cycling help needed

[David Cher]

i have been using AF bio S to cycle my new tank , i have not seen any spike in ammonia but instead at the 13th day i saw a spike in nitrite. then some reefers recommended to add frozen food to help in the cycling , so i added it on the 13th day , do it mean it will take 2 more weeks to get the nitrite down ?

i have been using dry sand and rocks.

Ammonia have been running 0

 

[Tru REEF]

Yea pretty much. If starting with all dead rock and dry sand u should add food on the 1st day the tank is set up. My tank cycle in 2 weeks but I used high bio active sand and dry rock. Until u see the rise and fall of those three parameters , you're playing the waiting game.

 

[David Cher]

dang.

 

[jsker]

AF bio s is not going to help the tank cycle. Dropping a shrimp will help hit the ammonia spike faster.
Reefing is about patients, and a good system cycle take time.

 

[David Cher]

that 's why i dropped a cube of frozen food. now waiting

 

[David Cher]

i read some where that ammonia to take note in marine tank cycling then nitrite .

 

[David Cher]

then i should be dosing np pro right ?

 

[jsker]

Are you using AF products? Np Pr and bio s and pro bio s is for controlling nutrients aka nitrates and phosphates to bring them lower.

What you want is for your system to cycle. The first 30 days is just getting the nutrients growing, the next 30 day is establishing the bio load( dropping in a cleaning crew to start cleaning up the algae) at 60 day you can add some very hardy corals the about 75 consider a fish. Add fish one at a time. Your system will then start going through different stages of cycling for 9 to 12 months before the system is established.

 

[CastAway]

A piece of shrimp rots and makes ammonia.

The ammonia is consumed by a certain type of bacteria and results in Nitrite.

The nitrite is consumed by a different type of bacteria and results in nitrate, which accumulates.

When you have tested and witnessed the ammonia come and go, and when you have tested and witnessed the nitrite come and go, the "cycle" has started. Remember it never ends however, so the "cycle" is never "over".

When the Nitrite and ammonia are not detectable, you can do a water change to reduce nitrates a little, and add a clean-up crew. They'll eat the algae thats grown, poop, and create more ammonia to keep the cycle going.

If you just add the Aquaforest bacteria, so as to hurry the process along I suppose, there still needs to be an ammonia source, either fish food, a piece of table shrimp or actual ammonia, something to feed the bacteria you're adding.

Huge fan of the tried and true here - a piece of shrimp and time. No fancy/expensive additives or short cuts.

Later, adding a bacterial supplement to assure a healthy diversity, or to feed coral, is another thing alltogether.

Just my $0.02. [emoji4]

 

[David Cher]

Np pro is carbon source it can feed the bio s bac right ???

 

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[CastAway]

Np pro is carbon source it can feed the bio s bac right ???

I dont think so.

Carbon is to bacteria as light is to algae.

Trying to think if a good analogy:

Carbon is like gasoline. Bacteria is like a lawn mower. And in this case, ammonia & nitrite would be the grass.

If you're getting the AF products from a local fish store, what are they telling you to do?

 

[cjd]

Setting up a new saltwater tank when you are new to the hobby teaches you your first lesson.... and most important , patience! Best way to do it , is to set up the tank and forget about it . A new tank (new sand , rock, water ) takes about 30 days to cycle before you can add anything . After 30 days I would start with a small clean up crew, wait a week or two than add your first hardy fish or coral. Raw table shrimp is fine to add but even that has its on issues of throwing the cycle off in some weird direction prolonging the cycle process. All these magic potions and miracle pixie dust sand claims of fast cycling is a risk that your tank inhabitants are going to die and frustrate you before you even get started. This isn't a TV program where we add magic sand and water from a garden house and dump expensive fish in a fresh tank sit back and enjoy. Unfortunately we have to wait for nature to run its course and she takes 30 days.

 

[CastAway]

^^+1^^

It's not like these vendors want to sell stuff.

 

[Sm51498]

you can start a new tank and chuck stuff in it and it be perfectly cycled and it doesn't involve magic potions you buy from the store. However, its not cheap. What you need is sufficient established liverock from a cycled system with sufficient established live sand from a cycled system will get a near immediate mature biofilter. you wouldn't skip the cycle though, someone else just precycled it for you.

At this point you are committed to sticking out the cycle, you just have to be patient.