Cycling an Aquarium

[tonyhk]

If your goal is to reduce nutrients then this mix would likely be beneficial. If you are looking to cycle and aquarium than neither of these products would be appropriate.

Thank you sir.
My aim is to reduce no2 level from 0.2ppm to 0. These two brands should not be added? thanks.

 

[Brew12]

Thank you sir.
My aim is to reduce no2 level from 0.2ppm to 0. These two brands should not be added? thanks.

When dealing with nitrite the better long term solution would be a nitrifying bacteria product. There are plenty on the market with Biospira being my favorite since I can get it locally. Plenty of other good brands out there.

Looking at the two brands you posted, Prodibio makes a product called Start Up that would be more appropriate than Biodigest. The Microbactor7 is the most appropriate product made by Brightwell but it isn't a speciallized nitrifying bacteria product. It could help though.

 

[tonyhk]

When dealing with nitrite the better long term solution would be a nitrifying bacteria product. There are plenty on the market with Biospira being my favorite since I can get it locally. Plenty of other good brands out there.

Looking at the two brands you posted, Prodibio makes a product called Start Up that would be more appropriate than Biodigest. The Microbactor7 is the most appropriate product made by Brightwell but it isn't a speciallized nitrifying bacteria product. It could help though.

Thank you sir. However not much selection is provided by the LFS. I just discovered Aquaforest Bio S, MB7, Stability, Biodigest which are well known bacteria and I don't quite sure about the kind of bacteria.... Anyway I have ordered a MB7 and pick it up tomorrow. Hope it works!

 

[Brew12]

Thank you sir. However not much selection is provided by the LFS. I just discovered Aquaforest Bio S, MB7, Stability, Biodigest which are well known bacteria and I don't quite sure about the kind of bacteria.... Anyway I have ordered a MB7 and pick it up tomorrow. Hope it works!

It should help at least a little, and definitely won't do any harm. Otherwise, the Bio S and Stability are both nitrifying bacteria products for future reference. Otherwise, it should reduce on its own shortly anyway. The nitrite converting bacteria seem to work a bit slower in most cases.

 

[tonyhk]

It should help at least a little, and definitely won't do any harm. Otherwise, the Bio S and Stability are both nitrifying bacteria products for future reference. Otherwise, it should reduce on its own shortly anyway. The nitrite converting bacteria seem to work a bit slower in most cases.

OMG... It seems a buy a wrong product. Seems I would purchase a Stability as well! So to add stability and MB7 is the same time being. Is it ok?

 

[Brew12]

OMG... It seems a buy a wrong product. Seems I would purchase a Stability as well! So to add stability and MB7 is the same time being. Is it ok?

You should be fine with the MB7, it just isn't as specialized. If it were me, I wouldn't bother getting the Stability also. They can both be used together without issue but I don't feel you would gain enough to make it worthwhile.

I would also point out that NO2 is not harmful to marine fish until it reaches very high levels (1000ppm+) because the chloride in the salt water blocks the fish from absorbing it.

 

[tonyhk]

You should be fine with the MB7, it just isn't as specialized. If it were me, I wouldn't bother getting the Stability also. They can both be used together without issue but I don't feel you would gain enough to make it worthwhile.

I would also point out that NO2 is not harmful to marine fish until it reaches very high levels (1000ppm+) because the chloride in the salt water blocks the fish from absorbing it.

Great sir, thanks a lot for your help!! Then I would do it with MB7 only, cheers!

 

[Looking2Learn]

As the name says, looking to learn. Set up my 28g Nano tank two days ago. Water has finally settled with great clarity. I used pre-packaged saltwater, dry rock 25lb. and 30 lb. of “live sand”. Is the live sand sufficient to start the cycle or do I need to add something ( ammonia, shrimp, dead fish, live fish, piece of live rock from LFS, etc.) ? Soooo much information out there it’s hard to find a single plan to cycle the tank. One plan seems to contradict the other. WC yes, WC no, add CUC yes, add CUC no, some say to add simple single livestock, some not. Even articles on this web site (authors) vary in the way to do it. I’ve set up a 10g QT (empty bottom, filter, heater and aeration) which will be cycled at the same time.

I’m not looking for speed, I’m looking to do it right. Thanks.

 

[Matt Carden]

Should be nitrifying bacteria in your live sand. It wouldn't hurt to add biospira or dr. Tim's or Fritz turbo star. The best way to promote nitrifying bacteria growth is with ammonia.

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...-and-disinfectants/all-purpose-cleaners/10184

If you add shrimp, this will promote unwanted bacteria growth wich will outcompete the good bacteria.

 

[Brew12]

Even articles on this web site (authors) vary in the way to do it. I’ve set up a 10g QT (empty bottom, filter, heater and aeration) which will be cycled at the same time.

I’m not looking for speed, I’m looking to do it right. Thanks.

It's not so much that we contradict each other, but that there are many different ways to do it. I've laid out a couple of them and tried to explain the basics. Some people even prefer just adding a cheap fish to a new aquarium and hoping it survives to start the cycle. There are pro's and con's to every method along with many ways to set up a new system. With all the variables involved there will never be a "right" or "best" way that works for everyone.

Is the live sand sufficient to start the cycle or do I need to add something ( ammonia, shrimp, dead fish, live fish, piece of live rock from LFS, etc.) ?

Commonly available live sand is a bit of a misnomer. It isn't full of life but it is seeded with bacteria. You get the exact same effect if you use dry sand and a bottled bacteria product.

 

[mahargkcin]

I used a raw shrimp and Dr tims for my cycle and now the ammonia is up to 8 ppm(nitrite 2ppm, nitrate 5ppm). I removed the shrimp. Do I need to do a water change? Since my cycle has stalled due to the high ammonia.

 

[Brew12]

I used a raw shrimp and Dr tims for my cycle and now the ammonia is up to 8 ppm(nitrite 2ppm, nitrate 5ppm). I removed the shrimp. Do I need to do a water change? Since my cycle has stalled due to the high ammonia.

Nope, just give it time. 8ppm won't stall your cycle but it does take awhile to drop from that high of a level.

 

[N2theUnknown]

So I know these cycling questions may get old to some of you haha I thought I understood it quite well.

So some back story ive had the tank wet for alittle over 2 weeks. I put in a raw shrimp and like a cap full of bio spira (all I had left) so prob not really enough to do anything. But my shrimp actually was gone after a week and a half . yes it was gone I had it in a mesh bag. So i decided to add another shrimp as I thought I needed to keep feeding the tank ammonia was I right in doing this?

My parameters at this time are:

Ammonia is actually barly reading at 0-.25ppm

My nitrites are at about 2-5ppm

Nitrates im not really testing now. As they were reading off the charts and have read that nitrate tests actually give false when nitrites are detectable.

Also if im going to let this cycle for 3-4 months do I need to keep feeding the tank is it ok to keep throwing shrimps in when they are finally gone in the tank.

 

[Brew12]

So I know these cycling questions may get old to some of you haha I thought I understood it quite well.

So some back story ive had the tank wet for alittle over 2 weeks. I put in a raw shrimp and like a cap full of bio spira (all I had left) so prob not really enough to do anything. But my shrimp actually was gone after a week and a half . yes it was gone I had it in a mesh bag. So i decided to add another shrimp as I thought I needed to keep feeding the tank ammonia was I right in doing this?

My parameters at this time are:

Ammonia is actually barly reading at 0-.25ppm

My nitrites are at about 2-5ppm

Nitrates im not really testing now. As they were reading off the charts and have read that nitrate tests actually give false when nitrites are detectable.

Also if im going to let this cycle for 3-4 months do I need to keep feeding the tank is it ok to keep throwing shrimps in when they are finally gone in the tank.

My opinion is that this is way overkill for cycling a tank. I might do one shrimp a month for 3 or 4 months during the cycle, but no more than that. Are you doing this long of a cycle based on the WWC/BRS recommendations?

 

[N2theUnknown]

My opinion is that this is way overkill for cycling a tank. I might do one shrimp a month for 3 or 4 months during the cycle, but no more than that. Are you doing this long of a cycle based on the WWC/BRS recommendations?

Ehhhh... Not really mainly budget wise wanted to get the cycle going while I got other things in order (it may be sooner than. 3-4 months) but that was my target time im practicing the whole "patience" portion of the hobby lol

 

[Brew12]

Ehhhh... Not really mainly budget wise wanted to get the cycle going while I got other things in order (it may be sooner than. 3-4 months) but that was my target time im practicing the whole "patience" portion of the hobby lol

Ok, nothing wrong with that at all. I wouldn't add any other shrimp until your ammonia and nitrite go down to zero and you get an idea where you nitrate is. You may find you need to get a CuC fairly soon due to algae growth. I get mine from Reefcleaners.org but a few other online vendors have packages for a reasonable price. LFS's tend to be very expensive.

 

[N2theUnknown]

Ok, nothing wrong with that at all. I wouldn't add any other shrimp until your ammonia and nitrite go down to zero and you get an idea where you nitrate is. You may find you need to get a CuC fairly soon due to algae growth. I get mine from Reefcleaners.org but a few other online vendors have packages for a reasonable price. LFS's tend to be very expensive.

Yea im planning on ordering from reef cleaners. Just kinda trying to guess as now there is no food for them haha so dont want to get them and alge not start for another week or so.

Which actually brings me to another question. From what im reading you kind of want the alge in the begging right? To kind of go through a process? Or would it be a good idea to get some cheato in here in another week or so to start abosorbing the nitrates before the alge has a chance to?

 

[Brew12]

Yea im planning on ordering from reef cleaners. Just kinda trying to guess as now there is no food for them haha so dont want to get them and alge not start for another week or so.

Which actually brings me to another question. From what im reading you kind of want the alge in the begging right? To kind of go through a process? Or would it be a good idea to get some cheato in here in another week or so to start abosorbing the nitrates before the alge has a chance to?

Algae isn't a bad thing in the beginning. It will help directly process ammonia giving you a little insurance if your bacteria isn't quite up to your new feeding habits when you add a fish. Diatoms will show up since you will have some free silica in your system. Once they consume the silica they should die off on their own. Cyanobacteria isn't a nice thing to have, but until you get some diversity and CuC members that eat it, you will likely have it. It's part of the hobby and the reason they call it an "ugly" stage.
Odds are you wouldn't be able to keep the chaeto alive so I would hold off for now. We always have algae growing in our DT's. The difference between it and the chaeto in the fuge is that we want a CuC to eat the algae in the DT but we can harvest and remove the chaeto. If your DT won't grow algae, it won't grow coral. If you do start getting a serious algae problem in your DT before you add fish that would be the time to think about adding chaeto.

 

[N2theUnknown]

Algae isn't a bad thing in the beginning. It will help directly process ammonia giving you a little insurance if your bacteria isn't quite up to your new feeding habits when you add a fish. Diatoms will show up since you will have some free silica in your system. Once they consume the silica they should die off on their own. Cyanobacteria isn't a nice thing to have, but until you get some diversity and CuC members that eat it, you will likely have it. It's part of the hobby and the reason they call it an "ugly" stage.
Odds are you wouldn't be able to keep the chaeto alive so I would hold off for now. We always have algae growing in our DT's. The difference between it and the chaeto in the fuge is that we want a CuC to eat the algae in the DT but we can harvest and remove the chaeto. If your DT won't grow algae, it won't grow coral. If you do start getting a serious algae problem in your DT before you add fish that would be the time to think about adding chaeto.

Thanks! Im not to worried about alge like you said its called the uglies im expecting it... Honestly im excited for it haha it means things are headed in the right direction. Thanks again guys for your quick and helpful responses! Have a good day.

 

[Staggy]

I have a 10 gallon cube. 7 pounds of dry rock . The filter rack in the back had a bag of media in it some a couple weeks ago I took it and the pump and put it in my established tank to build bacteria.

I filled the cube 48 hours ago and added a bottle of bacteria. Set the heater to 78. I turned the filter on and walked away. I also started phantom feeding. I checked my water today,48 hours later, and Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia are all zero. Did it already cycle because of the media and pump being in the other tank and with the bottle of bacteria???????

Please help.