Am I ready to start cycle?

[wsanley]

What else needs to be done before I can start cycling? We've got a 125gal with salinity at 35ppt, temp between 77-78F, Ph has been a bit high at 8.49-8.56, sump set up, ATO set up, skimmer set up and breaking in, dry rock and CaribSea Special Grade Reef sand in DT, surface area for bacteria in the sump and powerheads in the tank for circulation. Hanna Checkers are being delivered today for testing. I am using Seachem Stability for bacteria starter. Thanks!

 

[andrewey]

Welcome to reef2reef!

You're ready to start cycling- if you've already added the stability, then congratulations on starting your cycle!

During your cycle, you don't need to focus on your pH, otherwise continue to trend your ammonia and nitrate. Sounds like you've got a good start and can't wait to see your tank come together!

 

[mike550]

What else needs to be done before I can start cycling? We've got a 125gal with salinity at 35ppt, temp between 77-78F, Ph has been a bit high at 8.49-8.56, sump set up, ATO set up, skimmer set up and breaking in, dry rock and CaribSea Special Grade Reef sand in DT, surface area for bacteria in the sump and powerheads in the tank for circulation. Hanna Checkers are being delivered today for testing. I am using Seachem Stability for bacteria starter. Thanks!

@wsanley welcome to R2R! Sounds like you’re organized and ready to go. Good luck and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

 

[wsanley]

Welcome to reef2reef!

You're ready to start cycling- if you've already added the stability, then congratulations on starting your cycle!

During your cycle, you don't need to focus on your pH, otherwise continue to trend your ammonia and nitrate. Sounds like you've got a good start and can't wait to see your tank come together!

I dosed the Seachem Stability yesterday and again this morning, following the directions on the bottle. I got my Hanna checkers in and tested Ammonia (just NH3) and it read 3.642ppm. Is that good? Is there a resource that can show me typical readings for what to expect? Unfortunately my NYOS Nitrate test kit won't be here until Monday.

 

[andrewey]

No worries on the nitrate test- the bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate are the last bacteria to grow in the cycle, so you'll have time!

As far as typical readings are concerned, any of the google image results for ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate charts will give you an idea on theoretical population curves. Each tank is slightly different based on a variety of factors, but most of the curves will help you to conceptualize the bacterial populations.

For additoinal reading on the topic, I think you might enjoy this thread, so long as you are able to read between the lines and follow the main investigators

Bacteria in bottle, busting myth, Seneye style.

As some may know I started a study on this subject. I am old school (kick start cycle by adding deli shrimp) and didnt think bacteria in bottle could survive packaging and transportation along with temperature variances etc. Too many people reported great success with the bottles and soon i was...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[wsanley]

My Nyos nitrate test kit came in today. I got a reading of 1ppm. I’m continuing to dose with Seachem Stability everyday. My Hanna low level ammonia checker keeps telling me my ammonia is out of range. Can that be right? I mean, the tank was filled with RODI water, somewhat clean rock and live sand for about a week before we started the Stability.

 

[andrewey]

It's very possible depending on the rock- if there was still a lot of organic material inside the rock that is now rotting, that would explain a high level of ammonia. The hanna result can certainly be right, which would imply an ammonia value of at least 2.8 ppm (.05ppm +/- 5% accuracy), which is not uncommon during a cycle. It's always possible to get user error with those checkers, so make sure you're following the directions exactly, otherwise it sounds like you're on the right track.