Cycling Questions:

[Brew12]

Okay to today I checked my nitrites and they were 0ppm. So naturally I have a million more questions.

1. Should I add more ammonia to allow the nitrogen cycle to go through a few more times?

2. When should I add my protein skimmer?

3. When should I add my chemipure, filter floss, (phosguard??), and other forms of filtration?

4. Coral or fish first?? I plan on adding 2 clownfish once Im confident the cycle is complete.

5. When should I add the clean up crew and how big of a clean up crew, species?? (16g bilcube)

Sorry for all the questions, quite frankly I'm a noob at this saltwater thing. Im sure Ill have 100 more questions over the next couple months.

Never apologize for asking questions!

I'll offer my opinions on your questions.

1) Yes, I would add more ammonia and let it process it again. If it makes it from 2ppm to 0ppm in 24 hours you should be fine.

2) You can start your skimmer any time. It won't impact the cycle in any noticeable manner. You just won't collect much skimmate until you start having decaying biologics. Nothing wrong with practicing adjusting it.

3) The only filtration I run is a skimmer, socks, and GAC. I caused myself a lot of misery when I first started by trying to run too much chemical filtration.

4) Fish. And clown fish are a great start.

5) I would start with around 10 smaller snails and maybe one or 2 turbo snails. Add them when you start seeing algae develop on the rock.

 

[Afrashz]

Never apologize for asking questions!

I'll offer my opinions on your questions.

1) Yes, I would add more ammonia and let it process it again. If it makes it from 2ppm to 0ppm in 24 hours you should be fine.

2) You can start your skimmer any time. It won't impact the cycle in any noticeable manner. You just won't collect much skimmate until you start having decaying biologics. Nothing wrong with practicing adjusting it.

3) The only filtration I run is a skimmer, socks, and GAC. I caused myself a lot of misery when I first started by trying to run too much chemical filtration.

4) Fish. And clown fish are a great start.

5) I would start with around 10 smaller snails and maybe one or 2 turbo snails. Add them when you start seeing algae develop on the rock.[/QUOTE
Thanks for the help, its greatly appreciated!!!!!

 

[beaslbob]

Just to have some fun with the questions:

Okay to today I checked my nitrites and they were 0ppm. So naturally I have a million more questions.

1. Should I add more ammonia to allow the nitrogen cycle to go through a few more times?

No.

2. When should I add my protein skimmer?

Sorry I don't use skimmers.

3. When should I add my chemipure, filter floss, (phosguard??), and other forms of filtration?

I don't use filtration other than macro algae

4. Coral or fish first?? I plan on adding 2 clownfish once Im confident the cycle is complete.

try a cheapie FW male mollies.

5. When should I add the clean up crew and how big of a clean up crew, species?? (16g bilcube)

a couple of snales.

Sorry for all the questions, quite frankly I'm a noob at this saltwater thing. Im sure Ill have 100 more questions over the next couple months.

These answers may seem a little strange. What I do is start the tank with macros in a refugium which can be just an in tank partition. Then do the rest. The macros will consume ammonia first then nitrates preventing the cycle spikes.

then I do the rest.

The idea is to start the tank balanced out and stabilized with macro algaes right from the start. Then add fish slowly like the single molly and don't add food for the first week.

I also don't use filters and don't do water changes. Just replace the evaporation is all.

But that's just me and my .02