New reeffer and tank cycling plan.

[mikus]

Hi all. This is my first tank build, and am hopeful for some helpful advice and/or any tips/info anyone would like to share. I began this journey approximately a year ago when I bought a 120gal display tank and cut a hole in my wall to fit it in! At which time, I was committed, and had no idea what I was in for! Finally, after a year of building the tank housing, acquiring equipment, research ( lots and lots of research), plumbing, and rodi/mixing station setup among many other things, I finally have water in the tank and am ready to start cycling! (or so I think?) So I am running a 120 gal display, ghost overflow (set up bean style w/ 1.5" overflows, 1 main gated, 2nd open 90, 3rd straight emergency), 55 gal breeder custom sump ( 1st section has main and secondary overflows + Fuge w/ kessil h380, roughly 1/2 total sump size or 25-27gal and no filter socks. Overflowing in to a 2 1/4" baffle with egg crate and filter floss which then underflows into the skimmer section (red sea 300 platformed to 6" water depth w/ 2 finnex 500w heaters below, one main, 2nd being backup)), then final overflow into return containing 1 COR20 as main return and a Neptune ATK. Apex is up and running with all levels within acceptable limits. With exception of my salinity probe. I can not get it to calibrate, although it is registering a consistent reading at 43 +- a few 10ths over a few days of running. I am using my Milwaukee refractometer to measure my tank water using 35ppt calibration solution, tank water is stable at 35ppt per several tests a day, so I am just using the apex salinity probe to check for variations as of now until I can find a fix. Probe will not even pass through "dry calibration" before moving onto 2nd solution calibration. Any known problems with this?? Maybe a bad probe even though its giving consistent readings? With all that being said, I have my dry rock display (roughly 120lbs) set up on a template, and am ready to use the Aguavitro Bond to secure it in several manageable sections. I'm sure that process will take me a few days to complete. Once done, I plan to install the aqua scape, wait a day or two to let the particulates settle, siphon them out through the filter floss in my sump, then immediately change the floss (I'm going bare bottom). Then planning on dosing my bacteria. I have two, and not sure which one I should start with/use? Dr. Tims one and only, ordered online and got to the house where it sat outside for half a day in approx. 80 degree heat and bottles were quite warm to the touch but were transferred to fridge quickly, and the other being aquavitro seed bought from my local aquarium store. Any recommendations?? Once that's decided, through much research, it seems dosing pure ammonia is the most reliable and controllable source to feed the bacteria. So I'm planning on starting out with a 2ppm dose until ammonia reads zero, then dose 1ppm and test daily till the ammonia reads 0ppm in 24hrs. I figure the cycle should be complete at that time. However, I'm not sure at what point I should begin to add my pods, cheato, and light the fuge. Additionally, at which point should I put my skimmer online? Any help/tips/comments would be greatly appreciated! Thanks all for reading.

 

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