Cycling Help!

[Thoax]

Hey guys need your help!

Yesterday i got ready to start cycling my tank so i made the salt added the sand and rock and was ready to go i let the tank settle for an hr to let all the dust and everything clear, It was looking great, I am using Dr.Tim's to cycle the tank and was following the directions and added his First deffence and waited 30 mins before added his One and Only and this is now the problem when i was ready to add the one and only someone rang my doorbell and my dog knocked over the bottle and i lost all of the one and only

I tried to find more in stock but it was late an most of the places where closed i ordered one and i will have it today but when i woke up this morning the tank is supper cloudy i cant even see the rocks

:O .

My main question is, Will it be ok to still go ahead and just add the one and only when i get home tonight? Why is the water so cloudy and also my PH is now reading 7.69 Is there anything i should test for i just wont want to add the one and only and have all the bacteria die.

Rock used - Marco Dry Rock
Sand - CaribSea Arga-Alive

Any help would be great.

 

[chefjpaul]

Hey.

Just add the one and only. Test for Ammonia as per direction on Dr. Tims website. You may need to add more ammonia source throughout the cycle.

I would do a full cycle on the tank, not just a few days.

The first defense was not necessarily, unless you are not using RODI, in which case I highly suggest you look into.

The cloudiness most likely is the sand, rock, sediment, first defense bloom, etc.. no biggie.

Through up a pic.

Most importantly DO not rush, especially in this stage.

Good luck.

 

[Thoax]

Thanks ill through up a pic tonight, I used RODI.

 

[mitch91175]

If you are concerned about the cloudiness, you could always run carbon and a filter sock to clear it up. But since you are just in the cycling phase, I wouldn't be overly concerned.

 

[Dom]

.

 

[Thoax]

 

[mitch91175]

Just let them sit there for a few days like they are without doing anything drastic to try to clear the water. If you are running a skimmer, it should help clear the water. Your cycle is going to go through many phases, so just be patient and let it do its thing. In about 3 weeks check your parameters, i.e. ammonia, nitrite, nitrates (no need to do it any earlier). If you wanted, you can check them now just to get an idea of where they are so when you do check them again, you will see the change; but you will already have ammonia for sure. You may want to do a 5-10% water change at that time - 3 week mark (no particular required percentage, just whatever you think works best for you).

To avoid any major hair algae issue (at least minimize any that may occur), you can run GFO and add a cleanup crew when the cycle is complete. Don't know if you are thinking about carbon dosing (either vinegar, vodka, sugar in that order at least my opinion) your system, but that will also help you keep algae at bay as well.

Don't worry about adding any chemicals to your system other than carbon dosing to strip the system of nutrients (at least get them as close to 0 on nitrate and phosphate as possible).

Once ammonia and nitrite are 0ppm, you can add your cleanup crew to handle the diatoms that will occur in the system. Choose the CUC wisely and don't feel you need to add a gang of hermits, snails, etc to the tanks. When adding the CUC, you can also add a small fish as well. Try to avoid fish that you will not want to keep long-term to the system(s).

 

[Captain Quint]

Your tanks are coming along nicely. You have gotten some great advice and I really don't need to add more than what you've received.

 

[mitch91175]

Hey guys need your help!

Yesterday i got ready to start cycling my tank so i made the salt added the sand and rock and was ready to go i let the tank settle for an hr to let all the dust and everything clear, It was looking great, I am using Dr.Tim's to cycle the tank and was following the directions and added his First deffence and waited 30 mins before added his One and Only and this is now the problem when i was ready to add the one and only someone rang my doorbell and my dog knocked over the bottle and i lost all of the one and only

I tried to find more in stock but it was late an most of the places where closed i ordered one and i will have it today but when i woke up this morning the tank is supper cloudy i cant even see the rocks

:O .

My main question is, Will it be ok to still go ahead and just add the one and only when i get home tonight? Why is the water so cloudy and also my PH is now reading 7.69 Is there anything i should test for i just wont want to add the one and only and have all the bacteria die.

Rock used - Marco Dry Rock
Sand - CaribSea Arga-Alive

Any help would be great.

Do you have any particular objective you want for your tank? SPS dominant, mixed reef, anemone tank, etc.? That will also help determine the direction you go and at what points you can add certain live stock to the tank(s).

 

[chefjpaul]

Tank(s) looks great.

Just go easy and follow dr tims.

I highly suggest not doing any carbon dosing, chasing numbers etc... do not worry about any algae or nutrients ATM, or in the near future, a cuc will handle that later. As you started with dry rocks, you will want all the "life" in all forms to start thriving, in turn will help with the ecosystem and overall health down the road to become mature.

 

[mitch91175]

Tank(s) looks great.

Just go easy and follow dr tims.

I highly suggest not doing any carbon dosing, chasing numbers etc... do not worry about any algae or nutrients ATM, or in the near future, a cuc will handle that later. As you started with dry rocks, you will want all the "life" in all forms to start thriving, in turn will help with the ecosystem and overall health down the road to become mature.

@chefjpaul, you do know that dosing carbon actually increases beneficial bacteria right? Not suggesting that he immediately does it, but having a tank full of hair algae I am sure he does want to do. Yeah a CUC will help get it under control, but hair algae is just down right a PITA and if it gets out of control, you have to have a larger CUC to handle it.

 

[chefjpaul]

@chefjpaul, you do know that dosing carbon actually increases beneficial bacteria right? Not suggesting that he immediately does it, but having a tank full of hair algae I am sure he does want to do. Yeah a CUC will help get it under control, but hair algae is just down right a PITA and if it gets out of control, you have to have a larger CUC to handle it.

I understand the dynamics of carbon dosing, and it was suggested to start right way.
I do not agree with starting a new tank stripped.

I personally have done that, so have many others in a new tank, outcome can lead to stripping of all nutrients prior to establishing an ecosystem, corals and all the "life" does need it.

Look at the large Dino thread or the various others for reference.

All tanks will go through an "ugly" stage, it's learning how to balance it out once livestock is established.

*edit; I do employ AF full "probiotic" carbon and dosing regimens, just not currently on my new tank, because it is new, dry rock getting established.

 

[Thoax]

Hey guys thanks for all the help, tank is looking nice and clear now[emoji4]

I’m looking at keeping a mix reef right now in the 350 reefer and in the small lagoon tank doing a mangrove tank

 

[chefjpaul]

Hey guys thanks for all the help, tank is looking nice and clear now[emoji4]

I’m looking at keeping a mix reef right now in the 350 reefer and in the small lagoon tank doing a mangrove tank

Looks very nice against that back ground wall.

 

[Joel Jordan]

Hey guys thanks for all the help, tank is looking nice and clear now[emoji4]

I’m looking at keeping a mix reef right now in the 350 reefer and in the small lagoon tank doing a mangrove tank

what did u do at the end of the day, what steps did you follow?

 

[Dennis McGrath]

That looks great What a fantastic background !!! You might want to point one of those powerheads up a bit to create some surface agitation.

 

[Rich Klein]

I understand the dynamics of carbon dosing, and it was suggested to start right way.
I do not agree with starting a new tank stripped.

I personally have done that, so have many others in a new tank, outcome can lead to stripping of all nutrients prior to establishing an ecosystem, corals and all the "life" does need it.

Look at the large Dino thread or the various others for reference.

All tanks will go through an "ugly" stage, it's learning how to balance it out once livestock is established.

*edit; I do employ AF full "probiotic" carbon and dosing regimens, just not currently on my new tank, because it is new, dry rock getting established.

Yep - I started with Dry Rock, and at about 1 year I was getting a bit of GHA, so I began to carbon dose at a very low-level (NOPOX). Had a Dyno breakout that took me months to recover from. I now control my nutrients with a well manage Fuge with Chaeto (and other critters), and nothing else (No3 = 2, Po4 = .02.). I have come to appreciate a diverse Micro and Macro fauna.

 

[Thoax]

Looks very nice against that back ground wall.

Thanks

what did u do at the end of the day, what steps did you follow?

I ended up getting the rest of the good bacteria in and it all seemed to clear up the next day. After that just followed tim's direction sheet and started to add the ammon drops

That looks great What a fantastic background !!! You might want to point one of those powerheads up a bit to create some surface agitation.

Thanks , Yup good point ill raise it up ty.

 

[Joel Jordan]

Thanks


I ended up getting the rest of the good bacteria in and it all seemed to clear up the next day. After that just followed tim's direction sheet and started to add the ammon drops


Thanks , Yup good point ill raise it up ty.

Cool, im starting a new tank so ill do the same

 

[chefjpaul]

Yep - I started with Dry Rock, and at about 1 year I was getting a bit of GHA, so I began to carbon dose at a very low-level (NOPOX). Had a Dyno breakout that took me months to recover from. I now control my nutrients with a well manage Fuge with Chaeto (and other critters), and nothing else (No3 = 2, Po4 = .02.). I have come to appreciate a diverse Micro and Macro fauna.

I just got an Arid reactor, going to go no carbon dosing and no skimmer on my 50G.

I love the cryptic type life forms and diversity.

I tried the pastel look, hated it, but I also sucked balancing it.