So this is a loaded Question?

[Clinton D Toney]

How many corals can you safely add to a fully cycled Aquarium at a time and how long should you wait to put more? Also, whats your definition of a fully cycled aquarium? Also, also, How do you know when the aquarium is fully cycled? FYI, reef aquarium.Ready go.

 

[tdileo]

The cycle question alone is a loaded question. There are so many factors, but typically I would say past the 6 month mark. Even then there will still be fluctuations and settling in though. Once you’re at that point, feel free to add as many corals as you want provided you have enough space between them that they need. Just keep up with the element consumption the extra corals will add.

 

[Razz]

I'm not sure most tanks are "fully" cycled....Most know about the basic cycle....Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate....but then the uglies come, which is another "cycle" in the tank....lol...I think most tanks are constantly "cycling" in one form or another...

 

[wesman42]

How many corals can you safely add to a fully cycled Aquarium at a time and how long should you wait to put more? Also, whats your definition of a fully cycled aquarium? Also, also, How do you know when the aquarium is fully cycled? FYI, reef aquarium.Ready go.

Well, there are a lot of complex things that determine how many corals to keep in a saltwater tank. Browsing through the forums is a great resource, as is Google.

The number of corals is certainly loaded because it depends on how much work (and money) you're willing to put into the tank to provide the proper conditions.

An aquarium cycle is referring to the nitrogen cycle that every aquarium must undergo. This usually involves an ammonia source that's converted from ammonia -> nitrites -> nitrates and then hopefully consumed by coral or exported with tank water changes.

It's considered fully cycled when you can no longer register any ammonia using a test kit (and knowing that there is a consistent supply of ammonia already such as fish waste). This tells you the bacteria in the tank are established.

 

[Clinton D Toney]

I'm not sure most tanks are "fully" cycled....Most know about the basic cycle....Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate....but then the uglies come, which is another "cycle" in the tank....lol...I think most tanks are constantly "cycling" in one form or another...

That's the answer that i wanted to get but, can someone go deeper into the cycle?

 

[Clinton D Toney]

Well, there are a lot of complex things that determine how many corals to keep in a saltwater tank. Browsing through the forums is a great resource, as is Google.

The number of corals is certainly loaded because it depends on how much work (and money) you're willing to put into the tank to provide the proper conditions.

An aquarium cycle is referring to the nitrogen cycle that every aquarium must undergo. This usually involves an ammonia source that's converted from ammonia -> nitrites -> nitrates and then hopefully consumed by coral or exported with tank water changes.

It's considered fully cycled when you can no longer register any ammonia using a test kit (and knowing that there is a consistent supply of ammonia already such as fish waste). This tells you the bacteria in the tank are established.

You know i hear so much about N2 but i rarely hear about Hydrogen?

 

[Razz]

I don't have a real answer to that, honestly, but I can say that corals don't really add to the bioload in my experience so I'd say that you could add as many as you want ASSUMING that you have the room for their growing out and more importantly, the water quality...this is just an opinion from an uneducated guy, so take it for what it's worth...

 

[VR28man]

I would say a cycled aquarium is one that's gone through the nitrifying cycle, denitrfying cycle (reliably turning nitrates to O2), and algae cycle (diatoms-cyano-green algae-coralline). It is stably growing coraline algae.

It would seem that until you're reliably growing coraline one would best hold off growing SPS or LPS.....

 

[Blastonator]

If your tank is actually cycled, you can add corals immediately. But if you also add fish, your bioload may or may not keep up. Even if you only add corals your tank, it will run through a variety of phases that include algae outbreaks when it is new. The algae will compete with the corals for growth. Not only in consuming nutrients but also in competing for space on your rock work. I would suggest going with easy corals at first, a couple maybe. Wait a couple weeks then add some more of different variety.

I'd start with softies: mushrooms, zoas and leathers. Then the LPS, which are soft but also have skeletal structures: torch/hammer/frogspawn, acans, trumpets. If you're having success still go with SPS corals: red monti caps are a good starter. But keep in mind you've gotta monitor calcium and alkalinity for skeletal growth.

With that said, if you're asking this question to strangers on the internet, you need to ask yourself; how much money can I afford to throw down the toilet? Because I have a great answer. Buy lottery tickets with that money. You'll get a better return on your investment. Especially if your tank is not cycled and the hundreds of dollars you just spent on corals dies in front of your eyes. I could elaborate but it gets real dark from here. Just stay away from any coral that's deemed 'master' or 'ultra' for the time being and don't spend more money than you'd be upset over losing. Good luck.

 

[Lasse]

Basic cycle - 3 - 4 weeks if it is done the right way. However - a stable aquarium with all biological processes running as it should suiting the most delicate coral species may never happens for many years, especially today there fast fixes and twerking is the most normal way of running a reef. Photosynthetic corals is mostly primary producers - it means - they do not rise the bio load (over a 24 hours period) - they reduce the bio load instead per day. A well established aquaria with a lot of photosynthetic corals will sooner or later run from to much nutrient to a state with to low nutrients. To come to this point - it takes time - my last build come to this turning point after 20 months. During the time - I build up my coral population - let the old grow up and tried to establish new one that i want. However - sometimes - and with some corals - it does not work and the only solution is to let that (or theses) species out of the current aquaria.

During the 20 months - I have used many known tricks to have the water in "lagom" condition for most corals. I always start my aquaria with softies like mushrooms and GSP (briarum sp) and ad some LPS. After a while adding easy SPS as montys and bird nest.

Please se my build thread for the development of my current aquaria

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Gahngoo]

How many corals can you safely add to a fully cycled Aquarium at a time and how long should you wait to put more? Also, whats your definition of a fully cycled aquarium? Also, also, How do you know when the aquarium is fully cycled? FYI, reef aquarium.Ready go.

Answer: "ALL OF THEM!!!"

 

[tigé21v]

How about a curve ball?
https://reefbuilders.com/2018/04/20...i-cycle-a-reef-tank-before-putting-corals-in/

 

[Blastonator]

How about a curve ball?
https://reefbuilders.com/2018/04/20...i-cycle-a-reef-tank-before-putting-corals-in/

I agree with this but I'm skeptical of the practice for one reason; algae outbreaks. There's a lfs near me that keeps doing this. They're expanding and keep setting up tanks and stocking with corals immediately. All of their frag plugs are infested with all kinds of algae. They come in white but don't stay that way long. I won't buy corals from them for that reason alone. I realize this may not always be the case but unless I already have some corals to move from an existing tank, I'm not going to buy a bunch of corals and put them in fresh mixed saltwater. It makes sense to do that at a frag swap but that's about it.

 

[Bill from OZ]

You can add lots of expensive corals the day you set up your tank do tons of maintenance and take notes which ones live and die. Or you can wait the six weeks or so for the nitrogen cycle to complete, add a bunch of corals, and watch your beauties compete to live through the subsequent algae and dino blooms.

The only good advice for a newbie with a new tank is "be patient". Start with easier corals as others have said. Work your way up. Its enough to figure out the ins and outs of a new tank without having to figure out when and how much to dose trace elements.

My fist tank I pulled my hair out battling algae for the better part of a year with "perfect" water quality. It can be difficult to test for nutrients that are being gobbled up by algae! Sometimes the process of elimination is required to figure out a problem. Now add some corals that are unhappy. Is it the lighting, flow, salinity, high nutrients, low elements, pests, tank placement, feeding regiment, etc... Now watch your $100 coral die slowly while you figure it out.

Point being, there are too many variables to get dialed in with a new tank to properly care for difficult corals. Sofies are OK early. Get comfortable with your system. Get past the blooms and fluctuations. Then add your LPS. Slowly. Get comfortable with caring for LPS before moving to SPS. There will be fewer deaths and less frustration with this method.

 

[TetoCCB]

How about a curve ball?
https://reefbuilders.com/2018/04/20...i-cycle-a-reef-tank-before-putting-corals-in/

It would seem that livestock/organisms that don’t consume ammonia directly would be at a disadvantage due to the low levels of nitrates in an uncycled aquarium...

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Trick question.

What coral?

300 acros at once would be bad. (Alk)
300 zoas not so much.
300 shrooms , what is this ? 2005?


And some (most all Esp wild and mariculture) will give of toxin , Chem warfare.

 

[Lasse]

It would seem that livestock/organisms that don’t consume ammonia directly would be at a disadvantage due to the low levels of nitrates in an uncycled aquarium...

Every photosynthetic coral will probably prefer NH4/NH3 before NO3 - IMO - there is no problem (according to nutrients) to ad corals in a early stage. However - there can be other water parameters that matter - maybe a question of stability.

Trick question.

What coral?

300 acros at once would be bad. (Alk)
300 zoas not so much.
300 shrooms , what is this ? 2005?


And some (most all Esp wild and mariculture) will give of toxin , Chem warfare.

I prefer to start with "easy" corals and they normally do not follow ours criteria as LPS, softies, SPS, mushrooms and zoas. There is easy corals in all groups. And for me - 2005 was not a bad year

Sincerely Lasse