Cycling my first tank

[onthebeach]

Hello all just wanted to say hi and ask opinions on if my cycle is finished? Here are my readings and a picture of my tank. I am on day 22. I have a 20 gallon long. 20 lbs of dry rock and 20 lbs of live sand. I just installed my protein skimmer and waiting for the micro bubbles to stop. I have a clown, 5 snails and a red legged hermit. I also have a HOB filter as well for peace of mind. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[brandon429]

yes its done if you've added bottle bac, they're all done within a few days after addition. the tests dont matter much as stated, those tests range wildly tank to tank and are at best an approximation.


its more accurate to know how many days the tank has had water, and what bac you used.

 

[brandon429]

in fact I already see diatoms on your sand, its 100% done. its not possible to have diatom new growth in an uncycled tank. Eli/aquabiomics said that wasn't possible, that we'd need an analysis to know. that's not the case at all

I just saw 22 days after I re read this, for sure cycle is done. choose a fish disease prevention approach before proceeding

adding in healthy fish from a pet store into the tank even though it can carry several is specifically to choose against a fish disease protocol~

 

[onthebeach]

Thank you so much for the feedback. Can you recommend a direction for a disease prevention plan?

 

[SchrutesReefs]

setup a quarantine tank if possible. If not possible… well that just opens an entirely new debate thread for your options.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

If you can't quarantine buy one or two fish at a time, wait a month or so to make sure they have no diseases in your tank. Always buy the healthiest looking fish and ask to see the fish eat too.
QT if possible though

 

[onthebeach]

I have a 10 gallon just sitting here. For a quarantine tank would a HOB filter be enough so no sand no rock?

 

[Gedxin]

I have a 10 gallon just sitting here. For a quarantine tank would a HOB filter be enough so no sand no rock?

For a short quarantine that would suffice, but there's not enough surface area to filter out ammonia/nutrients.

I'm setting up a QT tank myself (just for coral) and am going to add one of the rocks from my tank to it.

 

[brandon429]

The clown/future clowns can probably be ok without a specific approach but that tank is large enough to be destined for mixed fish, and that's where the challenges come from we see in post pattern updates, long after someone's cycle is ready

the fish disease forum has to be studied a few days, when in qt each type of fish gets treated or watched for its inherent types of risks, such as tangs with cryptocarion issues/potential or clowns for brooklynella


then the tank itself has to be re fallowed before adding any fish back, all these terms will come up during a day or two study in the fish disease forum. no bottled treatments added to a tank to prevent disease are found in use there or in stickies, by the way.

 

[mike89t]

I have a 10 gallon just sitting here. For a quarantine tank would a HOB filter be enough so no sand no rock?

I would suggest reading this regarding QT:

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

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