Rubberfrog
Well-Known Member
I feel like you would be wasting your time.
Cycling a tank.
- Thread starter Paul31733
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@PigDaddyF15E
we do the big water change/up to all of it if possible as a default export mode for unspoken additives and things people might try to customize during the wait.
the classic one is: I input twenty drops of liquid ammonia and saw no change on my red sea. So, I input forty more drops till it changed, and now it says 8 ppm help Im stuck...
by doing the big water change, any condition we create will still let the cycle build on the rocks and sand, we just need to not put fish into the wastewater mix on day 15 in case extras have been added, and not disclosed. He could get away here with no water change as two pinches of feed isn't toxic. lastly, the water change imparts totally clean water so that if clouding occurs after bioload (clouding = a classic ammonia problem sign) we won't be misled.
If someone has a big tank they want ready on day fifteen, w no water change, then we can do the above but sub in liquid ammonia added at 1 ppm set by this calculator and volume, we would not dose it relying on a test kit they're wrong nearly all the time. 1 ppm levels attained once will not lend polluting degrees of nitrate in the end, and its going to be rapidly taken up by bottled bac within 15 days lending no lethality at the end.
http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm
we do the big water change/up to all of it if possible as a default export mode for unspoken additives and things people might try to customize during the wait.
the classic one is: I input twenty drops of liquid ammonia and saw no change on my red sea. So, I input forty more drops till it changed, and now it says 8 ppm help Im stuck...
by doing the big water change, any condition we create will still let the cycle build on the rocks and sand, we just need to not put fish into the wastewater mix on day 15 in case extras have been added, and not disclosed. He could get away here with no water change as two pinches of feed isn't toxic. lastly, the water change imparts totally clean water so that if clouding occurs after bioload (clouding = a classic ammonia problem sign) we won't be misled.
If someone has a big tank they want ready on day fifteen, w no water change, then we can do the above but sub in liquid ammonia added at 1 ppm set by this calculator and volume, we would not dose it relying on a test kit they're wrong nearly all the time. 1 ppm levels attained once will not lend polluting degrees of nitrate in the end, and its going to be rapidly taken up by bottled bac within 15 days lending no lethality at the end.
http://www.fishforums.net/aquarium-calculator.htm
Rubberfrog
Well-Known Member
The algae is going to come through at some point, its inevitable. Waiting a few weeks seems reasonable. Maybe even a month. Three months is just putting off the inevitable. What happens the day you turn on the lights and algae starts growing in a week or two? Will you turn them back off?
For my tanks, I run the lighting on a reduced schedule the first few months. I start with a few hours a day of mostly low par blue light. Over a six week period, I ramp up the intensity, duration, and slowly add in the whites.
Arabyps
Well-Known Member
There is a great deal of information on this topic. BRS has published many instructional videos which you may have reviewed. Actually, cycling is not difficult but it takes time and proper management. Here is one video which I used and found very useful with the 4 month cycle.
Rubberfrog
Well-Known Member
For my current tank, I followed your strategy (mostly). I added a few pellets and let them stew for five days. Day six I added bottled bacteria (fritzyme turbo start). Day seven I did a ten percent water change and added a pair of clowns. I didn't bother to test for ammonia until just before the water change. Guess what? No ammonia, but had low level nitrates just as predicted. Nearly two weeks later, fish are doing great!
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Paul31733
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Ya I watched everything last year when I started my Evo. Now I am starting. 60 gallon and wanted to see if anything had changed. Also I never had use of a skimmer.
Thank you for your reply!
FishyFishFish
Valuable Member
What is the deal with the nitrifying bacteria products?
The last time I cycled a tank I used live rock and some additional drops of ammonia and it went fine. This time, in my Evo 13.5, I am using dry rock. I considered adding some of these nitrifying bacteria products but thought I'd try it without first. I'm using Brightwells Quikcycle as my ammonia source.
I haven't fully kept track of the days but I think I'm on about day 5. I wasn't sure how it was going to work but my nitrite is going up and I am starting to get nitrate readings. I'm no expert on this but I'm guessing that my tank will be cycled within 2 weeks, without adding any products other than the ammonia.
Aside from maybe saving a few days (and I am happy to wait 2 weeks for the cycle to complete), is there any other benefits of adding these bacteria-in-a-bottle products?
The last time I cycled a tank I used live rock and some additional drops of ammonia and it went fine. This time, in my Evo 13.5, I am using dry rock. I considered adding some of these nitrifying bacteria products but thought I'd try it without first. I'm using Brightwells Quikcycle as my ammonia source.
I haven't fully kept track of the days but I think I'm on about day 5. I wasn't sure how it was going to work but my nitrite is going up and I am starting to get nitrate readings. I'm no expert on this but I'm guessing that my tank will be cycled within 2 weeks, without adding any products other than the ammonia.
Aside from maybe saving a few days (and I am happy to wait 2 weeks for the cycle to complete), is there any other benefits of adding these bacteria-in-a-bottle products?
my opinion is this: they meet the speedy starts everyone likes nowadays.
a basic cycling chart reverts to 30 day timeframes as default when we use more natural means and contamination to run / build up the cycle.
its amazing how cycling science governs our reefing long after cycling. With quick starts, we exploit the fact near-instant ammonia control is common nowadays, but that's spiked dinos threads 4 mos later, and massive fish disease losses. the tradeoff is there for speed starts and its the issues unrelated to free ammonia, though that's everyone's focus concern in quick start reefs.
and then on the flip side, the patient ever-waiting cycler using api or red sea, and factoring ammonia nitrite and nitrate classically into the cycle might have to wait 60 days for 3 test compliance to allow a start. in that time they learned zero predictability in reefing, they learned hesitant total patience in all settings only, total test kit reliance only, and then when it comes time to make decisive tank moves like upgrades and home moves and making emergency tank moves huge problems develop because they never took the front seat in the original cycle. This type of cycler is going to spend hundreds more on retail supports over the life of the reef.
old cycling science: indefinite start date.
new cycling science: 15 days or less, for everyone. even before the tank has begun, that's the timeframe. new cycling science is timely but not consequence-free. all the entrant reefs from a reef convention for 30 years can use new cycling science
as a means to start all the tanks on time, for the opening date where everything is for sale from fifty thousand dollar completely full blown reeftanks. all started on a Friday.
a basic cycling chart reverts to 30 day timeframes as default when we use more natural means and contamination to run / build up the cycle.
its amazing how cycling science governs our reefing long after cycling. With quick starts, we exploit the fact near-instant ammonia control is common nowadays, but that's spiked dinos threads 4 mos later, and massive fish disease losses. the tradeoff is there for speed starts and its the issues unrelated to free ammonia, though that's everyone's focus concern in quick start reefs.
and then on the flip side, the patient ever-waiting cycler using api or red sea, and factoring ammonia nitrite and nitrate classically into the cycle might have to wait 60 days for 3 test compliance to allow a start. in that time they learned zero predictability in reefing, they learned hesitant total patience in all settings only, total test kit reliance only, and then when it comes time to make decisive tank moves like upgrades and home moves and making emergency tank moves huge problems develop because they never took the front seat in the original cycle. This type of cycler is going to spend hundreds more on retail supports over the life of the reef.
old cycling science: indefinite start date.
new cycling science: 15 days or less, for everyone. even before the tank has begun, that's the timeframe. new cycling science is timely but not consequence-free. all the entrant reefs from a reef convention for 30 years can use new cycling science
as a means to start all the tanks on time, for the opening date where everything is for sale from fifty thousand dollar completely full blown reeftanks. all started on a Friday.
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Ippyroy
Defeater of Dinos
If you are using the same rock, and it never got dry nor was left out in the air, there is basically no need to add bottle bac.
Ippyroy
Defeater of Dinos
I'm not a fan of those personally. I am currently building an NSA which incorporates them. By them selves, they are too small IMHO. I ran out of glue last night and am currently waiting on more to come in. I'm attempting an NSA/ISA type scape. I will build 2 different structures and put them in a Brute trash can and cycle them in it for at least 4 months. Once I add them to my new tank, I will be able to add fish on day 1 and add corrals within a month.
Ippyroy
Defeater of Dinos
I used a hammer and a chisel on Marco Reef Saver. One piece of Staxx at the base, one larger longer piece coming up, then another Staxx. Around the piece on the first Stax I glued a bunch of tiny pieces that had broken off to create a bunch of smaller caves for fish to live in. On the second Stax I making a few branching arms by gluing the smaller pieces of Marco together. I will then use mortar to solidify and make permanent.
howaboutme
Active Member
I'm old school like you!
I'm coming back after a 6 year hiatus and am so startled (but not surprised) at our need for instant gratification.I'm cycling right now with just ghost feeding, nothing else!
burningmime
Well-Known Member
Instant gratification aside, trade shows need to set up and get tanks running in only a few days, so there's some practical reason for it.I'm old school like you!
howaboutme
Active Member
Sure! I wasn't criticizing.
