Cycle question....

[Luka]

I started my first saltwater tank and it has been cycling I am using microbe-lift special blend I am just wondering about how long will it take to see nitrates, ammonia, nitrites and when will it finiosh cycling? I am currently testing everyday. Thanks guys!

 

[KJ]

In a freshwater aquarium you can add some flake food, wait a couple weeks, and then you can add fish. In the ocean there is much more involved than mechanical filtration. In fact, 70% of your aquariums filtration relies on the maturity of the live rock. A combination of bacteria, algae, and various invertebrates compose the “live” part of the rock. It takes quite a while to establish an ecosystem, even on a microscopic level. Without a proper understanding of the Marine Cycle, you will be in for a long term battle with parameters and algae. There are six main stages to a properly cycled tank. Follow this guide and you cannot mess up. You will need your basic test kit to test the progress.

Stage 1: Ammonia Cycle

Ammonia is the first thing that forms when something rots. It is a waste product in nearly all creatures as well. Instead of using a fish to start the cycle just use some food. Anything that is all natural and uncooked works just fine. Table shrimp that is uncooked works great. Drop it on the sand so it is in view. The shrimp should begin to rot within a couple hours or more. Let this shrimp rot until it is completely gone. If you are curious what your ammonia levels are, go ahead and take some tests. Keep track of the results as the shrimp rots. The smaller the food gets the more ammonia should be present in your water column and pretty soon should be off the charts. This will stay high for a while, but then start to drop. As soon as the ammonia starts to drop you will see a rise in Nitrite, you are now on the next stage.

Stage 2: Nitrite Cycle

Ammonia when broken down by bacteria becomes Nitrite, which is still a toxin. As your Nitrites rise your Ammonia will drop, drop, and keep dropping as long as you haven’t added any animals. Keep up with testing to observe your progress. Eventually your Ammonia will be very low and your nitrites will peak out until it starts feeding a different type of bacteria that turns it into Nitrates. Once your first signs of Nitrates are seen you are on the next stage.

Stage 3: Nitrate Cycle

Nitrates are removed within the live rock deep inside in all of the deep pours. This hidden bacteria consumes the nitrate and creates nitrogen gas as a byproduct. The nitrogen gas rises in the water column and escapes into the air. When one gas leave, another enters. Oxygen is then infused into the water. After the Nitrates start to dissipate your oxygen will increase and you will be ready for the intermission:

 

[Luka]

Thanks!

 

[KJ]

Thanks!

Your Welcome

 

[brandon429]

consider speed cycling since you are using non cured rock

it can speed that graph above which isn't relying on bottle bac boosting down to two weeks for same digestion ability.

Once your tank can process 3 ppm ammonia down to zero in 24 hours your cycle is done regardless of technique selected, the digestion test is the final say.

That graph is neat I agree that's typical cycling time for tanks I did that relied on natural inoculations of filtration bacteria but keeper-boosted ammonia.

The advent of dr tims and similar bottle bac has simply sped up the timing in no loss of quality or balance


literally hundreds of speed cycling threads exist.


http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2014/8/review

my choice would be insta reef using cured purple rock I couldn't take the wait but having no bad hitchhikers is a benefit of curing ones own rocks

the specific test that tells you where any set of rocks are within the cycle is the simple ammonia digestion test. dose cleaners ammonia of a specific kind to 3ppm in a tank with no animals in it using the most accurate ammonia test you can buy, not api

if it tests zero in 24 hours the cycle can process more than what an entry bioload will be to the new tank, you know you can begin.

I agree cycling is about bacteria and not algae don't ever grow algae in your tank or think it's part of a phase or you take a big risk, kill it and or remove it when you see it.

Luka you are missing the liquid ammonia portion of the two week cycle search for threads here there's current ones

no problem in taking a month either by shrimp cycling or feed cycling it's the same ends, digestion to zero in 24. You merely choose the time. placed in an open reef tank that rock would cycle the same with us adding literally nothing to it for 7 months, ammonia still gets in via contaminations and so does nitrifiers.

Same ends, but we can choose the timing we want.