Dosing and cycling

[Coreys reef adventure]

So I read a post on here about cycling the tank, I think it was very good. I have a friend who’s been in reefing for 20+ years, he told me not to put any ammonia in my tank because it could potentially kill all the bacteria in my tank. I’ve been putting bacteria in my tank everyday for the last 4 day’s, he says in two weeks my tank should be cycled enough to put fish in but not coral?

I’ve caught a lot of heat for this, but I didn’t let my 13.5 gallon tank cycle, I’ve usually ran fresh water tanks, just check leves if they are good, drop fish in. So that’s what I did with my little tank. I check my levels every week and my tank is looking great. The growth of my coral is slow but I see them growing.

I put bacteria in there everyday for a week, I did a double dose of what I was suppose to, (been told you can’t have too much good bacteria) and now I put the recommended amount in every two days. My levels are in parr only time something is out of range is if I do it in accident. I made a little too strong of salt water so my levels are a tad bit high this week.

I do 20% water changes every two weeks. My 13.5 I believe is cycled now.So I won’t be changing my water anymore unless I see a huge spike or drop in my levels.

I don’t want to rush my 120 gallon tank. Clearly I’m going to check my levels every week, So my question is. Has anybody ever cycled a tank this way?

 

[mike550]

@Coreys reef adventure What are your levels?

I started a tank using Turbostart 900 on a 120. So I've started a tank with bacteria, and never used ammonia to test for absorption. But watched my levels carefully. I also didn't do any water changes until I was sure my cycle finished.

 

[Coreys reef adventure]

@Coreys reef adventure What are your levels?

I started a tank using Turbostart 900 on a 120. So I've started a tank with bacteria, and never used ammonia to test for absorption. But watched my levels carefully. I also didn't do any water changes until I was sure my cycle finished.

How longer after doing that did you put fish in? Dude told me 2 weeks? As long as my levels are find that should be okay right?

 

[brandon429]

all cycling work threads need pics of the rock, due to this:

if real live rock, we dont add ammonia we keep it out.


if dry white rock, no living creatures in tank, we add ammonia

how one cycles is determined by the kinds of rock you are using. harming your bacteria isn't the risk, its harming small starfish and worms/pods that is the risk, if this is a live rock from pet store setup.

 

[Coreys reef adventure]

all cycling work threads need pics of the rock, due to this:

if real live rock, we dont add ammonia we keep it out.


if dry white rock, no living creatures in tank, we add ammonia

how one cycles is determined by the kinds of rock you are using. harming your bacteria isn't the risk, its harming small starfish and worms/pods that is the risk, if this is a live rock from pet store setup.

it use to be alive, bought it off some dude, cleaned it super well.

 

[brandon429]

proceed with pretty much any approach using bottle bac and ammonia, within reason you can't go wrong. let that mix swirl around for two weeks, change your water, refill with new sw, and you'll be ready. today's bottle bac mixes work much faster, two weeks is + safe time. you will not kill your bacteria with mild ammonia overdoses, and nitrite being present wont matter at all in the cycling process

 

[Coreys reef adventure]

proceed with pretty much any approach using bottle bac and ammonia, within reason you can't go wrong. let that mix swirl around for two weeks, change your water, refill with new sw, and you'll be ready. today's bottle bac mixes work much faster, two weeks is + safe time. you will not kill your bacteria with mild ammonia overdoses, and nitrite being present wont matter at all in the cycling process

he also said if I wait to long to put fish in it’ll spike my levels, is that true also?

 

[brandon429]

no it wont matter at all. cycled is cycled, it doesnt mean you have to cycle with fish to be able to carry fish. I kicked up my microbiology of cycling thread in this forum give that a 30 min read, you'll see you can't fail to cycle no matter what. even if you dont test at all during it


what controls how much fish you can run is the degree of surface area used; the rocks and sand amounts. its not about the # or density of bacteria, and that picture above shows all the required surface area in place. your friend is about 85% right about cycling, and that's enough to reef with so its a passing grade

a 100% knows that cycled is cycled, and we can add or subtract fish from the system at any time and it wont affect free ammonia...if there is enough actual surface area. when your tank is cycled in two weeks, it will be the same degree of cycling that it would be if we waited eight years to add things. cycled is cycled, and cycles can't undo, reverse, or get weak over time or at the beginning right after a cycle completes.

 

[Coreys reef adventure]

no it wont matter at all. cycled is cycled, it doesnt mean you have to cycle with fish to be able to carry fish. I kicked up my microbiology of cycling thread in this forum give that a 30 min read, you'll see you can't fail to cycle no matter what. even if you dont test at all during it


what controls how much fish you can run is the degree of surface area used; the rocks and sand amounts. its not about the # or density of bacteria, and that picture above shows all the required surface area in place. your friend is about 85% right about cycling, and that's enough to reef with so its a passing grade

a 100% knows that cycled is cycled, and we can add or subtract fish from the system at any time and it wont affect free ammonia...if there is enough actual surface area. when your tank is cycled in two weeks, it will be the same degree of cycling that it would be if we waited eight years to add things. cycled is cycled, and cycles can't undo, reverse, or get weak over time or at the beginning right after a cycle completes.

Sweet. Do you think it’s important to dose bacteria every other day?

 

[brandon429]

even if you dosed it only once, and waited the two weeks it would all adhere and reproduce stuck to those surfaces. if you dosed it every day things might get hazy...thats why we change all/most water at the end, to export and rebalance all the customized ways people cycle. it all winds up the same, cycled. where the masses go wrong is basing cycle testing on that filthy wastewater.

after the two weeks + bottle bac + some degree of ammonia, when the water is changed out the new system will retain bac stuck to surfaces, only with clean water now and we can begin.

we choose fish or not by how we want to control fish disease; its no question whether the system above can house fish in two weeks, it can due to all that surface area shown.

 

[Coreys reef adventure]

even if you dosed it only once, and waited the two weeks it would all adhere and reproduce stuck to those surfaces. if you dosed it every day things might get hazy...thats why we change all/most water at the end, to export and rebalance all the customized ways people cycle. it all winds up the same, cycled. where the masses go wrong is basing cycle testing on that filthy wastewater.

after the two weeks + bottle bac + some degree of ammonia, when the water is changed out the new system will retain bac stuck to surfaces, only with clean water now and we can begin.

we choose fish or not by how we want to control fish disease; its no questions whether the system above can house fish in two weeks, it can.

Sweet, you’ve been much help. I’m thinking of getting a quarantine tank, so I can dip my corals in there and fish to make sure they are okay

 

[Coreys reef adventure]

Sweet, you’ve been much help. I’m thinking of getting a quarantine tank, so I can dip my corals in there and fish to make sure they are okay

One last question, I can add rocks that are no longer live? I shouldn’t have an issue right? As long as they are clean?

 

[brandon429]

agreed, only pent up waste inside rehydrating back to wet jerky would smell it all/mess up ammonia control

break some rock off/cut a piece in half/inspect cross section and after you've put some in the tank after a week take some out and break it/smell and inspect cross section so you have an idea what the rest of it is like.

 

[Coreys reef adventure]

I

agreed, only pent up waste inside rehydrating back to wet jerky would smell it all/mess up ammonia control

break some rock off/cut a piece in half/inspect cross section and after you've put some in the tank after a week take some out and break it/smell and inspect cross section so you have an idea what the rest of it is like.

I soaked it in vinegar for 48 hours, then hosed it down then cleaned it up pretty well I thought, I just have a chalis that I want to stick on a piece of rock.

 

[Mattg023]

proceed with pretty much any approach using bottle bac and ammonia, within reason you can't go wrong. let that mix swirl around for two weeks, change your water, refill with new sw, and you'll be ready. today's bottle bac mixes work much faster, two weeks is + safe time. you will not kill your bacteria with mild ammonia overdoses, and nitrite being present wont matter at all in the cycling process

I’m beginning to cycle my 75gal tomorrow. I’ll be adding bottle bac in. I also purchased a bottle of dr Tim’s ammonium chloride. I have life rock Dry rock in my tank. Just curious when I should dose the ammonia? Thanks

 

[brandon429]

Add the bac and a pinch of fish food along with some approximated ammonia

you don’t even have to test, this will cycle.

let it swirl and in one week add another zap of bottle bac and pinch of feed, wait one more week and change about half or more water so it’s less algae feed, the tank is cycled. The only way it couldn’t be is if your bottle bac is dead, yet no fish- in cycle we can find on any forum lost fish to inability to control ammonia. Stats say your bottle bac isn’t dead.

if you want proof, then test for mild ammonia oxidation using liquid ammonia at the end of the wait but it’s not required, this will cycle testless