aerated saltwater


fallow test bucket
Do an ammonia test currently and take pic
dose some ammonia until api shows a tiny increment up, not 2 ppm this is not seneye data here.

take a second pic of the tester barely moved to green from light greenish yellow / base picture


in 24 hours post the reading, max 48 (api guess speed) it will go back down to calibrated zero. cycled

 

[REEFIN RIOS]

I would add in a few at a time starting with the smaller one, and repopulating ur bacteria bioload. If you add in a week but with a about a week in the middle you should be good. I did this when I had my 45 fallow. All my fish lived and I saw a mini cycle in the beginning but too care of it before all my expensive fish got in the tank.

 

[andrewey]

It is theoretically possible you see a large spike, but I'm guessing pretty unlikely in practice. I would add all the fish back at once and just monitor your ammonia for the first couple of days and you should be all set. You might see a tiny spike, but if this is the case, you can add prime and your biological filter should catch back up in a couple days. Another option is to add a few fish every few days.

 

[brandon429]

That’s a good plan. I think he should separate test for the good of science lol get a bucket we don’t get lots of fallowers posting the question / could be handy link thread for future fallowers

 

[Ribo15]

Awesome thanks for all the replies guys! I will add the fish back in and check for any signs of an ammonia increase. Will let you guys know what I find!

 

[Ribo15]

I don’t know where to get ammonia to do a bucket test?

 

[brandon429]

Take a baseline pic of ammonia from your system as it sits now for compare, before fish

Dr Tims cycling ammonia drops is perfect off amazon

 

[Ribo15]

Okay, I will do that. I will check ammonia before adding fish then 1 day after and 2 days after and see if I get any increase. Will be adding them next week so will update thread then.

 

[Spydersweb]

Following.
I just finished my fallow period this past Monday. I have 4 fish averaging about 2 1/2” to 3” each in a 90 gallon with a 29 sump. I added the first two on Monday, and adding the other two today. Didn’t see a hint of a spike since Monday, so not too concerned, but I’d like to see others’ experiences

 

[brandon429]

In that much dilution it’s all safe

the real fun and testing reveal is either adding fish back to a nano or test bucket assess

I have a thread of things not tested in the hobby regarding bacteria, though it’s 2020 and we go to mars lol

this is one of them. By testing, I specifically do not mean running an api on post fish and reporting .25 or .5 as the solid proof

we can find those readings right now, in active normal reefs. am meaning either proof pic api calibration for down movement above, or just seneye and end all the guesswork. Using a test kit for ammonia with zero on the card is an immediate misread unless it’s a good kit and we attribute the 0 reading/api/salifert or Red Sea zero as an acknowledgement of thousandths ppm activity seneye would show. we already have to attribute the thousands of .25 ghost readings as the best low end api can report; we‘re always having to make up stuff to fill in for api.

Api never, ever, ever agrees with what seneye ammonia says, that’s a big deal.

Ammonia is always free to a small degree when bioload is present, only seneye gives insight into real low range controls and dynamics. We can probably wrestle most testers into revealing nitrification ability under careful settings.