"Cycled" tank with ammonia

[Kynzo]

Well done. Specifically from that picture here is how we know it’s cycled and done, we aren’t consulting a test kit, it’s the visual biology that accurate testers like seneye always support:

-very mild cyano red patch on sand. All reefs have cyano its typical for new tanks, it’s presence proves nitrifers are set because filter bac are the under layer to cyano mats, not the top layer. Bacteria are first to colonize a submerged surface, secondary benthic growths like that mat confirm cycling. No cyano matting can build up quicker than a nitrifier base.

-fish not panting at the top. Gills are burned red by even slight sustained ammonia, cannot breathe cannot excrete, death overnite.

-we must factor in all the feed that has been added, feed input alone will rot an uncycled tank and it will be a loss cascade if fish are present, and the reef isn’t cycled.


-cross section pic of your sandbed shows pigmentation in the middle, time is passing by and this reef is maturing, it’s plenty past cycle phase. At no time in reefing can any pigments have time to form in a reef tank while the nitrifying base is lagging, the order of ops is the other way around: filter bac first, then algae then coralline then coral flesh

-ratios of surface area. Sand + rock + living bioload cannot ever stall, it’s massive surface area. Even without the sand, the rock alone can handle even more fish, there’s that much surface area inside just rocks alone, the sand makes it over the top surface area, its why the tank cycled so fast off your first booster added with water upon setup.


we did not consult nitrite nor nitrate not once in this cycle call. Testing for parameters using test kits that misread for half the population is apparently no longer required in the hobby

I've been hearing from more and more people about how test kits aren't necessarily required since you can tell everything that is going on from a visual perspective of the tank. It's just experience that is required to determine as to what is going on currently and I don't posses the experience haha. But I'm getting there. I know about when and why hair algae grows and things along the line of the general cycle. But the tip you outlined regarding cyano algae and coraline algae I was unfamiliar with so thanks. Do you think added flow to the sand bed would help with the cyano bacteria would help or just time? I got a hermit crab and trochus snail that I was told would help stir the sanded and help with that.

 

[krash7172]

There are reasons why it is good to test certain params but once your tank is cycled, I stop testing ammonia and nitrite. I don't even test nitrate or phosphate unless I suspect a problem. With your tank, focus on Temp, salinity, alkalinity and keep up with water changes for now IMO.

 

[andywe]

Testing is important, however understand the variance of different types of test kits. My Hannah checkers have been more accurate than any tiration kit. Just my experience. I use for slainity a conductivity salinity probe versus my manually calibrated refractometer. Just more accurate but spot checks they are close. I use a trident for major trace and works well. Critters are very happy and growing. I DOS major trace based off it automatically, and manually in other tanks and growth abounds.

You actually want to show traces of the nitrogen cycle. Means your tank is alive.

 

[Krully]

I’m going to sound very dumb but I’m not a native speaker and some posts are pretty long and hard to understand for me. I get the general gist of what you’re saying that the whole cycling thing with bottles and tests isn’t that reliable but what do you advise in an “explain like I’m 5 years old” manner?

 

[krash7172]

Google nitrogen cycle. The 5 yr old explanation is that bacteria will grow to process the waste or bio-load of your critters. When you have that bacteria, your tank is cycled.

 

[Krully]

No I mean I know about the cycle, bacterias etc... I’m just not understanding this new debate about how test kits don’t mean anything etc... I thought the only way to know if you’re cycle is too check if your bacteria can process ammonia fast enough but this discussion seems to imply otherwise? I’ll probably read it again later lol

 

[brandon429]

hey see if this thread breaks down updated cycling decently:

The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

You can skip your cycle. Ive been reefing online for twenty years and have never waited one second for a tank to cycle, because I buy rocks that are already cycled and move them home. Here's two: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/...

www.reef2reef.com

inside is:
how to make all api and red sea ammonia tests work correctly, a way of reading them

why we don’t test for nitrite or nitrate

visual cycling work threads to see diagnostic patterns and updates

 

[Krully]

Just read it again and now I understand your crusade lol, makes sense, interesting read!

 

[Kynzo]

There are reasons why it is good to test certain params but once your tank is cycled, I stop testing ammonia and nitrite. I don't even test nitrate or phosphate unless I suspect a problem. With your tank, focus on Temp, salinity, alkalinity and keep up with water changes for now IMO.

Sounds good. I don't wanna say I don't think I need to test nitrate and phosphate but I am using Phosguard and the tank is pretty lightly stocked with the 1 ocellaris and a good sized clean up crew so those aren't my major concerns. I was concerned with phosphates because I had the cyanoalgae but I added Phosguard and purigen so I feel like I addressed that. Definitely salinity is something I want to fix soon and make my own top off system. The water level drops 2cm or so a day since the tank is so small I know that causes pretty major swings in a tank this small haha.

 

[krash7172]

Stop fighting early tank