Cycling guidance needed

[kingjames_dc5]

Looking for guidance this is my first saltwater start up. Currently cycling on day 3 add fish food to start ammonia spike. Started with dry rock, live nutri seawater, live pink Fiji sand, and bacteria enhancer. Is it normal to see nitrate that high in begging? Do Keep adding small amounts of fish food daily and at what point do I stop? The bottle of bacteria Enhancer I have only suggested three days of dosing should I add more daily?

 

[Spare time]

Just dump the bottle of bacteria in and when ammonia and nitrite are gone, you are good to go. Just be sure to remove any carbon or filter pad when you put the bacteria in. You can do a water change when done or use scavenging bacteria to lower it.

 

[Fulladorn]

What app and tools helped you monitor all this digitally? Currently cycling as well and this is rough - being colorblind haha

 

[DaddyFish]

I'm interpreting your test results as showing NO Nitrite generated yet. That means beneficial bacteria have not processed ammonia into Nitrite yet. The Nitrate is showing constant, which probably means it was inherit in the water or substrate or ??? that you initially added.
Therefore IMO your cycle has not yet begun.

The cycle is add Ammonia, then bacteria propagates and processes Ammonia into Nitrite, then more bacteria propagates and processes Nitrite into Nitrate. You want to see that roll through your testing.

 

[kingjames_dc5]

What app and tools helped you monitor all this digitally? Currently cycling as well and this is rough - being colorblind haha

AquaticLog app and salifert tests

 

[kingjames_dc5]

I'm interpreting your test results as showing NO Nitrite generated yet. That means beneficial bacteria have not processed ammonia into Nitrite yet. The Nitrate is showing constant, which probably means it was inherit in the water or substrate or ??? that you initially added.
Therefore IMO your cycle has not yet begun.

The cycle is add Ammonia, then bacteria propagates and processes Ammonia into Nitrite, then more bacteria propagates and processes Nitrite into Nitrate. You want to see that roll through your testing.

Should I keep adding source of ammonia and bacteria enhancer or just simply let it run its course now?

 

[brandon429]

You’ll like this option here since you’ve already assembled 99% of it

the time variable is what’s needed, a pinch of food you did was a good call.

what brand is your bacteria

there truly are twenty ways to cycle your tank agreed, post two from below is the simplest way you’ll be ready in two weeks always.

 

[brandon429]

post #2

Cycling a tank.

Used the search function but found 10000000 entries... Just wondering if someone could direct me to a current thread or article regarding tank cycling. Preferably lights off with no fish and dry rock. Thanks. Paul.

www.reef2reef.com

(you don’t need the second bottle though, your nitrate shows due to nitrite interference says posts in chem forum / the first step means your bottle bac wasn’t dead, there aren’t any dead bottles of Dr Tims seen on any post on this board its an overconcern)


the neat thing about new vs old cycling science is new science knows any stew you create is going to cycle on time such that if you wanted to move that reef to a convention full of animals on time, we could.

old science made cycling out to be something we could mess up, but we can’t. All of them work on this mode above even without any tests. In your case, testing showing nitrite proves the bottle bac is alive and when alive, ready on day fifteen after the water change. You don’t need the second brand of bacteria from the thread since tests have shown yours in motion.


this key detail applies: the end of a cycle means a legitimate start date where animals are not burned, and feed and act normal every day proving they’re not burned and all daily waste from the system will be handled in a non-burning fashion. Old rules said three parameters mattered for that but it’s only one- free ammonia.


animals aren’t burned at a macna convention, they are great it’s why we pay $500 for a frag there.

People with digital ammonia tests instead of api have tracked bottle bac performance thousands of times in posts you can read, and the start date for reefing moved up due to bottle bac ability and accurate testing and one parameter cycling.

in the realm of api and Red Sea ammonia testing, nine dollar testers, starting any time sooner than 30-40 days is forbidden. Having and nitrite is forbidden in forums though it’s of neutral impact in saltwater.

The reason convention cyclers are the sellers and forum cyclers are the buyers for thirty years is due to this distinction. One set has total control over cycles and one set doesn’t. You can easily name the start date for your tank before it’s assembled, and they’re able to arrange a million dollars in ready reefs all in one place by a Friday with no work up time using live or dry systems.

 

[canadianeh]

Looking for guidance this is my first saltwater start up. Currently cycling on day 3 add fish food to start ammonia spike. Started with dry rock, live nutri seawater, live pink Fiji sand, and bacteria enhancer. Is it normal to see nitrate that high in begging? Do Keep adding small amounts of fish food daily and at what point do I stop? The bottle of bacteria Enhancer I have only suggested three days of dosing should I add more daily?

If you use a bottled bacteria, I would follow the instructions on the bottle. Usually cycling can take up to a month for many people. Some believe that they can speed up the process by using certain products, but I prefer the nature to take its course naturally.
My Nitrate during cycling went up all they way to 100 ppm, and I was able to manage using large WC. Don’t worry about it. Get it right now and have patience as you don’t have any animals yet in the tank. You can check out my build thread by clicking on by “build thread” badge if you want to as I recorded every single testing that I did for you to compare. Otherwise, happy feeding!

 

[brandon429]

A handy and updated way to view cycling is the right time you can begin is when free ammonia is controlled for all normal daily function. Waiting longer past that date in a mode of unsure hesitation actually makes us worse reefers/ prone to more loss than just using a commanding start today’s technology allows and being deliberate with the tank and in charge. When it’s stacked with $ coral deliberate reefing makes the investment last longer vs constant bacterial fear as a buyer.

nh3 control is the easiest phase you’ll see in reefing, the uglies are where we lose tanks. Not failed cycles

we need more fallow and quarantine in the hobby, not longer random waits.

challenge: anyone try and find a failed cycle thread thats recent and post it, show a dead tank, a fail. Cant find for a reason...

after all the real challenge is dinos and crypto and brook...not making a biofilter from bacteria which do well in swirling warm water and a common cycling chart from decades ago says ten days equals ammonia control especially after dosing powerful bacteria. Fifteen days is waiting longer than normal, these bottle bac are designed for same day fish use. Am aware 100% of api owners disagree, chat with a calibrated seneye owner to see if they do

 

[kingjames_dc5]

You’ll like this option here since you’ve already assembled 99% of it

the time variable is what’s needed, a pinch of food you did was a good call.

what brand is your bacteria

there truly are twenty ways to cycle your tank agreed, post two from below is the simplest way you’ll be ready in two weeks always.

Fluval lol. Do I need to keep adding food and if so at what point so I stop?

 

[brandon429]

Post #2 said none of those options gotta check only that post from the link, it saves retyping. It’s very short entry very easy cycle mode.

 

[kingjames_dc5]

Post #2 said none of those options gotta check only that post from the link, it saves retyping. It’s very short entry very easy cycle mode.

If I get the two bacteria you suggest I can add them on top of what I have already added to the tank via food and the fluval bacteria enhancer? And should I add one more pinch of food as well with your suggested brands?

 

[brandon429]

The food you added is ok, if you want to add a backup bacteria a cheap bottle of Dr Tims is nice option

add the amnt per gallon it shows, you already have one brand in the tank so no need for two more. Even the current setup left in place for fifteen days then water changed will cycle. The extra zip of Dr Tims makes it double certainty.

 

[DaddyFish]

Wow, that got busy!
I think the OP's questions were answered, but there's too much reading for me to be sure.

Last Spring I built a tank for fostering a friend's entire livestock while he moved across state. It had to support a large bioload from day-1 without fail and everything used was brand new. One thing I learned was when you think you have the tank cycled you can throw in a dose of ammonia and watch it roll through from Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate in under seven days. That final test worked well for me and I can recommend it.

 

[MnFish1]

If you use a bottled bacteria, I would follow the instructions on the bottle. Usually cycling can take up to a month for many people. Some believe that they can speed up the process by using certain products, but I prefer the nature to take its course naturally.
My Nitrate during cycling went up all they way to 100 ppm, and I was able to manage using large WC. Don’t worry about it. Get it right now and have patience as you don’t have any animals yet in the tank. You can check out my build thread by clicking on by “build thread” badge if you want to as I recorded every single testing that I did for you to compare. Otherwise, happy feeding!

You can definitely speed up the cycle using products - otherwise - no one would buy the products. Nitrate has nothing to do with the process - except to prove that its working - right?

I add bacteria on day one. Fish on day 2 - and follow the instructions. Have never tested ammonia, nitrite. Have never seen distress in fish (and I know what ammonia toxicity looks like). You cannot have a spike in nitrate greater than the bio load that you put in. I.e. bacteria alone will not create 'nitrate'. I think thats what you're saying though.