Starting new saltwater tank

[Rjones1124]

Hi im brand new to cycling a saltwater tank i have a 75 gallon tank i bought aragonite sand and about 30 pounds of dry rock and 2 pounds of actual live rock i bought from my saltwater pet store i also have 2 clownfish and a 6 striped wrasse to help with the cycle ive had it going for 1 week now i checked the water parameters lastnight and everything was ok the ammonia level worried me it was at 0.5ppm i got scared and wemt back to the fish store and bought dr tims one and only live nitrifying bacteria hoping this will help with the ammonia level i havent added it yet i have a top fin pro 120 canister filter on on the tank my friend who has a reef tank told me i shouldnt be running my filter at all while its cycling im having a hard time believing that but im not sure cause his tank is beautiful plz help what should i do and should i take my filter pads out of my filter before adding the dr tims thanks in advance plz let me know asap

 

[Impala67]

Hi im brand new to cycling a saltwater tank i have a 75 gallon tank i bought aragonite sand and about 30 pounds of dry rock and 2 pounds of actual live rock i bought from my saltwater pet store i also have 2 clownfish and a 6 striped wrasse to help with the cycle ive had it going for 1 week now i checked the water parameters lastnight and everything was ok the ammonia level worried me it was at 0.5ppm i got scared and wemt back to the fish store and bought dr tims one and only live nitrifying bacteria hoping this will help with the ammonia level i havent added it yet i have a top fin pro 120 canister filter on on the tank my friend who has a reef tank told me i shouldnt be running my filter at all while its cycling im having a hard time believing that but im not sure cause his tank is beautiful plz help what should i do and should i take my filter pads out of my filter before adding the dr tims thanks in advance plz let me know asap

Well first of all I would never!!!!! Ever!!!!!! Under any circumstance add a 6 line or a clownfish to a brand new tank!!! You either need to get your money back or give them to a friend because that was a mistake. As far as the filtering goes you want to run it so it can establish it’s self! I would take the fish out immediately and then I would do what’s called ghost feeding which is where you add bits of food every day like your feeding your fish. It will take about two weeks for you to have enough ammonia and bacteria to get things on the road I wouldn’t add fish for at least a month or two!! As far as adding the dr Tim’s I wouldn’t add that if you have fish in the tank you can add it when there out because your parameters are going to go everywhere!!

 

[Cell]

You are fine. Keep monitoring ammonia levels for any change, you may be registering a false positive. The 2 lb's of live rock will seed the rest, in this case you also then added bottled bac so you are plenty covered. A water change never hurts.

I would keep the canister running.

 

[Rjones1124]

Well first of all I would never!!!!! Ever!!!!!! Under any circumstance add a 6 line or a clownfish to a brand new tank!!! You either need to get your money back or give them to a friend because that was a mistake. As far as the filtering goes you want to run it so it can establish it’s self! I would take the fish out immediately and then I would do what’s called ghost feeding which is where you add bits of food every day like your feeding your fish. It will take about two weeks for you to have enough ammonia and bacteria to get things on the road I wouldn’t add fish for at least a month or two!! As far as adding the dr Tim’s I wouldn’t add that if you have fish in the tank you can add it when there out because your parameters are going to go everywhere!!

I understand ur concern on adding fish to a new tank but ive seen so many people that do whats called a "cycle with fish" and they say clownfish are the best fish to do it with the 6 line wrasse ehh maybe i shouldnt have done that ill admit i have trouble be patient but its trial and error and my fish are doin fine i also am what some would call overly worried so the 0.5ppm ammonia level kinda scared me but after alot of reading and talking to people they say im fine but thank u very much for the reply ill keep everyone updated on how everything goes

 

[CocoReef]

I understand ur concern on adding fish to a new tank but ive seen so many people that do whats called a "cycle with fish" and they say clownfish are the best fish to do it with the 6 line wrasse ehh maybe i shouldnt have done that ill admit i have trouble be patient but its trial and error and my fish are doin fine i also am what some would call overly worried so the 0.5ppm ammonia level kinda scared me but after alot of reading and talking to people they say im fine but thank u very much for the reply ill keep everyone updated on how everything goes

While cycling with fish isnt uncommon personally I also side with fishless cycling. Adding any fish, even if they are hardy clowns, to a cycling tank is just putting unnecessary stress on the fish. The clowns definitely should survive the cycle as long as you keep monitoring your ammonia levels, cant speak for the six line as I havent owned one. The tip I hear most all over the forum for this hobby is patience is key, but it definitely is the hardest to follow LOL. Im looking forward to seeing the updates on your tank!

 

[Impala67]

I understand ur concern on adding fish to a new tank but ive seen so many people that do whats called a "cycle with fish" and they say clownfish are the best fish to do it with the 6 line wrasse ehh maybe i shouldnt have done that ill admit i have trouble be patient but its trial and error and my fish are doin fine i also am what some would call overly worried so the 0.5ppm ammonia level kinda scared me but after alot of reading and talking to people they say im fine but thank u very much for the reply ill keep everyone updated on how everything goes

This is probably one of the biggest controversies in the saltwater hobby. Lots of people disagree like me in adding a fish to a cycling tank, and some say it’s best. I however say it’s an unnecessary process that’s usually ends in sadness.

 

[Cell]

Live rock = skip cycle
Bottled bac = 24 hr-10 day cycle

3 small fish in a 75 gallon will take some time to build up lethal ammonia levels.

This isn't the same as tossing in a shrimp to decay over the course of a month and a damsel to provide ammonia.

 

[Impala67]

Live rock = skip cycle
Bottled bac = 24 hr-10 day cycle

3 small fish in a 75 gallon will take some time to build up lethal ammonia levels.

This isn't the same as tossing in a shrimp to decay over the course of a month and a damsel to provide ammonia.

Like I said everybody in this hobby has there own opinion on this subject but I’m telling him what i think is best and your telling him what you think is best. In all reality it’s what he decides he wants to do for his aquarium. Also if you want you can add some turbo start to get things moving a lot quicker.

 

[Cell]

Sorry bud, this isn't opinion, it's fact.

 

[3429810]

Well first of all I would never!!!!! Ever!!!!!! Under any circumstance add a 6 line or a clownfish to a brand new tank!!! You either need to get your money back or give them to a friend because that was a mistake. As far as the filtering goes you want to run it so it can establish it’s self! I would take the fish out immediately and then I would do what’s called ghost feeding which is where you add bits of food every day like your feeding your fish. It will take about two weeks for you to have enough ammonia and bacteria to get things on the road I wouldn’t add fish for at least a month or two!! As far as adding the dr Tim’s I wouldn’t add that if you have fish in the tank you can add it when there out because your parameters are going to go everywhere!!

Just wanted to point out cycling a tank doesn’t take a month or two. Maybe a week or two if done properly. Why do you think it would takes weeks to build up enough ammonia to get the cycle bacteria going with ghost feeding? Also how would adding bacteria make the parameters go everywhere or hurt the fish in any way? No offence but I really think you should look into cycling a bit more before commenting on it.

 

[Impala67]

Just wanted to point out cycling a tank doesn’t take a month or two. Maybe a week or two if done properly. Why do you think it would takes weeks to build up enough ammonia to get the cycle bacteria going with ghost feeding? Also how would adding bacteria make the parameters go everywhere or hurt the fish in any way? No offence but I really think you should look into cycling a bit more before commenting on it.

I’ve been in cycling new tanks going on 15 years now and I think I’m more than qualified to give this guy some advice I didn’t answer on here for others to question my statements. It takes that long if you do it properly in my opinion others might not see it that way but it does for me. As as for the bacteria itself it won’t harm the fish but it will throw the tank off balance. If your still thinking questioning my answer I’m happily able to private chat with you on how I became a marine biologist.

Sorry bud, this isn't opinion, it's fact.

It is not fact that you need to use fish to cycle. That is what I was stating. However it is completely opinionated that adding only 2 lbs of live rock will completely forgo the cycling process. Granted he has dry rock but it still takes time. With all do respect to both of you I know what I’m talking about!

 

[Cell]

It is not fact that you need to use fish to cycle. That is what I was stating. However it is completely opinionated that adding only 2 lbs of live rock will completely forgo the cycling process. Granted he has dry rock but it still takes time. With all do respect to both of you I know what I’m talking about!

Live rock = skip cycle
Bottled bac = 24 hr-10 day cycle

3 small fish in a 75 gallon will take some time to build up lethal ammonia levels.

This isn't the same as tossing in a shrimp to decay over the course of a month and a damsel to provide ammonia.

This is the post you quoted and commented on as "opinion". I refuted it as factual, not opinion. If you want to add more depth and info, such as the amount of live rock matters, great. But don't misconstrue what I said or make stuff up. Nowhere did I say you need to use a fish to cycle a tank.

 

[Cell]

I’ve been in cycling new tanks going on 15 years now and I think I’m more than qualified to give this guy some advice I didn’t answer on here for others to question my statements.

You directly quoted me first questioning my post, not the other way around. I did not engage you at all before that. So...

 

[Cell]

Here's some good reading material if interested.

Updated Cycling Science thread 2020

The number of parameters measured allowing your start date is now reduced from three parameters measured (ammonia nitrite nitrate) into only one-nh3 form free ammonia. We dont need three-parameter compliance anymore to begin reefing safely. we need know only that ammonia is controlled. you...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Cell]

June 19, 2021

What is my next step after cycling. What do I buy next light, power heads, heaters. When will I know when my tank has finished its cycle.

April 5, 2022

I’ve been in cycling new tanks going on 15 years now...With all do respect to both of you I know what I’m talking about!

 

[Impala67]

June 19, 2021


April 5, 2022

And if you read on my page I asked questions to see what others think. I’ve been completely honest with you but you chose to not believe me. If you see on my profile I specifically state I’m not new to the hobby I ask questions I already know the answers to just to see if I can learn anything else. As far as you go you are more worried about proving someone wrong than actually helping this guy with his aquarium. Do you not have anything better to do with your time than sit here bickering with someone else about OPINIONS!! You know what you win is that what you want to here at least I meant no disrespect but clearly you mean to offend people.

 

[Cell]

You are the only one on this thread telling others they are wrong and how vast your experience is. Perhaps you should not direct quote someone if you do not want a response.

 

[3429810]

I’ve been in cycling new tanks going on 15 years now and I think I’m more than qualified to give this guy some advice I didn’t answer on here for others to question my statements. It takes that long if you do it properly in my opinion others might not see it that way but it does for me. As as for the bacteria itself it won’t harm the fish but it will throw the tank off balance. If your still thinking questioning my answer I’m happily able to private chat with you on how I became a marine biologist.

It is not fact that you need to use fish to cycle. That is what I was stating. However it is completely opinionated that adding only 2 lbs of live rock will completely forgo the cycling process. Granted he has dry rock but it still takes time. With all do respect to both of you I know what I’m talking about!

Just because you have been doing something for 15 years doesn’t discount the literal hundreds of posts on this forum that cycled in a week or less using the most current cycling science. You are right but you also are giving outdated information and not the most efficient way. You could argue leaving a tank to cycle for a year is better than 6 months which is better than 3 which is better than 1. Where do you draw the line and put the fish in? For most people it’s ASAP and that is how cycling is geared these days and it works. I’m not accounting for bio layer on the rock and problems with algae,cyano,dinos because op needs to look up more info and be aware of what causes these and how to mitigate them. All I am accounting for, and so is everyone else, is ammonia conversion. That doesn’t take months to build it up, indisputable fact.

feel free to message me about how dosing bacteria throws off the tank balance when done properly (tbh not exactly sure what you mean by this since you still didn’t specify) and to explain any of the other stuff if you really want but your not going to be able to provide enough of a response to refute all of the cycling info that is on this forum. What I have said so far isn’t my opinion it is the conclusion of lots of data gathered by all of the people on this site. I have also cycled my dt, coral qt both in a week and cycled my fish qt 3 times in 1-2 weeks over the last 6 months using the methods of people like brandon249 and others so I’m not talking out of my butt here.

 

[3429810]

Sorry for derailing a bit there op but let’s get back to the topic at hand.

honestly I think if you can do a water change to bring ammonia down a bit, add some live bacteria like fritz turbo start and continue to monitor ammonia levels you should be ok provided levels don’t stay here for to long or go higher. You will want to be running your filter because the bacteria will colonize on the media in there as well as the rock and sand in the tank. I would check ph as well if you can because that will affect the level of toxic ammonia in the tank. A seachem ammonia alert badge wouldn’t be a bad idea either to toss in just to give you a quick pulse check on levels between testing.

 

[Cell]

OP already added Dr Tim's bac. I would not spend any more money on bottled bac.