Cycle going slow.

Garf · May 6, 2022

Freenow54 said:
Yes not reading other threads a quarantine tank should be bare bottom. Simple filtration. And light plus pvc fittings for fish to sleep, hide. You don't cycle it

Of course you cycle them, if possible

Freenow54 · May 6, 2022

Garf said:
Of course you cycle them, if possible

Why?

Garf · May 6, 2022

Freenow54 said:
Why?

To consume ammonia produced by the quarantine inhabitants.

Harold999 · May 6, 2022

I have the same issue. Bought a small Waterbox Cube 10 for the bedroom, thought it would be a quick and easy cycle if i put some established filtermedia from my bigger tank in it and a couple of drops ammonia.
After 10 days, ammonia consumption is still zero. Literally zero (i have a Seneye in the Cube 10 to check).

I made sure to not kill off the bacteria in the filtermedia. Made sure it was the same temperature, same salinity, same Ph/KH etcetera.

Freenow54 · May 7, 2022

Garf said:
To consume ammonia produced by the quarantine inhabitants.

So to cycle you need rock to do it. I have never read about a Quarantine tank containing that. Although I don't know what a bio brick is. Not trying to cause an argument. Wish others would chime in because mine is bare and just did water changes for ammonia

Garf · May 7, 2022

Freenow54 said:
So to cycle you need rock to do it. I have never read about a Quarantine tank containing that. Although I don't know what a bio brick is. Not trying to cause an argument. Wish others would chime in because mine is bare and just did water changes for ammonia

You can do it with waterchanges, sure. You don’t need rock or expensive biomedia to cycle it, a bag of bioballs and an air bubble works well, or a internal filter loaded will some sort of media or bioballs. I imagine that brick will be knackered if the tank needs medicating with copper but not sure on that, I don’t know if it binds to that ceramic stuff.

Nonya · May 7, 2022

gbroadbridge said:
It's not going slow.

Check for ammonia in another 20 days and if it's still measurable I'll be surprised.

Cycling normally takes 30 days or so.

Despite what those clowns from ATM used to say.

Nonya · May 7, 2022

Freenow54 said:
Why?

Cycling involves establishing the bacterial population necessary for the metabolism of ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. It's the nitrogen cycle. I advise you to follow some of the reefkeeping video series on setting up and running SW/reef tanks. Your lack of knowledge and experience in the hobby will end up costing you a ton of wasted money and a lot of dead inhabitants if you dive in.

A few words of advice:
- EVERYTHING bad happens fast.
- When bad thigs happen, go back through the things you did most recently. Thay're the most likely cause.
- Patience is mandatory. There are no miracle products that make good things happen fast. Proceed slowly and keep track of what you've done.
- Your tank will go through one or more ugly phases before it's really stable
- Avoid impulse buys, especially in livestock. You could end up buying something that could be very bad for your tank.
- Don't cheap out. The hobby is expensive enough as it is--even more so since Hawaii banned fish collection. You'll end up spending much more in the long run by constantly upgrading . Go with reliable technology from the start. Ask an experienced reefer what they'd have done differently if they knew back then what they know now.

CDN Reefing · May 7, 2022

crit21 said:
Cycling involves establishing the bacterial population necessary for the metabolism of ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. It's the nitrogen cycle. I advise you to follow some of the reefkeeping video series on setting up and running SW/reef tanks. Your lack of knowledge and experience in the hobby will end up costing you a ton of wasted money and a lot of dead inhabitants if you dive in.

A few words of advice:
- EVERYTHING bad happens fast.
- When bad thigs happen, go back through the things you did most recently. Thay're the most likely cause.
- Patience is mandatory. There are no miracle products that make good things happen fast. Proceed slowly and keep track of what you've done.
- Your tank will go through one or more ugly phases before it's really stable
- Avoid impulse buys, especially in livestock. You could end up buying something that could be very bad for your tank.
- Don't cheap out. The hobby is expensive enough as it is--even more so since Hawaii banned fish collection. You'll end up spending much more in the long run by constantly upgrading . Go with reliable technology from the start. Ask an experienced reefer what they'd have done differently if they knew back then what they know now.

This... this should be a signature post for almost every question. Thanks crit21