New to reef keeping

[anthonyt987]

Hi all, starting a reef tank soon and was just wondering a bit about the process of cycling, maintenance etc.

I come from freshwater planted tanks so I know the basics of most things but from what I've read/watched maintenance seems a bit difference.

Usually in freshwater tanks you do multiple wc the first couple weeks due to the large amounts of nutrients being released by the aquasoil and typically you can add fish like say you use seachem stability but more issues come down the line as it just adds more waste for you to clean up.

Ive seen videos from reef builders where they add fish and corals all in a day and never did a wc for months. Seen a lot of folks say that reef tanks need longer cycling, usually 4 months before you add coral for maturity reasons I presume but also see people adding stuff as soon as the tank is cycled.

whats the best way to cycle a tank? fishless? fish in like what brs tv does? whens a good time to start adding corals? how much wc should you be doing weekly? Im used to 50% weekly for my freshwater tanks

 

[AlexStinson]

10% weekly is a good start, depending on aquarium size. I would go painfully slow starting out... some people who do speedy cycles are either less risk adverse, or have the experience and skillset that allows them to get away with it. Going with live sand, dry rock, bacteria starter and maybe some 'ghost feeding' has always been enough for me. I often will add a few hermits during the cycle so I am feeding something alive.

All said, I did the fancy high-tech planted tanks and frankly I find reefkeeping much easier, with a much better support system in both gear and research. Also.. I already have a lawn to mow... mowing a tank with a pair of scissors every week was quite a chore.

 

[Coralsdaily]

I.. don't even bother making water changes until I start putting things in. And I normally drop a bunch of hermit crabs right away to help establish the tank. they are bulletproof when it comes to water quality.

 

[Pistondog]

Hi all, starting a reef tank soon and was just wondering a bit about the process of cycling, maintenance etc.

I come from freshwater planted tanks so I know the basics of most things but from what I've read/watched maintenance seems a bit difference.

Usually in freshwater tanks you do multiple wc the first couple weeks due to the large amounts of nutrients being released by the aquasoil and typically you can add fish like say you use seachem stability but more issues come down the line as it just adds more waste for you to clean up.

Ive seen videos from reef builders where they add fish and corals all in a day and never did a wc for months. Seen a lot of folks say that reef tanks need longer cycling, usually 4 months before you add coral for maturity reasons I presume but also see people adding stuff as soon as the tank is cycled.

whats the best way to cycle a tank? fishless? fish in like what brs tv does? whens a good time to start adding corals? how much wc should you be doing weekly? Im used to 50% weekly for my freshwater tanks

Welcome Anthony,
Freshwater is a great start.
Someone will post the link to a good tank cycling method.
Or you can search cycle in upper right

 

[scabbedwings616]

Welcome

as for water changes 20 percent every two weeks is the normal for me. It keeps things good in my tank and things are very happy. I would wait two months before even doing a water change. Your tank needs to adjust to so many things and by not changing it will help out with the beneficial bacteria growth. It may become ugly but it is worth 5he wait.

 

[Tankkeepers]

Starting out I would agree to go very very slow it takes alot of know how to cycle a reef tank with everything from the start start with adding your live rock/base rock and sand if not going bare bottom and some sorce of ammonia weather its a products or food some use a piece of krill and let it break down once you have started the cycle dont add anything else untill you get 0 ammonia and nitrites and keep nitrates low then add 1 thing at a time and let the tank go threw each mini cycle compleatly before adding the next thing dont add corals untill at least the 3rd month as you want your microfauna established before you do and really a reef tank is still considered new even at 6 months

 

[Bfragale]

WELCOME! - saw your post on socalireefs- you will probably get much better response and feedback here. It’s MUCH more active and full of knowledgeable and friendly people. You came to the right place! The other forum has become more of a local reefing craigslist- there’s good deals on there but not nearly as many people to answer questions and provide guidance. In this hobby it’s good to have a mentor and r2r community has been like a mentor for me to learn from. The search will be your best friend: there are so many great things to learn from others experiences.
Good luck my friend!

 

[Anchor]

Welcome to R2R... we hope you enjoy the show.. Kind of like Sgt. Peppers.. but with fish.. and Corals.. and inverts.. But dont be afraid to ask questions.. and look around the forums.. LOTS of information in here. Some good, some marginal. but its part of the learning process.

 

[anthonyt987]

I know how cycling a tank works but it seems that reef/saltwater take longer? in freshwater I can easily do it in a week or less but obviously the bacteria colony probably isnt big enough to handle live stock. Lets say I cycled within a month would I still wait to add live stock or corals? or should I add fish for an ammonia source to keep feeding the bacteria rather than adding dr tims ammonium chloride?

I've seen youtubers/ instagram popular reefers add stuff once ammonia and nitrites hit 0