New starter Cycle time

[CJoe]

Hi am new to all this, have bought a 90l tank filled with RO water and live rock with sand in. How long before anything else goes in and how to test water. Any advice please.

 

[cameronh]

First off you wanna get a test kit, cycling can take some time and there are a few ways you can go about doing it. The first option would be ghost feeding (feeding nothing) second option you can put a dead shrimp in (prawn I think they are called). The first thing you will notice when testing is your ammonia levels will rise, and that will be the start of your cycle, followed by other levels rising. Then when all levels have returned to where they are supposed to be, your tank has cycled. Then you can start adding. Hope this helps! And welcome to reef2reef!

 

[CJoe]

Thanks for your helpful reply, any testing kit or can you recommend one.Thanks

 

[cameronh]

I here the red sea test kits are really good. If money is an option you can go with the api saltwater master kit and it includes your ammonia, nitrate, nitrites and high range ph. It's about 30 dollars. I use sera but you have to buy all of them seperately.

 

[cameronh]

Api isn't the greatest but it does work. I checked it against a red sea test kit at my local fish store and they were about on the money. Maybe 0.001 off lol.

 

[cameronh]

Was the live rock you put in cured or dry?

 

[CJoe]

Thanks again I'm in UK so have to see what's here. Live rock was cured.

 

[cameronh]

Thanks again I'm in UK so have to see what's here. Live rock was cured.

Ok cool, then that will help speed your cycle up! Be sure to start a thread with the progress of your tank! Good luck, and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Any and all questions are welcome