And it begins

[reefinjordy]

Just started cycling my tank a few weeks ago.

 

[Tiger Brown]

Looks like a great start, welcome to our fishy universe!!!

 

[reefinjordy]

Thanks

 

[Peace River]

Congratulations on the new setup! Can you tell us more about your equipment and your plan for the tank?

 

[reefinjordy]

Honestly, I'm not sure. There will be fish and coral. It's only a 13.5 gallon and I can see I already wanna upgrade to a 20 gallon or so. But any ways I am running a the MAME design skimmer just a minimalist Japanese design and it seems to be working really well. Had a 50 watt cobalt heater and it went out in a week. Uff so I got a regular heater that I can adjust and see the reading from a unit on the outside of the tank. I think that might have slowed down my cycle. Grrrr and thats about it except I did get the removable filter tray. Where I have floss a clear blue.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Welcome to R2R.

You already made me jealous with the bumble bee. Tank looks good.

There is a rule about upgrades. Has to be 10x volume of current tank, or more ;Joyful

Keep those pics coming. We have a meet and greet forum you can post to say hi and get lots of corny pics thrown at you if u want

#WelcometoR2R

 

[saltyhog]

Welcome to R2R.

You already made me jealous with the bumble bee. Tank looks good.

There is a rule about upgrades. Has to be 10x volume of current tank, or more ;Joyful

Keep those pics coming. We have a meet and greet forum you can post to say hi and get lots of corny pics thrown at you if u want

#WelcometoR2R

Dang @Mastiffsrule ....155x10 =1,550 gallons....I'll never have an upgrade build thread!

Welcome to R2R @reefinjordy! Wonderful aquascape! Looking forward to watching this beauty mature!

 

[BadFish619]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[reefinjordy]

So can someone give me some insight on cycling, I did the red sea as directed and added snails but no fish. I never really got ugly tank but some cloudy water. My ammonia spiked and then my nitrate and nitrites spiked. So I did a 50% water change and it brought the nitrite and nitrates down the next day. Then on day 3 everything undetectable. So I started feeding the snails flake fish food. I still dont have any trace of nitrates or nitrites and that is where I am now. But I never really got algae but the rock do look like a white substance is growing in. Does this mean my tank tank is cycled?

 

[road_runner]

So can someone give me some insight on cycling, I did the red sea as directed and added snails but no fish. I never really got ugly tank but some cloudy water. My ammonia spiked and then my nitrate and nitrites spiked. So I did a 50% water change and it brought the nitrite and nitrates down the next day. Then on day 3 everything undetectable. So I started feeding the snails flake fish food. I still dont have any trace of nitrates or nitrites and that is where I am now. But I never really got algae but the rock do look like a white substance is growing in. Does this mean my tank tank is cycled?

What are you following for the cycling?
You adding bacteria or carbon?
When you see spike in nitrite and ammonia you want to bring it down through the cycle not water change. I actually do not do watwr change during the first 6 weeks with new systems.
Cycling proccess is the proccess of building your biological filtration.
You will establish multiple strains of bacterial populations that will consume ammonia nitrite and nitrate....its natural proccess.
That start by spike in ammonia and nitrite, then when these 2 drop it means your biological filtration is building up and processing the ammonia and nitrite..
Make sense?
Do not do big eater change during the cycle you will slow down the proccess.

Expect you see diatom phase that later turn in to green algae phase.
Best advice I give you is to be patient and not try to cure the diatom phase and jump on every openion out there...it will pass just be patient.

 

[road_runner]

This is some material about the nitrogen proccess(aka cycling)


https://www.thesprucepets.com/nitrogen-cycle-understanding-1380724

 

[JCOLE]

Welcome!

 

[reefinjordy]

What are you following for the cycling?
You adding bacteria or carbon?
When you see spike in nitrite and ammonia you want to bring it down through the cycle not water change. I actually do not do watwr change during the first 6 weeks with new systems.
Cycling proccess is the proccess of building your biological filtration.
You will establish multiple strains of bacterial populations that will consume ammonia nitrite and nitrate....its natural proccess.
That start by spike in ammonia and nitrite, then when these 2 drop it means your biological filtration is building up and processing the ammonia and nitrite..
Make sense?
Do not do big eater change during the cycle you will slow down the proccess.

Expect you see diatom phase that later turn in to green algae phase.
Best advice I give you is to be patient and not try to cure the diatom phase and jump on every openion out there...it will pass just be patient.

I used the red sea starter kit with bacteria. Thank you for your reef wisdom. It helps

 

[road_runner]

I used the red sea starter kit with bacteria. Thank you for your reef wisdom. It helps

Ok got. I have used this method while back...does it require a 50% water change??
I remember if you follow it you should be good and you will start seeing the phases I described withen 4 to 6 weeks.
That is:
Ammonia, nitrite spike.
Diatom and brown algae.
Then green algae.
Once you start seeing the diatom phase add snails and urchins. These are the right CUC for this phase.

Did you use any live rocks for seeding or all dry?

 

[reefinjordy]

Ok got. I have used this method while back...does it require a 50% water change??
I remember if you follow it you should be good and you will start seeing the phases I described withen 4 to 6 weeks.
That is:
Ammonia, nitrite spike.
Diatom and brown algae.
Then green algae.
Once you start seeing the diatom phase add snails and urchins. These are the right CUC for this phase.

Did you use any live rocks for seeding or all dry?

Dry sand and rock. I paniced when everything spike so high so I did 50% but it said to do 5%. Dang it

 

[reefinjordy]

Dry sand and rock. I paniced when everything spike so high so I did 50% but it said to do 5%. Dang it

And should I be using a skimmer at this point?

 

[reefinjordy]

This is some material about the nitrogen proccess(aka cycling)


https://www.thesprucepets.com/nitrogen-cycle-understanding-1380724

Thanks for video very helpful. [emoji16]

 

[reefinjordy]

OMG everyone is so helpful. Thank you and I wish I would have found this forum earlier.

 

[road_runner]

Dry sand and rock. I paniced when everything spike so high so I did 50% but it said to do 5%. Dang it

It's ok, it's not that harmful.
Just be patient. I would not do a water change for the coming 3 weeks as long ad you are in passive cycle mode, that is no fish yet.
I would do the first water change a week after I add the first fish.
Ai game plan now:
Follow the redsea dosing
Wait for diatonic and brown algae phase
Once u see that add cuc (snails and urchins) I usually also add one fish a week after this event.
Wait till diatom go away and green algae come instead.
Add more fish.
Slowly thu, do not add more than one fish every 2 weeks so you do not rock your fragile biological filtration..remember its building up, so help it by not introduc9ng sudden larg bio load.

And always remember, DO NOT chase every advice or openion out there...just patience.

Call me if you need help now or later.

 

[road_runner]

And should I be using a skimmer at this point?

Yup all equipment should be running ad its intended...imagin you have normal aquarium. Only diffrentce is: now you are raising bacteria not fish lol