First tank cycle test

[MugiwaraGrape]

Got it, thanks. Those LFS employee sometimes pass along interesting suggestions

For sure. Haha It seems like people in general have a wide range of suggestions on what worked for them. It is pretty neat really to see so many people collectively try different things outside of the "standard" as you mentioned earlier.

I guess overall my mindset was

1.) Set up tank and aquascape let it settle for 24 hours
2.) introduce sporulated bacterium
3.) Introduce ammonia in a natural fashion instead of dosing (ghost feeding)
4.) Watch cycle go bur over time

So when I asked what their suggestions were I got a mix between turbo start and stability after reading snippets on both products via their websites it seemed they were both simply aqueous cultured spores and that it came down to dilution really. Outside of that of the 4 employees I chatted with 2 of them used stability, one used neither, and the other used a name I can't remember. Majority vote won. Lol

 

[Dan_P]

For sure. Haha It seems like people in general have a wide range of suggestions on what worked for them. It is pretty neat really to see so many people collectively try different things outside of the "standard" as you mentioned earlier.

I guess overall my mindset was

1.) Set up tank and aquascape let it settle for 24 hours
2.) introduce sporulated bacterium
3.) Introduce ammonia in a natural fashion instead of dosing (ghost feeding)
4.) Watch cycle go bur over time

So when I asked what their suggestions were I got a mix between turbo start and stability after reading snippets on both products via their websites it seemed they were both simply aqueous cultured spores and that it came down to dilution really. Outside of that of the 4 employees I chatted with 2 of them used stability, one used neither, and the other used a name I can't remember. Majority vote won. Lol

After hearing this, we might ask whether two or more people actually know less about a topic than one person alone. I think we have evidence that this might be the case

Good luck, I hope your aquarium start up works well for you.

Dan

 

[MugiwaraGrape]

After hearing this, we might ask whether two or more people actually know less about a topic than one person alone. I think we have evidence that this might be the case

Good luck, I hope your aquarium start up works well for you.

Dan

For sure and thank you for the well wishes!

All in all I didn't do anything different from others and my ammonia and nitrites have been zero for over a week. So I guess there lack of knowledge as you suggest worked out. What awesome dumb luck. =)

 

[Freenow54]

There is zero rush. Haha I am asking questions in advance to understand and be prepared. I understand entirely what the cycle is and how it works. Just to add I'm a biogeochemist. So familiar with the nitrogen cycle it hurts.

My confusion was really with the numbers themselves not being able to balance because of ghost feeding. I also wasn't familiar with the API test color parameters. I never visually match colors. Usually sip up on an ICP or a Spect, convert, and interpret. Haha

I don't think it is ever over. Have all sorts of bristle worms, and other critters that according to what I read ( not a chemist or biologist lol ) are harmless and or beneficial after over a year also coralline " purple algae " again supposed to be beneficial. I don't know why it is developing now or why. You maybe can tell me.

 

[MugiwaraGrape]

I don't think it is ever over. Have all sorts of bristle worms, and other critters that according to what I read ( not a chemist or biologist lol ) are harmless and or beneficial after over a year also coralline " purple algae " again supposed to be beneficial. I don't know why it is developing now or why. You maybe can tell me.

I don't know how I missed this. I'm so sorry. Yes bristle worms and *most* other tank worms are completely harmless and even help filter through some of the not wanted tank properties.

As for your coralline algae growth that is normally a really good sign of aged rock that has been well established. That's like the liverock mentioned in this thread earlier. Plop it in a tank and boom it is able to cycle low loads. As far as I know it requires stability and good conditions for coralline formations to appear so I would say it is a sign you've been doing great. Haha Also yes very much it is harmless and tank beneficial.