New Tank Cycle

[fishscale1]

Question for you guys..I used Dr Tims One & Only and the Dr Tim’s Ammonia Chloride fishless method. The instructions were to add 4 drops of the ammonia chloride per gallon. I have a 20 gallon Waterbox. After doing so I’ve read reviews of insane ammonia spikes using the 4 drops per gallon!! Anybody have a negative experience using that method??

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Not sure, but I've had amazing success with Bio-spira and Marinepure media.

 

[fishscale1]

Someone at my LFS recommended BioSpira! Good to know. I’m using Marine Pure Gems as we speak. Would it hurt to add some Biospira?

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Someone at my LFS recommended BioSpira! Good to know. I’m using Marine Pure Gems as we speak. Would it hurt to add some Biospira?

Doubt it

 

[brandon429]

if you want a simple way to proceed as is, do this

add no ammonia.

add the Dr Tims


add in a ground up pinch of flake food, any brand/grind into powder, add into reef tank


let swirl 15 days


dont test for anything, this is testless cycling based on the ammonia line from a cycling chart which is correct (1o days)

we're going 15 days wait/+5 bc even if your bacteria is 99% dead, which it's not, this will cycle you.


you are done due to contact timing rules on day 15 and if I had to guess, actually by day 3 lol. 15 days wait, no test cycle, can't fail. study fish disease forum for fallow and quarantine rules: disease and acclimation errors kill initial fish, not cycling problems.

this PSA brought to you on behalf of updated cycling science 2022 lol
B

 

[brandon429]

cycles do not require testing when a known # of wait time days are given along with inoculation of bacteria and some high carbon feed. even if you dosed in the common way overdone ammonia as people do, we could easily wait the 15 days in the jacked up condition, change water, and all the cycle bac would be stuck to rocks. the carbon would have come from room contaminants and various micro inputs.

bottle bac is active in suspension right when you dump it in. it can handle immediate waste remediation via suspension processing/doesn't have to be stuck to surfaces, and this is why literally any thread you can read about fish-in cycles (day one fish with no 15 day wait) works just fine, nobody is losing fish to ammonia issues for the last several years. we're waiting to give actual implantation time onto surfaces, that way water changes and tank care can't undo your cycle. if you did a water change the same day after dosing the bac, it'd export it.

 

[Garf]

Question for you guys..I used Dr Tims One & Only and the Dr Tim’s Ammonia Chloride fishless method. The instructions were to add 4 drops of the ammonia chloride per gallon. I have a 20 gallon Waterbox. After doing so I’ve read reviews of insane ammonia spikes using the 4 drops per gallon!! Anybody have a negative experience using that method??

Even if your ammonia has been dosed a bit high it will just mean you’ll end up with higher nitrates eventually. It won’t stop the cycle happening, if that’s what you’re concerned about.

 

[Idech]

When I use Dr Tim I always divide the recommended dose by 3 or 4. The first time I used it, I got 8 ppm ammonia I think when I followed the instructions. Do a WC to get down to about 2 ppm and then dose a lot less.

There is a long thread on the subject on the forum. It’s a known fact. I don’t know why they don’t change the instructions.