Tank cycle question

[johnsamm7]

So after my tank has cycled if I'm not adding fish right away waiting for my qt tank to cycle should I just ghost feed my tank or still put dr tims ammonium chloride in my tank to keep feeding the bacteria until I'm ready for fish

 

[Greybeard]

You have to do _something_ to keep feeding the bio filter, or it will eventually die.

A pinch of flake food every day, some sort of ammonia, something...

 

[trevormass7]

Pee in it, hahaha jk. Yeah just find any source of ammonia.

 

[PatW]

Bacteria do not need much. I would just add a tiny amount of ammonia daily.

 

[Greybeard]

Pee in it, hahaha jk.

I'm not so sure about the additional trace elements

 

[Big G]

I alternate adding just a pinch of vege-food with meaty-food. Diversity in food sources is good. A real small pinch every other day.

 

[Brian W]

I started off with just live sand & live rock added a bottle of bacteria. No ghost feeding, no shrimp...Let it sit for 2 months before I did a water change and then added fish. my tank did just find. All fish are still thriving to this day 1 1/2 years later. Why make it more difficult that it is : )

 

[XNavyDiver]

Pee in it, hahaha jk. Yeah just find any source of ammonia.

I'd need to test the water for excess caffeine and hops resin.

 

[trevormass7]

Haha my caffeine levels would give my whole tank a buzz

 

[johnsamm7]

Lol thanks for all the info I will try these methods

 

[Instigate]

The video instructions from Dr. Tims says bacteria will live for years without a food source. I don't have any experience with cycling tanks as im currently cycling my first tank but I have done a lot of research on the subject. And am confused about the conflicting info.

 

[Greybeard]

I'm just guessing here, but I'd have to say that Dr. Tims is talking about dormant bacteria, stable in their packaging and whatever medium they pack it in.

In our tanks, actively breaking down ammonia and nitrite, (and nitrate, depending on type), they need to be fed, or they're going to die off. Not that you're going to loose them all... I believe you'd find some few Nitrosomonas and nitrobacter in virtually any water sample, regardless of the source. But, for them to process ammonia on the scale needed in an aquarium, it takes time for them to build up. Let your bio filter crash, and you've got to establish it again.

 

[Instigate]

I'm just guessing here, but I'd have to say that Dr. Tims is talking about dormant bacteria, stable in their packaging and whatever medium they pack it in.

In our tanks, actively breaking down ammonia and nitrite, (and nitrate, depending on type), they need to be fed, or they're going to die off. Not that you're going to loose them all... I believe you'd find some few Nitrosomonas and nitrobacter in virtually any water sample, regardless of the source. But, for them to process ammonia on the scale needed in an aquarium, it takes time for them to build up. Let your bio filter crash, and you've got to establish it again.

Ill find the video and post it. From memory I believe he was saying to not dose more ammonia if there is still nitrite present. And to not worry about "feeding" the bacteria.

 

[Instigate]

I had cycled my tank but my qt is still not cycled so I was waiting on that before I get a fish. I haven't fed any ammonia in over a week. I hope I didn't kill off my bacteria.
This is the video I was thinking of but he doesn't say "years" I must have gotten that somewhere else.

 

[Instigate]

Someone on this thread linked to a bunch of info I'm going over now:


http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...cteria-live-without-ammonia-source-90580.html

 

[Instigate]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1913382/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1065156/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC168521/

https://academic.oup.com/jb/article/124/4/811/807862/Effect-of-Long-Term-Ammonia-Starvation-on-the

Seems like they are mostly talking about the bacteria that processed ammonia to nitrite. I would like to know if the same goes for the bacteria that processes nitrite to nitrate.

 

[Xclusive Reef]

I started off with just live sand & live rock added a bottle of bacteria. No ghost feeding, no shrimp...Let it sit for 2 months before I did a water change and then added fish. my tank did just find. All fish are still thriving to this day 1 1/2 years later. Why make it more difficult that it is : )

with live rock, sand , and bacteria in a bottle why did you wait 2 months? 8-10 days would have been enough. Just wondering, not that it's wrong,,

 

[Brian W]

with live rock, sand , and bacteria in a bottle why did you wait 2 months? 8-10 days would have been enough. Just wondering, not that it's wrong,,

I didn't know when the cycle would truly be done since it was my first saltwater tank. I took samples of my water to my lfs at 1 month and they said the water was not quite ready yet.
I then took it at the 2 month mark and that's when they said I could add fish and some soft corals.

 

[Instigate]

Last night I dosed both my QT and the DT to 2ppm ammonia and tonight the ammonia is zero and the nitrite is 0.5 or less. So it seems the week or so with no ammonia didn't do anything.

 

[Big G]

Yep. You need to keep feeding it ammonia until the nitrite goes to zero, too. Then BIG water change. Your nitrates will be sky high.