Cycle water check

[dakotanut]

Set up tank last sunday. Almost 1 week of first cycle. Is there anything in the water I need to check while it's going through this? I have a test kit. Have to learn alkalinity and calcium.

 

[Tahoe61]

For now just ammonia, nitrate and salinity. You do not have to test the big 3, ca, mag, alk for some time.

 

[dakotanut]

How often? What should I be looking for? Good and bad levels?

 

[dakotanut]

Ok. Ammonia is about .5ppm and nitrates are 5 ppm. Is this good for one week?

 

[dakotanut]

Anyone?

 

[Idoc]

Yes, sounds like it is coming along just fine. I'm surprised you have any nitrates already, though. Did you use bacteria in a bottle to help with the cycle?

 

[Jesterrace]

Have you also tested your nitrites? I would say that Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates are the big 3 during cycling.

 

[dakotanut]

Yes I just did my nitrites and they were way off the scale. Way over 5 ppm. So that's good right? I'm new still but I think from reading and here and other sources that it is correct for 1st week. It will slowly start to go to nitrates soon? Then i can add my clean up crew and then fish and then corals. 1 week at a time? This tank will be a reef and fish tank.

 

[Joe Batt]

We cycle the water because fish release poop and pee in the water which is high in ammonia, a poison to the fish and life in the tank.

1) Start of the cycle is just salt water. We add some contaminant ie a dead shrimp.
2) The shrimp starts to decomposed and we find the ammonia starts to rise in the water. Ammonia is very poisonous to our livestock in the tank.
3) As the ammonia rises certain bacteria start to grow and convert the ammonia to Nitrite and the Nitrite starts to rise. We now have ammonia and nitrite in the water. Nitrite is less poisonous to the livestock than ammonia, but still poisonous.
4) As the nitrite rises certain bacteria grow that convert the nitrite to nitrate and the nitrate starts to rise. We now have ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the water. Nitrate is slightly poisonous, and generally only at high levels. It is usually broken down to harmless nitrogen gas by other developing bacteria. It is also controlled by water changes, controlled feeding and other more advanced export methods.
5) As the levels of bacteria rise and stabilise we find the ammonia decreases since we have enough bacteria to deal with the ammonia. The nitrite decreases as we have enough bacteria to deal with the nitrite.

This is the very basic explanation of your water cycling process. You will see the ammonia, followed by the nitrite followed by the nitrates, rise and fall. No specific numbers apply, just a rise and fall.. Once the ammonia falls to zero you can SLOWLY start to introduce fish, one at a time so as to slowly increase the bacterial population. Don't rush adding fish or you will overwhelm the cycled tanks bacterial population.

Don't worry about anything else, ie alkalinity calcium, magnesium etc yet.

 

[dakotanut]

Thanks for that. Outstanding! I'm not gonna rush this tank. Take my time with it. I will put clean up crew when it's ready. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Jesterrace]

Yes I just did my nitrites and they were way off the scale. Way over 5 ppm. So that's good right? I'm new still but I think from reading and here and other sources that it is correct for 1st week. It will slowly start to go to nitrates soon? Then i can add my clean up crew and then fish and then corals. 1 week at a time? This tank will be a reef and fish tank.

Yup, for week one it sounds about right. One thing I wish I knew though was to not add the the Cleanup Crew until the diatom bloom comes in. When that comes and goes and Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates are all looking good then you are ready for a coral and a fish. I would add them slowly and take a week or two in between additions of corals or fish.

 

[Idoc]

Thanks for that. Outstanding! I'm not gonna rush this tank. Take my time with it. I will put clean up crew when it's ready. Thanks for the reply.

Once your cycle is complete, which takes 30 days minimum without using any bacteria in a bottle, it is a good idea to test how fast your system can process ammonia before adding any livestock. You do this by dosing up to 2ppm ammonia with a pure ammonia source... then test 24hrs later...if zero ammonia, you're cycled and ready. If you still have a little ammonia that didn't convert to nitrite yet, them you're really not ready. Best to give it a little longer. To do this, you must use pure ammonia... none with surfactants in it. You can tell by shaking the bottle...no bubbles and its good... bubbles are bad cuz means surfactants in that ammonia. Ace hardware sells pure janitoral grade ammonia...I found some at a Gordon Food Service store that I used.

At the end of your cycle, your nitrates will be through the roof... in the 80-150ppm range possibly. You will need to do a very large water change initially, like 50-75% or more, to get these down. The bacteria that converts nitrate to nitrogen gas are anaerobic and are found really deep inside your rock. These take a looking time to take hold in aquariums, so the main way to remove those nitrates will be by water changes!

Add Cuc when you see algae forming... otherwise they will just starve to death and screw up your water parameters with excess ammonia, etc... as they decay. Pick cuc that will eat the particular types of algae as they appear... not recommended to buy those cuc packs that give you a bunch of stuff that will just die off in a brew aquarium. Good to start with some Nerite and Cerith Snails, then maybe a few astreae turbos or other turbos when more algae shows. Stay away from Nassarius Snails until toy actually have a bioload... these snails Don't eat algae, but rather eat meat and detritus that is in the sand bed. Good advice...Don't run lights during the cycle!

Also, as you are cycling, this is a good time to get your first fish and start them in their quarantine process. This quarantine process will take about 6 weeks if you follow the recommended prophylactic treatment protocols: PraziPro for flukes, 30 days of Copper for external parasites. Pick a "hardy" first fish... like clowns, etc...

 

[dakotanut]

I added something for the ammonia. And a bottle of Fritz bacteria. It was some kinda white powder. I didn't get the name of it. The aquarium place I go to recommended it to me. Supposed to start the cycle.

 

[dakotanut]

I'm going to fix breakfast and then do a water change. For 8 gallons was told 1 gallon of water. Is that enough or too much?

 

[Brew12]

I'm going to fix breakfast and then do a water change. For 8 gallons was told 1 gallon of water. Is that enough or too much?

Personally, I wouldn't bother with a water change until after you call your cycle complete. You aren't needing to reduce waste at this point and you aren't replacing alk/calc or trace nutrients. The only reason to do a water change is to start good habits.

 

[Joe Batt]

Agreed

 

[Joe Batt]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with a water change until after you call your cycle complete. You aren't needing to reduce waste at this point and you aren't replacing alk/calc or trace nutrients. The only reason to do a water change is to start good habits.

Agreed, as much as you want to mess and do something.....don't, just let it be. This is the most boring pain in the butt stage.

 

[dakotanut]

Sorry. I am on my 8 gallon not the bio cube. Leaving it alone for a couple more weeks. This is what happens when you ask a ton of questions and don't know which one your responding to. Now if y'all need to know about cichlids and Fresh water let me know. Lol.

 

[dakotanut]

Yes the 32 gallon Bio Cube I'm not touching for awhile. It's got some green stuff growing on the gravel and rock.

I hope this is a good sign. Thanks for the help y'all.

 

[Idoc]

Do you have the lights off?