Can this please be settled.

fernalfer · May 23, 2016

As the title says i'm through my cycle but have nothing in my tank right now. No Corals, no inverts, no fish.

**This topic has been like 50/50 from a few different forums.

1. Some say if there is nothing in your tank that you have to provide an ammonia source or else the beneficial bacteria you have built up will start to die off (ammonia or ghost feeding)

2. Some say once your ammonia and nitrites hit 0 in under 24 hrs. after dosing ammonia that you don't have to provide an ammonia source anymore and the bacteria will do its thing and continue to thrive. (without feeding)

PLEASE! which one is it so i can figure out whether i will continue ghost feeding in a mesh bag letting the food decay causing nitrates to continue to rise.

OR stop ghost feeding so i can work on lowering Nitrates.

Bottom line i don't want to lose the bacteria i have built up so far. Just not sure what's right with the topic above?

azbigjohn · May 23, 2016

In theory, some bacteria will die off, feeding the others, but I would add a couple of snails or hermits. They will create enough waste to support your bacteria, and help build some up.

Bacteria will stay at a self-limiting amount, in order to handle what is there. You just don't want to add a huge amount of life mass at once, which overwhelms your bacteria, and may cause a mini cycle, or ammonia build up.

stunreefer · May 23, 2016

Bacteria proliferates based on its food source. So if you're ghost feeding your bacteria population will increase. If you are not ghost feeding it will remain stagnant, but it will not all die off.

If your cycle has established (no nitrite or ammonia apparent through testing) I would probably just lightly ghost feed until you're ready to stock your tank. This is what we do with our QT systems while they sit fishless.

In a new system like yours Nitrate can be reduced instantly with a large water change

fernalfer · May 23, 2016

stunreefer said:
Bacteria proliferates based on its food source. So if you're ghost feeding your bacteria population will increase. If you are not ghost feeding it will remain stagnant, but it will not all die off.

If your cycle has established (no nitrite or ammonia apparent through testing) I would probably just lightly ghost feed until you're ready to stock your tank. This is what we do with our QT systems while they sit fishless.

In a new system like yours Nitrate can be reduced instantly with a large water change

Well so far i have done a 30% water change and a week later a 50% water change and the nitrates are still at 80. That's why i'm confused on whether to continue ghost feeding which in turn makes nitrates slowly creep up. Or just stop the ghost feeding all together.

The reason i have not put any snail or hermits in the tank is because i have no algae yet. Not sure what they will eat. My phosphates are 0.006. I have had my tank up for about a month and the lights on for the last two weeks. This is what my tank looks like clean as a whistle:

brandon429 · May 23, 2016

Good thread Fernalfer, should be finalized agreed.

Here's my take
http://reef2reef.com/threads/large-water-change.250019/page-2

will link your thread here to a large reef cycling thread once we close in on a consensus. This topic is important because it sets care parameters for tank keepers. Are bacteria predictable or do they vary in action among settings is good question... after establishment do they retroscale if we stop feeding? Are we the sole source of sustenance?

I think threads on going tank fallow help to uncover details, and studies on active surface area/time it takes to retroscale might be good topics for formal links lookup

Another take might be why not begin reefing lightly... be feeding your tank because something wants the feed, not that bac need it. If you are cycling with rotten feed as the sole source of ammonia + 40 days then proceed. If your cycle has been demonstrated done via an ammonia digestion test, the only way to know when it's done, the you could add some cuc and be feeding them, or a few frags etc.

stunreefer · May 23, 2016

In short there is no right answer here. Either way will work.

I think all the information has been presented, move forward in the direction you feel most comfortable with.

In your size tank I would move forward with a large water change (90%+) prior to stocking in order to slam nitrates. No reason to perform any water changes before you're ready to stock.