Cycle question...

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

So I am currently cycling my frag tank and am wondering how the cycle will go with only the little bit or rock I have in there. I have maybe 10 pounds of dry and live rock that I have put in there and my ammonia has spiked, but I have no nitrites or nitrates. (Ammonia spike is from the ammonia chloride solution I put in I assume). Is this normal?

AsphaltPays · Jul 10, 2012

How big of a tank ?

Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

It is a 40 breeder... I am running a Fluval C4 HOB filter to collect detrius and a Reef Octopus BH-1000 HOB skimmer with a 6 bulb T5 fixture and a chiller which is running of a mag7 pump...

ritter6788 · Jul 10, 2012

Why did you put Ammonia Chloride in the tank?

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

to give it a source of ammonia rather than going the food grade shrimp route or the damsel route. It was what I used in my biocube when I added Dr Tims One and Only bacteria supplement so since I am using microbacter7, I figured I would need ammonia for it to feed on...

Pkunk35 · Jul 10, 2012

Does microbacter contain anaerobic bacteria?
I was under the impression that bacteria stinks (like sulfur) and tht microbacter stuff does not smell at all.

Either way the tank will cycle just from the LR.

Cooper32803 · Jul 10, 2012

I just assumed it was all bacteria therefore it needed the ammonia to feed on... Guess I should stop thinking... LOL Even with that little bit of live rock, it will still cycle?

tangs are awsome · Jul 11, 2012

It in theory should cycle. The natures best way I have found to be bullet proof. one small fish. cycling agent of your liking. and patience. I do not know out of the 10 lbs of rock you added how cured they are. Any thing longer than six months should be more than enough to get a 40 gallon going. Why not add the living creatures to the tank? I think there is something important that they add that chemical mixes just don't provide.

ritter6788 · Jul 11, 2012

tangs are awsome said:
Why not add the living creatures to the tank?

Why stress a living creature when the same thing can be accomplished with table shrimp or fish food?

Cooper32803 · Jul 11, 2012

I am kind of against the adding a fish technique to get a tank to cycle... It might be just me, but I dont want to subject a living creature to unnatural and uncomfortable living conditions. Id rather just have the bacteria form from the ammonia the live rock is giving off... Maybe I am just crazy lol

ritter6788 · Jul 11, 2012

Cooper32803 said:
I am kind of against the adding a fish technique to get a tank to cycle... It might be just me, but I dont want to subject a living creature to unnatural and uncomfortable living conditions. Id rather just have the bacteria form from the ammonia the live rock is giving off... Maybe I am just crazy lol

It's not just you and no you're not crazy!

Cooper32803 · Jul 11, 2012

ritter6788 said:
It's not just you and no you're not crazy!

Yay good to know... LOL I did the fish cycling thing for my first freshwater tank and lost two mollies... Didn't want to do that again... And my biocube cycled just fine without any fish, so I am assuming this should too... maybe a little longer, but I am thinking of adding some more live rock underneath the frag racks...

Cooper32803 · Jul 22, 2012

So I have another question to throw out there. I just took a test of the frag tank and these are the results. Ammonia - .25 Nitrites - 0 and Nitrates are at about 0-5... My question is the ammonia, will that go away eventually? And how long should I wait to put corals in there. Also off topic from the thread, but what fish should I add in there to keep up with algae management besides the normal cuc?

robf · Jul 23, 2012

Im with all of you. I'd use the shrimp first but then go to one small fish and start building a substantial bio filter. One small fish wont be stressed if the initial bacteria is present. It's a building process. A small fish in a decent sized tank won't create an ammonia spike if you are feeding appropriately. I wouldn't mess with corals until you are getting zero ammonia, phosphates and nitrate readings and you've been successful with fish livestock.

Cooper32803 · Jul 23, 2012

Well seeing as it isn't a regular tank and just a frag tank there really won't be fish in the tank except for what I use for algae control.. So I don't really want to add a fish that needn't be in there anyways..

Pkunk35 · Jul 23, 2012

Not sure why i didn't ask, but do you have external/additional filtration for the tank? I don't think the 10lbs will be able to sustain much...so i think my earlier statement of the 10lbs "cycling" it may have been misleading...

read the first post on this thread, its Eric Borneman's answer to "when is a tank mature" and I think it will help:

DFW Marine Aquarium Society • View topic - When is a tank mature enough???

Cooper32803 · Jul 23, 2012

Yes I have a HOB Skimmer rated up to 100g and a Fluval C4 HOB filter rated up to 75g... I also added another 5 pounds of rock so have about 15lb total now...