Cycling my New tank

MujerMagicka · Feb 6, 2021

Okay fellow salties, I am currently cycling a new tank and while I am not new to the hobby, I have been out of it for over 15 years! Anywho, my 65 gallon tank with live rock and the two stubborn hermit crabs that refused to let go of the rock lol. It’s been going with the rock now for about a week or so. I added bacteria, fritz brand and just kinda am letting it do it’s thing. I tested the water this morning and I am not certain of the reading for ammonia. Can someone please help me out???

polyppal · Feb 6, 2021

Doesnt look like zero from that picture, but If the crabs are still alive its prob a good sign the ammonia is low enough to add a fish

Garf · Feb 6, 2021

Ammonia is good. Assuming the live rock is good stuff (and if it arrived with critters, it should be), there should be no cycle. Did you add ammonia?

RobB'z Reef · Feb 6, 2021

fritz is a live bacteria and I've seen it cycle tanks quicker than a dormant one. your ammonia is likely zero but...take those tests with a grain of salt as they aren't all too accurate. Did you feed the bacteria with anything at the start? With your nitrates in the 10-20 range it's likely cycled or darn near. Should you have any doubts, if you have any ammonia onhand you could dose it to 2ppm and in a day or so it should drop back down to zero-ish. Should you not have ammonia or want to mess with it, that's fine too. Just wait another week, do nothing and consider it cycled. Get a low cost fish and see how it goes.

Edit - I just noticed you mentioned live rock? If you started the tank with established live rock there will be no cycle. Maybe a slight die off of you moved it at the worst case, but bacteria will be there too process it already.

Jekyl · Feb 6, 2021

Agreed. If you put live rock in then it already contains the bacteria you're waiting to grow.

MujerMagicka · Feb 6, 2021

MujerMagicka said:
Okay fellow salties, I am currently cycling a new tank and while I am not new to the hobby, I have been out of it for over 15 years! Anywho, my 65 gallon tank with live rock and the two stubborn hermit crabs that refused to let go of the rock lol. It’s been going with the rock now for about a week or so. I added bacteria, fritz brand and just kinda am letting it do it’s thing. I tested the water this morning and I am not certain of the reading for ammonia. Can someone please help me out???

Thanks everyone! That color for the ammonia was just really throwing me off. It doesn’t look like anything on the card lol.

MujerMagicka · Feb 7, 2021

Rob.bucek said:
fritz is a live bacteria and I've seen it cycle tanks quicker than a dormant one. your ammonia is likely zero but...take those tests with a grain of salt as they aren't all too accurate. Did you feed the bacteria with anything at the start? With your nitrates in the 10-20 range it's likely cycled or darn near. Should you have any doubts, if you have any ammonia onhand you could dose it to 2ppm and in a day or so it should drop back down to zero-ish. Should you not have ammonia or want to mess with it, that's fine too. Just wait another week, do nothing and consider it cycled. Get a low cost fish and see how it goes.

Edit - I just noticed you mentioned live rock? If you started the tank with established live rock there will be no cycle. Maybe a slight die off of you moved it at the worst case, but bacteria will be there too process it already.

So I took the plunge and added a blue damsel. I didn't want anything too expensive just in case I am wrong about the cycle. If memory serves, damsels aren't the most friendly of little fish, what kind of success have you guys had with adding new tank mates when the damsel has been the only thing in the tank for a few weeks?