How Do I know if I am cycled?

[RoryJ]

I have done a fishless cycle with ammonia and bacteria, no live rock or sand..My levels were:
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
80 nitrate
So i brought ammonia up to 2ppm yesterday evening, i checked today around 1pm just out of curiosity and ammonia about 1ppm, so assuming by tonight should be 0..Will i be cycled then?..My tank is crystal clear and not a single sign of algae or diatoms..I have been cycling about 30 days this thursday.

 

[Mike N]

Can you share some details about your tank and and equipment. What are you using for biofiltration? You using dry rock?

 

[Travis91]

If you dose up to 2ppm ammonia and read 0 with 0 nitrites as well within 12 hours. You should be cycled. Also diatoms and algae will come in time. The sand will have silicates in it unless you washed it out with with RO/DI water. But maybe not. But if your tank can eat the ammonia overnight with 0 nitrites you should be good to go!!! What are all the parameters? What mechanical filtration are you using?

 

[RoryJ]

Its 110 with dry rock and sand, using a W/D sytem, no protein skimmer yet..My ammonia was still present about 15 hrs later

 

[RoryJ]

^BUMP^

 

[Mike N]

Like Travis91 said, you want your system to be able to take 2ppm ammonia to zero within 12 hours. You're close.

 

[RoryJ]

Like Travis91 said, you want your system to be able to take 2ppm ammonia to zero within 12 hours. You're close.

In 12 Hours?..I thought it was 24 Hours?

 

[Tokash23]

Thought it was 24 as well hmm...

 

[Mike N]

Yeah, 24 hours is correct. Blame it on Travis

 

[Brew12]

I would say that neither 12 hours nor 24 hours are correct. A tank is never really "cycled". All we are doing is trying to ensure we have enough nitrifying bacteria to consume ammonia for a given bioload in our aquariums. We can't exactly count the bacteria so instead we check by seeing how quickly it consumes ammonia.

Aquarium size matters. A pair of clown fish and the associated feedings will put roughly the same amount of ammonia into the water regardless if you put it in a 20g aquarium or a 200g aquarium. Dosing up to 2ppm in a 200g aquarium adds much more ammonia to a system than 2ppm in a 20g system.

If a 200g aquarium can process 1ppm ammonia in 48 hours it will safely handle more fish than a 20g aquarium that can process 2ppm ammonia in 12 hours.

I hope I explained that well enough.

So if I understand correctly that this is a 110g tank and it processed 1ppm ammonia in 24 hours it is safe to start adding smaller fish once the ammonia drops to 0ppm. However, if this is a 20 gallon tank I would wait until it could process 2ppm ammonia in 12 hours before adding a pair of clowns (or much of anything else).

 

[Tokash23]

alot to take into consideration there good stuff

 

[RoryJ]

I would say that neither 12 hours nor 24 hours are correct. A tank is never really "cycled". All we are doing is trying to ensure we have enough nitrifying bacteria to consume ammonia for a given bioload in our aquariums. We can't exactly count the bacteria so instead we check by seeing how quickly it consumes ammonia.

Aquarium size matters. A pair of clown fish and the associated feedings will put roughly the same amount of ammonia into the water regardless if you put it in a 20g aquarium or a 200g aquarium. Dosing up to 2ppm in a 200g aquarium adds much more ammonia to a system than 2ppm in a 20g system.

If a 200g aquarium can process 1ppm ammonia in 48 hours it will safely handle more fish than a 20g aquarium that can process 2ppm ammonia in 12 hours.

I hope I explained that well enough.

So if I understand correctly that this is a 110g tank and it processed 1ppm ammonia in 24 hours it is safe to start adding smaller fish once the ammonia drops to 0ppm. However, if this is a 20 gallon tank I would wait until it could process 2ppm ammonia in 12 hours before adding a pair of clowns (or much of anything else).

Thanks for the info, very well explained..With that being said what kind of bioload could i start off with..110 gallons

 

[Brew12]

Thanks for the info, very well explained..With that being said what kind of bioload could i start off with..110 gallons

I always believe you should start with the smallest most peaceful animals first and gradually add the larger and more aggressive ones as you go. Not knowing your desired stocking list it is hard for me to make a recommendation. You also need to take into account that some fish will need a more mature tank to thrive.

 

[RoryJ]

I always believe you should start with the smallest most peaceful animals first and gradually add the larger and more aggressive ones as you go. Not knowing your desired stocking list it is hard for me to make a recommendation. You also need to take into account that some fish will need a more mature tank to thrive.

Was thinking of a pair of clowns, and going from there..I want to add a CUC but i have absolutely no algae or diatoms..looking to do a peaceful tank with the possibility of adding some corals down the road

 

[Brew12]

You will be fine adding a pair of clowns. Add you CuC when they have something to eat.

 

[cracker]

Thanks for this thread. It has helped me with my new tank.

 

[RoryJ]

What else would be good with a pair of clowns?..

 

[Brew12]

What else would be good with a pair of clowns?..

As long as you go with a more peaceful pair of clowns like Ocellaris, just about anything. If you want Tomato clowns you will need to go with more aggressive fish.

I recommend figuring out if there are any fish you really want and work backward to pick out everything that will go with them. Going to an online website like this one http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15 are great for helping figure out what you want.

You can go to this thread to ask about compatibility issues or browse through it to see what other people put together in their tanks.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/n...ere-and-well-help.200605/page-87#post-3720542

 

[cracker]

By shear coincidence I ended up with a pair of clowns as my 1st fish ! LOL

 

[Brew12]

By shear coincidence I ended up with a pair of clowns as my 1st fish ! LOL

They are a great first fish. Most people want a pair anyway. They ten to be peaceful enough to go with just about any other fish. Being damsels, they are very easy fish to keep and feed. Great for a new tank or someone new to the hobby.