Tank will not cycle. Please help

dutch27 · Nov 7, 2017

coronarex said:
Are you saying that if I change too much water my tank with struggle to cycle again? This shouldnt conflict with my tanks cycling ability bc bacteria doesnt stay in the water column? How much would you recommend? I'm asking bc I read that high nitrates hurt corals? My nitrates are at 10. Also thanks for the coral suggesting. This is my only and first saltwater tank so quarantining isnt an option. What else can I do? Thanks

A large WC won't cause a noticeable cycle. The bacteria are in the rocks/sand. You could do a 100% water change and it wouldn't have any noticeable impact on the bacteria population. It's not uncommon to cycle out of tank, then transfer the rocks into a tank with 100% new water, without going through another cycle period. I've even taken rocks out of my tanks, fragged stuff, cleaned them, etc then put them back in after 30 minutes, with zero impact on the tank's ability to process ammonia.

Lots of people don't QT, and all of us that don't probably have at least one story of killing a tank full of fish because of it. If you don't QT be very picky about the health of the fish you buy, and be willing to accept the possibility that you may wipe out your tank.

SashimiTurtle · Nov 7, 2017

I've taken LR from a LFS 40 minutes away, scaped it while keeping it damp, filled the tank with sand and water and put fish in it the next day when the sand cloud cleared. Changing 100% tank water will not cause a cycle. It's not good if you have sensitive fish or corals, obviously... but large water changes do not affect nitrifying bacteria.

coronarex · Nov 7, 2017

dutch27 said:
A large WC won't cause a noticeable cycle. The bacteria are in the rocks/sand. You could do a 100% water change and it wouldn't have any noticeable impact on the bacteria population. It's not uncommon to cycle out of tank, then transfer the rocks into a tank with 100% new water, without going through another cycle period. I've even taken rocks out of my tanks, fragged stuff, cleaned them, etc then put them back in after 30 minutes, with zero impact on the tank's ability to process ammonia.

Lots of people don't QT, and all of us that don't probably have at least one story of killing a tank full of fish because of it. If you don't QT be very picky about the health of the fish you buy, and be willing to accept the possibility that you may wipe out your tank.

Thank you very much. Is QTing more for the fish or corals?

SashimiTurtle · Nov 7, 2017

I QT fish, dip corals for pests.

brandon429 · Nov 7, 2017

my tanks are too small for fish so ive never quarantined but this is how I read it from others

before you put any fish in your tank, go 76 days with adding nothing other than change water. Not a snail, frag, rock, chip of sand, nothing for 76 days which kills off the major fish invaders cuz there is no host.

That means stock your tank with items you want that constitute everything but fish, do them last. when you have enough goodies you can stand to look at the tank for 76 days, then begin this fallow period.

when you add fish they need to be from a source who has treated them correctly, usually with a copper treatment threads show.

anytime you add a snail, coral, rock, even water from another tank that potentially brings in fish disease, so that fallow period is critical to making your fish live the best they can be. stock coral and goodies first, no hurry for fish, if you want to do it the right way. there are sources who sell perfectly qt fish that wont bring in bad stuff, if you've completed the fallow period you are set.

brandon429 · Nov 7, 2017

this is coincidentally an ideal approach for your setup anway wo sand, that's a lower surface area than most tanks so using corals and clean up crews and additional slow loading/ 76 days more curing is perfect way to lead into fish and never have to question your filtration status.

Do the large water change, and stop testing for nitrite and ammonia from here on out, misreads there w drive everyone bonkers. now that the cycle has been called completed due to submersion times and measured ammonia movement, stamp it closed and move into the stocking/fallow phase purely on biological trust.

coronarex · Nov 7, 2017

brandon429 said:
this is coincidentally an ideal approach for your setup anway wo sand, that's a lower surface area than most tanks so using corals and clean up crews and additional slow loading/ 76 days more curing is perfect way to lead into fish and never have to question your filtration status.

Do the large water change, and stop testing for nitrite and ammonia from here on out, misreads there w drive everyone bonkers. now that the cycle has been called completed due to submersion times and measured ammonia movement, stamp it closed and move into the stocking/fallow phase purely on biological trust.

Brandon thank you very much. You are a very smart dude I can tell. I am doing a large water change tonight. Tmw I will check into some corals. In 76 days I will add fish, preferably those that have been qt'd. And I will stop measuring amm but God knows that has driven me crazy.

coronarex · Nov 7, 2017

Robin Haselden said:
I QT fish, dip corals for pests.

can you explain what you mean by "dip" briefly talk about the process.

brandon429 · Nov 7, 2017

thanks man if Im not mistaken, after someone does that fallow thing, you have to be hospital-like with all future additions or it undoes the whole thing! so if I read correctly it means anything you ever add after that fish protocol has to have completed a fallow course too, does the crowd agree on that takeaway

clearly we can find tanks that do nothing other than add fish, but this trend of fallow approach has come about because only a small portion of those approaches have all their fish in two years' time. these fallow runs are getting way more statistical saves on their approach, its valid IMO even if a bit overdone. People were tired of losing fish by and large. whoever invented the fallow approach was smart they saved thousands of fish for sure

SashimiTurtle · Nov 7, 2017

coronarex said:
can you explain what you mean by "dip" briefly talk about the process.

after buying coral i temp acclimate them by floating the bag. Then i pour the water they were shipped in into a clear plastic container and add Coral Rx. Once the coral is in the dip I take a pipette and blast some water on the coral to remove anything that might be on it or the plug. After 5 minutes I rinse the coral in fresh tank water and they go into my frag tank to make sure there are no pests.

GoVols · Nov 7, 2017

coronarex said:
can you explain what you mean by "dip" briefly talk about the process.

Need to get your tank up to at least 1.025 sg
And did you dose Ammonia to start the cycling process?

For nitrates, hard to beat the Salifert kit

coronarex · Nov 7, 2017

GoVols said:
Need to get your tank up to at least 1.025 sg
And did you dose Ammonia to start the cycling process?

For nitrates, hard to beat the Salifert kit

I am making fresh sw right now to do a big change. Yes i used dr.tims amm chloride.
Not sure what you mean about the last part