Cycling with Microbacter Dry Rock Starter Kit

[olonmv]

Just wondering if the half of speed is related to less rocks than necessary... I added 35 pounds to 100 gallon system (80 g display).
I was reading about recommendation of 3/4 to 1 pound per gallon... Considering that, I would need to double the amount of rock...
What do you think... Should I add it? And would it be fine to do it during during cycling? Thanks!

personally, I’d add something spanning from left rock to right rock to creat a lil bridge and underpass. Shrimp like hanging around under spaces like that. And it’s fun watching fish swim under it too. Looks good though!!!

 

[ReefRusty]

Yes an overhang/ bridge would look good. I did something similar with my build. Shrimp love it and fish

 

[olonmv]

I have a 13.5 nano. My cleaner shrimp and the occasional showing of my hitchhiker stomatella are a couple of my favorite things to see wandering around in my tank. I usually see the feeler antennas coming out from the underpass and when he sees me immediately comes out to see if it’s feeding time. Eventually wanna do a setup like yours but it’s intimidating. Again, looks great.

 

[Ludders]

Just wondering if the half of speed is related to less rocks than necessary... I added 35 pounds to 100 gallon system (80 g display).
I was reading about recommendation of 3/4 to 1 pound per gallon... Considering that, I would need to double the amount of rock...
What do you think... Should I add it? And would it be fine to do it during during cycling? Thanks!

Your aquascape I think looks great as it is. You're vision is how it will look in the future and how easy it is to maintain around everything.
Firstly the quantity of rock will not impact this phase of your tank, it's only when you have a high bio load you might need more filtration.

What I have done is rather than compromise my aquascape by adding twice as much rock in as I would have liked, was to add Bio Sphere's into the sump to make up the shortfall in rock.

MarinePure Ceramic Biomedia 1 1/2” Spheres

Why does BRS recommend this? Biological filtration is the number one key to a nice and stable reef tank, and anytime we can sneak in some MarinePure Biomedia into an All in one tank, sump, or even overflows we will. We have run density tests and they have proved to be more porous than any live...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Magostini]

Your aquascape I think looks great as it is. You're vision is how it will look in the future and how easy it is to maintain around everything.
Firstly the quantity of rock will not impact this phase of your tank, it's only when you have a high bio load you might need more filtration.

What I have done is rather than compromise my aquascape by adding twice as much rock in as I would have liked, was to add Bio Sphere's into the sump to make up the shortfall in rock.

MarinePure Ceramic Biomedia 1 1/2” Spheres

Why does BRS recommend this? Biological filtration is the number one key to a nice and stable reef tank, and anytime we can sneak in some MarinePure Biomedia into an All in one tank, sump, or even overflows we will. We have run density tests and they have proved to be more porous than any live...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Interesting.... Good point.... But just a question: I have already in the sump one bio brick from brightwell... There is enough space for more bio media.... Is it ok to put that in addition to bio brick?

 

[Magostini]

 

[Ludders]

Oh the bio brick will do the job just the same as the bio sphere's. I have heard the bricks break down over time, but not experienced this myself, so see how you go on with it. They are much more efficient bio filters than standard rock that is for certain.

 

[Magostini]

And day 8:
27.1 C
1025 salinity
8.2.ph
1 ppm nitrite or more (max on test)
1 ammonia

 

[Magostini]

And after your suggestions (thanks again), I bought other Marco Rock, the shelf one, which I personally enjoyed a lot and made this change in aquascape:

but I thought the layout was very squared and made another change:

Here you have some other views:

What do you think about it?

Thank you!

 

[ReefRusty]

Looks good! neat little touch. Have more rock? If so could build up the left side. But already looks heaps better

 

[Magostini]

Looks good! neat little touch. Have more rock? If so could build up the left side. But already looks heaps better

Thanks! Actually I have this one on the floor... Maybe I could put it there and allign both sides... But I am still thinking about it... Not sure if I will keep this... In a way the lack of alignment seems to be a "bug" , but in the other hand, there's a sense of movement... I don't know yet.... But thank you!

 

[Magostini]

Best ammonia reduction since the beggining... Almost there!
Day 9
26.8 C
1026 salinity
8.1 ph
1 ppm nitrite or more (max on test)
0.3 ppm ammonia
50 ppm nitrate or more (max on test)

 

[ReefRusty]

Like I said day by day 15 you be right.. save your test kits till day 12 and if not wait till day 15 to test and I bet you that it be right.

 

[Magostini]

Like I said day by day 15 you be right.. save your test kits till day 12 and if not wait till day 15 to test and I bet you that it be right.

Thank you!!
Just checking again, now that I am close to the 0 in ammonia, if I continue with this max levels of nitrite and nitrate and achieving 0 ammonia, would it be OK to change 25% of water turn skimmer and UV on and then add a pair of clowns?

 

[Magostini]

Very interesting information in this forum... I have just read the one below and all the others related to that:

First Cycle Issues : Nitrites Stuck

Hi Everyone, I started a fishless cycle with Mircobacter Start XLM and added there ammonia chloride to the tank. At first I thought I added way to much ammonia so I drained the tank to almost empty a week later and refilled the tank and added the ammonia and measure 1.2ppm. (I realized later...

www.reef2reef.com

(thank you, @brandon429)

It is very clear now as soon as I achieve low levels of ammonia, I will change about 50% of water and go on...

Thanks!

 

[Magostini]

Day 10 and I finally got there! 0 ammonia!! Lots of nitrite and nitrate but already starting water production to change in the night...

Day 10
26.9C
1025 salinity
8.1 ph
1 ppm nitrite or more (max on test)
0 ppm ammonia
50 ppm nitrate or more (max on test)

 

[Magostini]

Hello all, a quick update here.. After that about 40/50% of water change in day 11 and a pair of clowns added.
Ammonia was kept with 0 ppm and nitrite very high. Yesterday (day 13) I made another water change. I also added siporax on top of brightwell brick to increase bio filtration.
Today in day 14, ammonia still 0 ppm and nitrite seems to be reduced to the max of test which is 1 ppm.. Nitrate at 15 ppm

 

[Magostini]

Hey everyone, I am today in the day 20. In the day 15 I added one blenny, one yellow coris and one little yellow eye tang. Measuring everyday, in the day 17 ammonia raised to 0.1 ppm. It was stable at this level and today it is back to 0 again. I think it is good sign, the amount of fish was raised and bacteria was able to catch up.
@brandon429, I know you told me not measure nitrite but I am curious and I could notice it is increasing, slowly but always increasing. It is above the limit of red sea test, which is 1 ppm, but if I could say something it should be between 2 and 3 ppm.
Lights are off, I will wait for complete stabilization before turn it on.
After measurements, changed 15 % of water, added 80 ml of microbacter clean and 4 ml of tropic Marin nitribiotic. I still have two tangs and one dotty back to move to the tank but I will wait a little bit more of 0 ammonia to do it.

 

[ReefRusty]

Don't bother with Nitrite, you have cycled your tank, fish are still alive and swimming so good sign that ammonia is under control. @brandon429 wrote a good piece about this earlier. Test kits are a guidance unless you have a seneye you won't know exactly.

Dont bother with bacter clean yet, once you start seeing the ugly stage then dose. Turn skimmer off when you do this and follow for a 10 day period. I've manage to maintain and keep it to a minimum and under control. "Famous last words"

Post pictures for an update

 

[Magostini]

Hello all I am in the day 22 and finally I received my seneye reef monitor after a big delay in the importation process...
I need to wait for the 48 hours for the slide to be adapted to the water, so ph measuring will be reliable after 36 hours ( I added 12 hours ago). PH is increasing slowly.
But the good news is free ammonia is 0.001 ppm.... I noticed total ammonia is reducing at the same time ph is increasing : this means the seneye reef monitor measures free ammonia and ph and calculate total ammonia.
But at the end of the day, the tank is safe and ready for the next fish, I will finally move my Doty back and my little blue tang to the tank.

I believe nitrites are still high, but I do not need to monitor anymore.

Best!