Saltwater cycling

[Emma_fish]

If it was me I would add a second full dose, maybe a bit more just 10%.
Then slowly add liquid ammonia keep testing it until you reach 1.0 but absolutely no more than 1.5.
Your LFS should carry a bottle of the stuff, Seachem does not make it that I know of but there is Dr. Tims, Brightwell, and others.
Keep the tank running as you will when you have fish.
Then wait for mother nature to work her magic.
When your testing reveals the following results,
0 ammonia
0 Nitrite
5-25 Nitrate
Its time to do enough of a water change and lower the Nitrites down by half.
Wait 24 hours and test everything again to make sure.

Then your ready to add your fish.
If you go this way then you can add the clown pair without issue.
Do your best to make sure they are a mated pair and healthy.
The eyes should be clear not cloudy.
The body should look good and smooth, no chunks, blemishes, or flaking.
There should be no white bumps on the body or fins
They should be breathing slowly, not panting.
They may stay in the same spot but clowns are always actively moving.

Ok sounds good I don’t have any liquid ammonia though but my question is will adding the colony ammonia speed up this process ?

 

[Emma_fish]

If it was me I would add a second full dose, maybe a bit more just 10%.
Then slowly add liquid ammonia keep testing it until you reach 1.0 but absolutely no more than 1.5.
Your LFS should carry a bottle of the stuff, Seachem does not make it that I know of but there is Dr. Tims, Brightwell, and others.
Keep the tank running as you will when you have fish.
Then wait for mother nature to work her magic.
When your testing reveals the following results,
0 ammonia
0 Nitrite
5-25 Nitrate
Its time to do enough of a water change and lower the Nitrites down by half.
Wait 24 hours and test everything again to make sure.

Then your ready to add your fish.
If you go this way then you can add the clown pair without issue.
Do your best to make sure they are a mated pair and healthy.
The eyes should be clear not cloudy.
The body should look good and smooth, no chunks, blemishes, or flaking.
There should be no white bumps on the body or fins
They should be breathing slowly, not panting.
They may stay in the same spot but clowns are always actively moving.

Like but I bought the bacteria in a bottle so that I could instantly cycle my tank? if I was going to have to wait anyway then I wouldn’t have bothered me

 

[Sick_man]

Just add fish food as an ammonia source and test from there. No bottle bacteria instantly cycles a tank like they say they do but they will speed up the process substantially.

To put it simply, just dump in the rest of the bottle and use fish food for ammonia and test everyday. You should be cycled in a week depending on how much bacteria you add.

This worked for me but I used a whole bottle of Bio-Spira on a 20 gal. I never used seachem but dr. tim's and biospira (made by the same guy) has a good reputation.

Just add the goby when your tank is cycled. Like the other guy said, they arent as hardy and are more likely to be hurt from ammonia but if your tank is cycled u wont have ammonia. I recommend this because I added my clownfish pair separately a week apart and they almost killed each other but made up.

Just remember, do not add any animal into the tank when you have ammonia or nitrite, that is as simple as I can put it. After adding the goby, wait a couple weeks and your bio-load will definitely be able to handle a pair of clowns.

 

[Emma_fish]

Just add fish food as an ammonia source and test from there. No bottle bacteria instantly cycles a tank like they say they do but they will speed up the process substantially.

To put it simply, just dump in the rest of the bottle and use fish food for ammonia and test everyday. You should be cycled in a week depending on how much bacteria you add.

This worked for me but I used a whole bottle of Bio-Spira on a 20 gal. I never used seachem but dr. tim's and biospira (made by the same guy) has a good reputation.

Just add the goby when your tank is cycled. Like the other guy said, they arent as hardy and are more likely to be hurt from ammonia but if your tank is cycled u wont have ammonia. I recommend this because I added my clownfish pair separately a week apart and they almost killed each other but made up.

Just remember, do not add any animal into the tank when you have ammonia or nitrite, that is as simple as I can put it. After adding the goby, wait a couple weeks and your bio-load will definitely be able to handle a pair of clowns.

Ok great this is what I needed thank you Are you sure I should add the whole bottle of sea hem I only have to add two capfuls 10mlfor my tank size and the bottle is like 100ml

 

[Sick_man]

Ok great this is what I needed thank you Are you sure I should add the whole bottle of sea hem I only have to add two capfuls 10mlfor my tank size and the bottle is like 100ml

Oh, for the bio-spira i added in the whole bottle since it was rated for 35 gallons and my tank is a 20. Add double the dose maybe and see how that works. You can't really overdose bacteria but too much of something is not usually a good thing. I'm reading the bottle and it says add a capful everyday for a week for every 20 gallons so I'd try that also.

 

[K7BMG]

Yes food, or a small table shrimp will work.
Just know that this method requires the aditional time for the food to breakdown and turn into ammonia, as well as not knowing the level of ammonia.

 

[Emma_fish]

Oh, for the bio-spira i added in the whole bottle since it was rated for 35 gallons and my tank is a 20. Add double the dose maybe and see how that works. You can't really overdose bacteria but too much of something is not usually a good thing. I'm reading the bottle and it says add a capful everyday for a week for every 20 gallons so I'd try that also.

Ok so I will add double the dose now and one half capful weekly until it is cycled properly ?

 

[Sick_man]

Ok so I will add double the dose now and one half capful weekly until it is cycled properly ?

It says one capful daily for a week. You can try doubling the dose if you want, nothing bad is going to happen if you do. Just crush up a bit of fish food in your finger so it breaks down a bit easier.

 

[Emma_fish]

It says one capful daily for a week. You can try doubling the dose if you want, nothing bad is going to happen if you do. Just crush up a bit of fish food in your finger so it breaks down a bit easier.

Yea ok just to be clear I am using the seachem stability product int he picture and can I use the colony alongside it ?

 

[Sick_man]

Yea ok just to be clear I am using the seachem stability product int he picture and can I use the colony alongside it ?


[/QUOT

Yea ok just to be clear I am using the seachem stability product int he picture and can I use the colony alongside it ?

You have been mentioning colony this whole time and I dont know what you are talking about

 

[Sick_man]

I thought that the seachem was the bacterial colony you were talking about

 

[K7BMG]

Me too

 

[Emma_fish]

I thought that the seachem was the bacterial colony you were talking about

Oh sorry I just assumed you would know as it it quite popular

 

[K7BMG]

I have never come across that product here in the US.

 

[TheXpander]

This has been an interesting thread to follow, how is the tank doing now?

 

[Emma_fish]

This has been an interesting thread to follow, how is the tank doing now?

The tank is doing well I just have two clowns in at the minute but planning on getting some snails and hermits very soon , I want to get some corals in a few weeks or so and I will have to think more about the other stocking because I really can’t decide on it

 

[Jonas Bergkvist]

The tank is doing well I just have two clowns in at the minute but planning on getting some snails and hermits very soon , I want to get some corals in a few weeks or so and I will have to think more about the other stocking because I really can’t decide on it

Good to hear that everything is working out for you. If i were you i would add just a couple of snails and hermit crabs. The longer you wait the safer it gets.

About the corals - i heard they can be pretty picky with water parameters, and also lighting. Do read carefully about the coral that you are interested in before you get it. It might save you some money in the end, because if they die they will just release more ammonia into your tank, and you do not want that now that your tank is so newly started. It could kill your fish.

In your case i would wait for atleast another month before i got any corals (maybe softies would be best), but i am far from an expert on this..... but over the years i have learned that it is good to think twice and buy once. Have patience

Good luck!

 

[Emma_fish]

Good to hear that everything is working out for you. If i were you i would add just a couple of snails and hermit crabs. The longer you wait the safer it gets.

About the corals - i heard they can be pretty picky with water parameters, and also lighting. Do read carefully about the coral that you are interested in before you get it. It might save you some money in the end, because if they die they will just release more ammonia into your tank, and you do not want that now that your tank is so newly started. It could kill your fish.

In your case i would wait for atleast another month before i got any corals (maybe softies would be best), but i am far from an expert on this..... but over the years i have learned that it is good to think twice and buy once. Have patience

Good luck!

Sounds good thanks for your help

 

[Emma_fish]

Ok I want to get some hermits and crabs tomorrow as I am now available so I can I don’t know what kind of hermits and snails I want I don’t want snails that will climb out of the tank and I want snails that can right themselves for hermits I want some smaller ones and some bigger ones what do you suggest ?