Fish in cycle. A conversation with a fish.

[Auquanut]

Not trying to stir the pot. I just thought this might be a fun way to express a personal opinion.

New reefer in the LFS: (to fish) "Hey little fella! How would you like a new home?"
Fish: "Glub! Glub glub?"
"Great! We can get started today. Just as soon as I buy everything I need. This is going to be so much fun!"
"Glub. Glub glub glub?"
"Well, no. I've never ACTUALLY done this before, but this guy in the store is very helpful. Plus I've watched some videos. I've go YouTube!"
"Glub glub glub?"
"Nothing will go wrong."
"Glub glub?"
"It won't."
"GLUB GLUB!?!"
"Fine! If something goes wrong, we'll um... figure it out. Did I mention I have YouTube?"
"Glub glub."
"What do you mean you're not sure?"
"Glub glub glub."
"You can't possibly like it here. I think somebody is just being a fraidy cat... fish. Trust me. You're going to love it."
"GLUB!!!"

Like I said. Just having a little fun. I realize this little representationis way over the top.

With all of the new products available to quickly cycle a tank, it seems like waiting just a little while to add a fish isn't the test of patience it used to be. Plus, cycling the tank gives the new reefer a chance to iron out any issues with a new tank and get acquainted with testing, SW mixing, parameters, etc... before committing to livestock.

 

[BackToTheReef]

I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately. Seeing folks post questions, problems, etc. about their tanks or seeing a stocking list or photos of a tank filled with fish and inverts after just a few months.

We used to tell customers that "nothing happens fast in a saltwater tank that isn't bad." We gauged where a tank was by the algae and such that was present...Green to brown to red maybe, then it was on to the good stuff. I think I see people now call this the "ugly phase."

It seems like all the products to speed cycles and overcome algae and problems has set the expectation that someone could have a tank that rivals a TOTM within a few months. Just sitting back and observing I think this touches on a topic I saw talked about shortly after joining, why folks leave the hobby so quickly.

Maybe it's a little experience or just wanting to be patient b/c I have gotten to a place where I can afford that $300 fish, that nicer light fixture, potentially that huge tank, or nice coral (or lots of fish/coral) but only once. I want to take my time and set myself up for the long run rather than instant gratification. If I am able to stock my tank with a wide range of livestock, including some that are more expensive, and it crashes b/c I was impatient that would probably be it for me.

This is also why I over analyze EVERYTHING though! lol

 

[brandon429]

the problem is the people who pull it off + manufacturers who design products for efficient skip cycle/quick cycle.

they then promulgate the after pics lol, make it look easy

not that they can communicate the technique to every copy out there but in the end bottle bac prevents fish burning, prevents coral and invert burning, and from that disease is the unstoppable deluge- its not about the cycle anymore

could be about maturation of the tank agreed, but not the initial cycle. we had from the start of the hobby until when bottle bac came out to figure out how to skip cycles, and they did. water bacteria transported around in bottles of water do fine


mass disease transfer is whats happening, notice these fish are getting weeks ~ 6 mos of live before keeling over

non cycled reef fish=dead in 48 hours.

two clowns from the pet store live about 80% of the time just fine skipping disease protocols if the reefer keeps a tidy well-fed tank. but who can stop there i ask you

dealing in pre-quarantined fish, and an able skip-cycler, I can't say its an all-bad technique. I saw six booths at aquashella dallas 2019 violating such wait laws, yet people were handing them wads of money.

should someone's first tank be a skip cycle dry rock fritz wet sand guaranteed cycle 8 mixed fish and we see how it goes?

no. it should be a reefbowl and a chunk of someone else's live rock and then you can break coral per gallon rules. wait on fish

 

[Auquanut]

It seems like all the products to speed cycles and overcome algae and problems has set the expectation that someone could have a tank that rivals a TOTM within a few months. Just sitting back and observing I think this touches on a topic I saw talked about shortly after joining, why folks leave the hobby so quickly.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Cell]

The real problem is the LFS and vendors misleading customers about cycling in order to sell more products. It's a pretty big disservice to the hobby imo.

 

[Auquanut]

The real problem is the LFS and vendors misleading customers about cycling in order to sell more products. It's a pretty big disservice to the hobby imo.

Agreed. When I bought my 1st biocube, I got everything I THOUGHT I needed to get started. Including buckets of RO and SW. The LFS wanted to send a clown with me. It was just uncertainty on my part that kept me from potentially causing harm to that fish. Of course, I didn't know about R2R then.

 

[BackToTheReef]

The real problem is the LFS and vendors misleading customers about cycling in order to sell more products. It's a pretty big disservice to the hobby imo.

I guess I was lucky in this respect. At the LFS I worked at our goal was to set customers up for long term success and not just schlep product. Our sales came because we tried to build a trust with our customer base and keep them in the hobby. Or at least that was how I remember it. Did we try to make a sale? Sure. Did we try to sell a widget, gadget, or elixir just to sell it? No.

We stressed patience and tried to set an expectation of how long it could take to have a successful tank. Granted, there are a lot more products these days and the market has shifted so would our mentality have been different now based on the market and our customer's expectations? Maybe.

 

[Auquanut]

I guess I was lucky in this respect. At the LFS I worked at our goal was to set customers up for long term success and not just schlep product. Our sales came because we tried to build a trust with our customer base and keep them in the hobby. Or at least that was how I remember it. Did we try to make a sale? Sure. Did we try to sell a widget, gadget, or elixir just to sell it? No.

We stressed patience and tried to set an expectation of how long it could take to have a successful tank. Granted, there are a lot more products these days and the market has shifted so would our mentality have been different now based on the market and our customer's expectations? Maybe.

I'm 100% with you on this. I trust my go to LFS completely. I think over the years they've talked me out more bonehead purchases than I can count.