Coralline algae/Fishless Cycle

[Alvanck]

Hi All!

I’m starting my tank this weekend! Finally have the supplies!! Wanted to run through my game plan.

-Mix the salt water 35 PPT - Add to Tank
-Once everything settled, add the ameonia dose to 2 PPM, test to verify
-One verified, add the beneficial bacteria
-Test a couple of time per week
-Once Ameonia is at 0 verify Nitrites are also at zero and nitrates are present
Cycle Done!

Add 2 Clowns eventually a knock of Dori and a sand sifter goby.

The kit I came with came with dry rock, but I’d really like to add some Coralline algae to coat the dry rock. Is that as simple as going to my local store getting a small piece of live rock with it on it, and adding it to the tank touching the dry rock? Should I wait for the algae to star growing before adding the clowns?

After a few months of fish and the full cleanup crew, Add some Coral and eventually an anemone for the clowns

Tank - IM 25 Lagoon

Sorry for the lengthy thread! So happy to get started!

 

[20gallonreefer000]

Game plan sounds good. Liverock is a good idea for introducing organisms that benefit the tank. Adding a piece once you have water in the tank would be beneficial.

Coralline will pop up regardless of what you do but relatively stable parameters will help it take place and grow. You can add the clowns before coralline starts to grow, just make sure the ammonia and nitrites are at 0.

 

[Alvanck]

Game plan sounds good. Liverock is a good idea for introducing organisms that benefit the tank. Adding a piece once you have water in the tank would be beneficial.

Coralline will pop up regardless of what you do but relatively stable parameters will help it take place and grow. You can add the clowns before coralline starts to grow, just make sure the ammonia and nitrites are at 0.

Would it just be a fragment since I’m adding the bacteria and ammonia separately?

 

[20gallonreefer000]

Piece doesnt have to be a fragment. Add it when the ammonia is low or at 0. Adding the liverock at the same time could cause die off and even more ammonia.

 

[EnterName]

Nitrite isn't really dangerous in saltwater so you can skip the measurement if you want to, but note that nitrate tests will not work properly and show elevated readings while nitrite is present.

I personally like to go through a majority of the ugly phase without any animals in my tank, but if I wanted to add living creatures early, I would start quite similar to your description:

1st I would add some ammonia, e.g. 2ppm and then wait until the test shows 0ppm.

Then I would add another smaller amount that my test can detect (e.g. 0.2ppm ammonia), and if it's gone within half a day, the tank should be safe for the first tank inhabitant.

 

[Fish Fan]

Here's my take, if it helps

Your plan sounds fine, but as noted there's no reason to measure or worry about nitrite; just watch for the ammonia to drop to ~0.25 ppm or less. Many test kits, including the popular API brand, often report ~0.25 ppm ammonia when the concentration is likely less, and even if real 0.25 ppm ammonia isn't really dangerous.


If you use Fritz TurboStart specifically, the cycle often completes in a very short period of time, like 24-48 hours. All other bacteria products seem to take weeks to complete the cycle.

There's no need to wait to add corals, in my opinion. Unless you're trying to keep very delicate Acropora species etc., you can add some easy softies or Zoas right away, even before the cycle is completed since they can handle the ammonia. I don't think waiting will cause you to skip the "ugly stage", I think you're just delaying it.

I would add fish right after the cycle completes, but know that if you add Clownfish first they may decide the whole tank is "theirs" and not allow any additional fish in the future. It's often best to add Clowns to a tank last, letting other fish stake out their territory and hiding spots first.

The Dori fish may be a bit large for a 25 gallon

It IS probably a good idea to wait 6 months or so to add a 'nem for the Clowns as they can be sensitive to new tanks and unstable chemistry

Adding a small piece of live rock to using 100% live rock can be very beneficial and you can effectively skip the cycle with all live rock. You can also largely skip the "ugly phase" with all live rock, but live rock is expensive, and many use dry rock instead. You can add a small piece of live rock at the beginning of your build. If it's got a lot of macro life like nice algae or critters, then you would want to wait until after the cycle completes so you don't hurt those organisms. But "typical" live rock from a fish store doesn't come with that much macro life, so I would add a chunk at any time.

Coralline algae doesn't usually begin to grow until about 4 months in, so I wouldn't worry about it right away. Like stoney corals, coralline needs stable parameters to grow, and is a good indication of when the tank is ready for more delicate stoney corals. Coralline will typical come all on its own, it comes from a small piece of live rock or even on a frag plug when you get your first corals. You can scrape a little off a rock into your tank to help spread it. There is a product you can try to seed the tank with coralline algae, I've never used it, and some call it "snake oil", but you can decide for yourself:

Coralline Algae in a Bottle Purple Helix - Live Spores

ARC Reef's Purple Helix Coralline Algae in a bottle contains 7 different species of live algae spores. Seed your aquarium with vibrant hues of purple coralline.

arcreef.com

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coralline-algae-in-a-bottle-does-it-work.529759/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coralline-algae-in-a-bottle-or-just-wait-it-out.1056237/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coraline-algae-in-a-bottle.1037154/

I hope this helps and good luck!

 

[Alvanck]

Here's my take, if it helps

Your plan sounds fine, but as noted there's no reason to measure or worry about nitrite; just watch for the ammonia to drop to ~0.25 ppm or less. Many test kits, including the popular API brand, often report ~0.25 ppm ammonia when the concentration is likely less, and even if real 0.25 ppm ammonia isn't really dangerous.


If you use Fritz TurboStart specifically, the cycle often completes in a very short period of time, like 24-48 hours. All other bacteria products seem to take weeks to complete the cycle.

There's no need to wait to add corals, in my opinion. Unless you're trying to keep very delicate Acropora species etc., you can add some easy softies or Zoas right away, even before the cycle is completed since they can handle the ammonia. I don't think waiting will cause you to skip the "ugly stage", I think you're just delaying it.

I would add fish right after the cycle completes, but know that if you add Clownfish first they may decide the whole tank is "theirs" and not allow any additional fish in the future. It's often best to add Clowns to a tank last, letting other fish stake out their territory and hiding spots first.

The Dori fish may be a bit large for a 25 gallon

It IS probably a good idea to wait 6 months or so to add a 'nem for the Clowns as they can be sensitive to new tanks and unstable chemistry

Adding a small piece of live rock to using 100% live rock can be very beneficial and you can effectively skip the cycle with all live rock. You can also largely skip the "ugly phase" with all live rock, but live rock is expensive, and many use dry rock instead. You can add a small piece of live rock at the beginning of your build. If it's got a lot of macro life like nice algae or critters, then you would want to wait until after the cycle completes so you don't hurt those organisms. But "typical" live rock from a fish store doesn't come with that much macro life, so I would add a chunk at any time.

Coralline algae doesn't usually begin to grow until about 4 months in, so I wouldn't worry about it right away. Like stoney corals, coralline needs stable parameters to grow, and is a good indication of when the tank is ready for more delicate stoney corals. Coralline will typical come all on its own, it comes from a small piece of live rock or even on a frag plug when you get your first corals. You can scrape a little off a rock into your tank to help spread it. There is a product you can try to seed the tank with coralline algae, I've never used it, and some call it "snake oil", but you can decide for yourself:

Coralline Algae in a Bottle Purple Helix - Live Spores

ARC Reef's Purple Helix Coralline Algae in a bottle contains 7 different species of live algae spores. Seed your aquarium with vibrant hues of purple coralline.

arcreef.com

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coralline-algae-in-a-bottle-does-it-work.529759/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coralline-algae-in-a-bottle-or-just-wait-it-out.1056237/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coraline-algae-in-a-bottle.1037154/

I hope this helps and good luck!

Def know 25 is to small for a tang, I saw someone on another thread mention a smaller fish that looks like Dori lol just trying to find the name of it!

 

[20gallonreefer000]

Yellow tail damsel?

 

[Alvanck]

Yellow tail damsel?

Yes I was going to get 2 clowns, one of those, and a sand sifter goby. I’m guessing in the 25 gallon tank 4 fish are the max

 

[Fish Fan]

Yes I was going to get 2 clowns, one of those, and a sand sifter goby. I’m guessing in the 25 gallon tank 4 fish are the max

Don't do two Clowns and a Damsel. Damsels and Clowns are in the same family of fish, and they are notoriously territorial.

Look for smaller Gobies and fish like a Tail Spot Blenny, which are ideal for a 25 gallon

 

[20gallonreefer000]

Yes I was going to get 2 clowns, one of those, and a sand sifter goby. I’m guessing in the 25 gallon tank 4 fish are the max

As the person above mentioned clowns and damsels don't always get along. I've kept a yellowtail with a clown and it worked but it is kind of risky. Watchmen or shrimp gobies are good alternatives for the sandsifter. You can do more than 4 fish but they would have to be small and occupy different areas of the tank. I've got 7 in a 20 but they all have different behaviors and the tank is filled with corals. For now I would do 4 max and as the tank fills in you should be able to add a few more, but it is situational.