cycling question's

[rjones1891]

first how do i tell when my tank has cycled enough to add the first fish. second having a hard time understanding the cycling precess could someone give my a simple explanation of it thanks

 

[caudill187]

Fish excrete ammonia. Bacteria turn ammonia to nitrite then nitrate and once enough bacteria are present they are so efficient at this that one never sees ammonia or nitrite in an established tank. Nitrate is far less toxic than Ammonia and Nitrite, which kill fish and corals in small concentrations. High nitrate concentrations are also toxic thus regular water changes are necessary. In reef tanks, hobbiests create areas for bacteria to live without oxygen because then the bacteria can also turn nitrate in to nitrogen gas (which leaves the tank).

If your tank is cycling (testing positive for significant amounts of nitrite, then nitrate) then I wouldn't add fish until a few weeks after you stop detecting nitrite and only see nitrate.

 

[beaslbob]

first how do i tell when my tank has cycled enough to add the first fish. second having a hard time understanding the cycling precess could someone give my a simple explanation of it thanks

KISS:

aerobic bacteria cycle ammonia->nitrIte->nitrate

plant life (macro algae) ammonia|->plant life
.....................(for spacing).....|->nitrite->nitrate->plant life

With plant life like macro algaes, the plant life prefers to consume any ammonia present so it is possible to not have ammonia spikes.

my .02

 

[skinz78]

+1 You'll only know when to add fish after you have tested zero for ammonia and nitrites. Usually happens in about 2 to 4 weeks of the tank being set up.

 

[Raggamuffin]

To answer your second question, after you have had 0 for ammonia it will take up to 2 weeks to read absolute 0 on nitrItes, again wait 2 weeks before adding A fish. I plan on starting a thread on clean up crews here in a few but here is a sneak peek. As soon as you get to 0 ammonia it is ok to add 1/4 -1/2 of your clean up crew, personally I go in quarters, this will put ammonia back into the tank and cause a stutter in the cycle but you will get a better bactirial population so the rest of the stocking will end up going faster.

 

[Sm1nts2escape]

Wow. Thanks for making things simple guys! I want to learn how everything works but I don't want to become a chemist lol. Quick question for you informed folks. When I start my tank which should be in a week or two. After I fill my tank and turn the return pump on. Do I turn the lights on? Do I turn the skimmer on? Do I do my 10% weekly water changes? So far what I know is. I just keep my salinity and temp in check wait for the algae bloom and then once I see no amonia my tank is cycled. I just dont know how to operate the equipement during the cycle and when I do have a algae bloom what I am supposed to do about it. Although it sounds like it will take care of itself. Thanks

 

[Sm1nts2escape]

Bump?

 

[skinz78]

I would turn the skimmer on, it may not pull anything for a while but it is just breaking in. Running the lights probably won't hurt, I would run them for a few hours a day. I would do the water changes as well, you can't hurt anything by doing them and you may just speed up the cycling process.