Trying to quick cycle in a week or two

[Softhammer]

Show me a Macna tank that stays set up for more than a few days. Those aren’t new setups, just moved. I’ve done trade shows too. All the live rock is pre established if not synthetic and it’s a temporary setup. Zero relevance to a real long term reef tank.

 

[brandon429]

100% relevance

your implication is that a speed cycle is weak, no they're the same strength as a 90 day cycle. Dr Reef's bottle bac thread used 100% water changes in 48 hours to prove fritz locks on fast. since you're an entrant, you already know that moving live rocks up there, and back home, still don't die/ I can't find a single example of an expiring cycle ever posted in reefing


can you link us one?

here's an instant start:

The ‘Instant Nano Reef’ is Doing Great after Three Months in the Studio | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

When the build out of the Reef Builders Studio first began, I thought it was fitting and necessary to go ahead and get one token reef tank in there as soon as possible. Since all the big aquariums…

reefbuilders.com

after three mos instant setup. this reef would have easily made the start date for any convention

Jake also has one year updates, on that instant start can make a due date system.

Ike's thread above/ a year old

most pico reefs are skip cycles. Mine's fifteen years old and wasnt cycled at all, frags brought home with live rock (which is what most convention cycles are, live rock transfers)

Confusion in how cycling works is a massive sales driver in our industry. Not being confused is the greatest money saver trait

 

[SoAg Reefer]

Live rock, life rock, bottle bac = done. I put fish in my tank after a couple days, SPS within a week. Here we are 6 months later and I still have my first fish and first acro, along with 75+ other acros that are all thriving. SUper heavy bio-load, no cycle, fast moving...i tried to do everything people advise against to prove it all wrong and base it on science not opinion. I even reached out to @brandon429 at the beginning because he knows his stuff. My build thread is literally documenting the entire thing and my acro growth is off the charts right now. Of course this isnt my first tank and understanding the chemistry is very important but there are many tanks that are proof that the traditional cycling methods are things of the path. Close minded people will still say things like "slow down" or ask how old your tank is all the time. Meh..those same people see just one side of every argument. There is not right or wrong way but there is more than 1 way to get to the same spot. Slow and easy = safe and cheap Fast and hard = risky and expensive but both work and can get the same results based on how much effort you put in.

 

[brandon429]

i forgive u for using bottle bac in that mix. heh

elitist cycling posts are funny I assume that role out of sheer habit now

(i bet it did help to transfer quicker onto inactive surfaces)


I know all of this back and forth is a headache/ in my opinion tracing out cycling science to find the absolute truth is a venture in making strong reefs vs weak ones that do unpredictable things. its not just to bash on forums

if we can predict what cycles do then we can reef without loss. if cycles do unpredictable things, then we're all subject to loss at any given moment

 

[jmateo130]

I was told this as well bacteria multiples faster at lower salinity th

i forgive u for using bottle bac in that mix. heh

elitist cycling posts are funny I assume that role out of sheer habit now

(i bet it did help to transfer quicker onto inactive surfaces)


I know all of this back and forth is a headache/ in my opinion tracing out cycling science to find the absolute truth is a venture in making strong reefs vs weak ones that do unpredictable things. its not just to bash on forums

if we can predict what cycles do then we can reef without loss. if cycles do unpredictable things, then we're all subject to loss at any given moment

can you message me the thread is informative but a little overwhelming

 

[brandon429]

Will do. We are about to prep your cycle by looking at a pic of the live rock you are going to use, we won’t need to factor the test kit reads or the bottle bac added, certain details in pictures alone will tell us if the rock can handle two fish, all the extra bac added is harmless neutral impact. your live rocks got this

 

[j.falk]

I use bottled bacteria to help seed my live sand as I thoroughly rinse it before using it. The bottled bacteria replenishes what I killed off during the rinsing process. The bacteria also helps seed the base rock I use in conjunction with live rock.

Bottled bacteria is not a waste of time or money if it serves a purpose.

 

[brandon429]

It’s only for feeling good though, if tested, those materials perform oxidation without it.

bottle bac sellers want us feeling good after purchase, even if it’s not needed

we are trained to think we can’t reef without em.



when bottle bac is indicated: when using dry rocks to start. Those can’t perform oxidation testing without the bac. Harmless to use either way, I agree it’s not harmful but in nearly all cases we just give em our money unneeded, an ideal market arrangement, driven by api .25 reads.

if JMateo sends me pics of coralline live rock with fanworms attached, or some algae, some pigmentation that Marco rocks don’t have, we won’t factor the bottle bacteria as they have no where to attach as new surface area and no one has ever typed that in reefing, because we are trained buyers.

but if pics show bone white rocks, no underwater growths, then we w oxidize test after bac dosing.


we should not buy or be using bottle bac nitrifiers for anything but all dry rock cycling: some of us will never own or purchase any form of bottle bac for our entire reefing time, that’s possible for anyone. Saves cash. We simply skip cycles by using rock like this

if anyone feels they need to add bottle bac to that rock to make it skip cycle then we stand no chance, they’re coming for all the cash

old school: knows bacteria are tough, free, visually verified by rock growths that came after filter establishment, transfer infinitely, can’t be killed by water even if a test says .25-the sellers.


new school, buyers: all bacteria are dead no matter what we must dose for eighteen dollars. And we still get the .25 anyway, and buy more bottle bac of a different strain

bad test reads and forum peer sales are overdriving bottle bac usage to a very, very high degree and it’s all wasted money.

we add bottle bac when a set of suspect rocks cannot move down free ammonia to any degree overnite. Those rocks above move down ammonia in two hours

 

[Nemguy123]

I have only a week or two to get these fish I bought or the sale will be voided I understand the nitrogen cycle but I’m no expert just looking for advice to cycle as quickly as possible in the time frame I have I have a whole other tank I ca throw them in but that isn’t what I want ultimately so if you have any correct advice to help that would be awesome if not then thank you for your time

Use miracle mud should get you started fine I set up tanks and have anemones and fish in them the same day all the time just have to watch for signs of high nitrates or ammonia

 

[brandon429]

if he isn’t going to use already live rocks, then seeding with mud w bring in filter bacteria agreed. Hope the major point of this thread doesn’t go missed: live rock needs no help it skips the cycle totally.

for sure adding the mud, and bottle bac, and media from another tank, and sand from another tank, and a filter sponge, and brightwell bricks from another reef all compound bacteria to uber safe levels

a key takeaway here is that the live rock does that alone, with no accessory help required, because skip cycling is easy and always works fine if using rocks above. That trick runs all reef conventions for decades, they didn’t tell us while selling the bottle bac

 

[jmateo130]

 

[jmateo130]

So update the tank hit 5th day I saw no ammonia drop Concluded it was due to bacteria in live sand and almost gave up then decided to double dose seachem stability within one day saw 1.0ppm drop to 1ppm double doses a second day and nearly almost all the ammonia was gone also nitrite by third day just added 2 chromis and 1 black and white ocellaris The black ice clowns I put in my already cycled biocube for one day they were fine with the other clowns and I threw them into my second biocube The day after so now I have another tank cycling. LORD PLEASE GIVE ME THE STRENGTH. Talk about a headache