So I had silversides in my freezer that I feed my piranha In another tank and instead of using shrimp, I put one in my 125 gallon tank to start cycle. I have been soaking rocks in heated circulated salt water for over a month but now I put in tank with everything running (no fish or coral). I put the fish in in filter soak so I can gather the pieces when decomposes. First, does anybody see problem with this and more importantly how much / many fish should I put in? Also do I continue to add more fish often as the Amon is started to rise but not by much? Thanks for help. I did not use native ammonia as I wasn’t going to be around each day to timely add.
Question on fishless cycle using dead fish
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Yes it will work as is, contact time underwater is the important part, not levels. Has this rotting meat been in the tank whole time, or just recently
One fish vs 4 fish decaying won't speed up things, so it's nice to know you don't have to be exacting at all. Ideally if you are in no rush, anytime a new setup sits circulating for 30-40 days with any form of booster, at the end of the wait we just change water to export metabolites from the cycle and begin with corals and cuc. When you need a 4-10 day cycle, we test for exacting params and dose bottle bac. You imported bac, and bac feed, by using those fish. Even though they're frozen, nitrifers still get in, we cannot prep a tank for use and them not get in, they get in even if you don't add fish or bottle bac, those are just boosting sources
One fish vs 4 fish decaying won't speed up things, so it's nice to know you don't have to be exacting at all. Ideally if you are in no rush, anytime a new setup sits circulating for 30-40 days with any form of booster, at the end of the wait we just change water to export metabolites from the cycle and begin with corals and cuc. When you need a 4-10 day cycle, we test for exacting params and dose bottle bac. You imported bac, and bac feed, by using those fish. Even though they're frozen, nitrifers still get in, we cannot prep a tank for use and them not get in, they get in even if you don't add fish or bottle bac, those are just boosting sources
That's good, minor buildup has already occurred on rocks stewing underwater 30 days, now the boost begins. Dump in any brand bottle of bottle bac, wait about ten days, change water, go 
It's not really going away, it's denaturing into portions into the water that feed bac even if we can't see fish any longer, it's ok to add another fish or not-the bottle bac is better choice +10 more days as a safe guess. This will work regardless of your levels, it's time dependent cycling/solid.
It's not really going away, it's denaturing into portions into the water that feed bac even if we can't see fish any longer, it's ok to add another fish or not-the bottle bac is better choice +10 more days as a safe guess. This will work regardless of your levels, it's time dependent cycling/solid.
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moz71
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Great thanks. I did put in a bottle of bio spira when seated the soak last month. Should I put in another one or should be good? I just never put in the feed. So wasn’t sure if that was right. I am patient. But tank looking good and wanting fish. Lol.
Knowing that detail its ok to just cruise as is with a fish or two. Anywhere near end of month, change as much tank water as you can so algae fuel is less, then start lightly and test ammonia levels it'll pass. No need to add anything
Isn't it neat how cycling is time based/water presence based and it doesn't have to be tedious testing and reaction -if- someone merely has 30-40 days to wait with any form of boosting, even guess levels, it can't not cycle
Only the speedy fast demand ones vary.
a testless cycle in the chem forum, they didn't drum us out ha
Only the speedy fast demand ones vary.
a testless cycle in the chem forum, they didn't drum us out ha
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moz71
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Cool! great! thank you so much. I do love all this stuff. Basically on plan you describe The one thing I wasn’t planning on was doing complete water change. Thanks for that. Will let you know how it goes
Even that is debatable by some, as ammonia won't be an issue after that long but it's that early algae fuel we're exporting ideally. That's a big tank, if water change is huge work just run a poly filter designed to scrub nitrate a while/viable stand in for large water tank work/same ends.
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I don't really have anything of value to add. I just spend a lot of time reading posts to build up my knowledge. I thought it was funny that it technically isn't a fishless cycle, it's more of a dead fish cycle!? Haha Ok, that was my dad joke for the day.
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moz71
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Lol! Didn’t even catch that myself.
Brandon. I can do a water change but does sound easier with nitrate filter. I do like the idea of keeping those nitrates down early as possible so algae doesn’t go crazy during the maturationof the tank. It would be nice to keep the algae to minimum as much as possible and early as possible
Brandon. I can do a water change but does sound easier with nitrate filter. I do like the idea of keeping those nitrates down early as possible so algae doesn’t go crazy during the maturationof the tank. It would be nice to keep the algae to minimum as much as possible and early as possible
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
I like to summarize our findings in that cycling thread, saves having to read seventeen pages. we consider it vital to not let algae build up in the typical manner and then work retro for weeks trying to take back ground.
I like to summarize our findings in that cycling thread, saves having to read seventeen pages. we consider it vital to not let algae build up in the typical manner and then work retro for weeks trying to take back ground.
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moz71
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Brandon. Reading the attachments now but one more thing I remembered. When I bought this used set up I had bleached,all the dry rock he had but he also had about 20 lbs of live rock still in the tank. I kept that rock also in another salt water heated container for about 4 months. I then put that with the bio spira in a really large container a month ago with all the rest. I am not being impatient but would that allow me to put in any live creatures earlier? I guess a mixed bag of mature rock and curing dry rock. Thoughts. Still will do water change. Or need to wait for whole thing to catch up. Thoughts.
Good details, yes indeed the secondary heart of the thread is that moving live rocks among tanks never ever decreases bacteria when in the new setup.
Most people would assume the move is an insult, it’s not, and to get lowered bacterial colonies on live rock you’d have to medicate it or subject it to unreasonable handling and storage which you didn’t do.
Whether you fed the live rock during storage doesn’t matter, the bac sustain years if just kept wet. (What we were boosting above was the initial adhering of bac to surface as I’d read, but once adhered on the live rock component here it changes into no support needed, only water, bac been fine for millenia without us)
Your tank can support the amount of life that the true live rock base component can support, right now.
People hate to see speed up advice... but it’s a fair and ethical inquiry cuz we know you aren’t dumping nine tangs in tonite. Making use of biology within reason is why we tinker, most certainly if you want to handle this tank like the mixed cycle portion of that thread you sure can. The little bit of fish decay is harmless, we all lose a fish a time or two. Pull the rotting fish, crank skimmer, get to reefing lightly then yep.
By not dumping in tons of chems, testing, blasting ammonia you’ve kept a useable water table. Put in some clean up crew members and a couple simple corals, nothing cra, under those cannon lights and blue them up big time on a nice low setting. It’ll work, and it’s ethical says the guy who’s whole reef life is a fishbowl.
Most people would assume the move is an insult, it’s not, and to get lowered bacterial colonies on live rock you’d have to medicate it or subject it to unreasonable handling and storage which you didn’t do.
Whether you fed the live rock during storage doesn’t matter, the bac sustain years if just kept wet. (What we were boosting above was the initial adhering of bac to surface as I’d read, but once adhered on the live rock component here it changes into no support needed, only water, bac been fine for millenia without us)
Your tank can support the amount of life that the true live rock base component can support, right now.
People hate to see speed up advice... but it’s a fair and ethical inquiry cuz we know you aren’t dumping nine tangs in tonite. Making use of biology within reason is why we tinker, most certainly if you want to handle this tank like the mixed cycle portion of that thread you sure can. The little bit of fish decay is harmless, we all lose a fish a time or two. Pull the rotting fish, crank skimmer, get to reefing lightly then yep.
By not dumping in tons of chems, testing, blasting ammonia you’ve kept a useable water table. Put in some clean up crew members and a couple simple corals, nothing cra, under those cannon lights and blue them up big time on a nice low setting. It’ll work, and it’s ethical says the guy who’s whole reef life is a fishbowl.
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Cycling a tank is the biggest snoozefest in reefing. That you’d want to forego some of the formality I identify with fully. If you’ll add some low - waste reasonable additions, light rule breaking we’ll add the thread to our cycling thread to track its history in the prediction that inputting a few snails or crabs or cheap zoanthids or mushrooms in a blended cycle setup works just fine
You still need to wait close to ten days to start loading, but you can enjoy some visuals in the meantime I’m sure of it.
As soon as you add any life form to the tank, that extra new surface area will catch up fast, just like if the fish meat was rotting.
we’ll add the thread to our cycling thread to track its history in the prediction that inputting a few snails or crabs or cheap zoanthids or mushrooms in a blended cycle setup works just fineYou still need to wait close to ten days to start loading, but you can enjoy some visuals in the meantime I’m sure of it.
As soon as you add any life form to the tank, that extra new surface area will catch up fast, just like if the fish meat was rotting.
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moz71
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Can’t thank you enough clear and concise advise. I do not want to take it fast. You actually answered a question I had that I did not ask yet. I also kept a bunch of hermit crabs he had in a small tank with one live rock and they have been doing great since I picked up months ago so I take I can put them in. But need to investigate one thing. One is a thin lined hermit crab and not sure I should add. Anyway. Slow and steady advise and put those in a maybe pick up a little coral for a bit. Two that little tank is vet mature as it is growing coralline algae. Maybe that will be a future QT. LOL
I'm not too good at species-specific details on cuc but as a cycle ref ️ I'll state with details provided this tank can manage a reasonable invert bioload now, and ethically done. It's specifically matching a bioload to a filter, fish are the only real challenge or questionable rush... But some simple corals and crabs, some macro algae and or some live sand bugs added- it's a fine time to add. These are early reef colonizers
we made that thread to collect and review such examples. Well done I can tell youre a strong aquarist, we communicate well on the matter and that tank shows deft planning and execution
I want a piranha for sure always been a goal of mine. We just keep pacu here and imagine if they were
we made that thread to collect and review such examples. Well done I can tell youre a strong aquarist, we communicate well on the matter and that tank shows deft planning and execution
I want a piranha for sure always been a goal of mine. We just keep pacu here and imagine if they were
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moz71
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Thanks. Nice chatting with you aw well. Took careful planning this tank over last couple months. Regarding the piranha, I have had him for seven years. When I got him he was the size of a quarter and purchased four of them. Unfortunately he ended up eating all his brothers and now size of small dinner plate. The only issue I have with him is I need to keep buying bigger tanks. Lol
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I am in the middle of a fishless cycle right now. I tossed a shrimp (after peeling the shell off) from the local grocery store in the sump. in three weeks the Ammonia spiked and now is undetectable. Nitrite went off chart and now is 0.02. Nitrate went up to 50 and is now at 10. In my personal opinion, a fishless cycle builds stronger bacteria as the levels get much higher then fish could survive and it is more humane....unless your the shrimp I got from Safeway. I am using a small weekly water change to control nitrates at this point. Keeps the ugly stage part of starting a tank shorter.
