Cycle question
- Thread starter dieselgoose
- Start date
- Tagged users None
You are fine and people want to help you and want to get this figured out. You are not the problem.
Go with the .25 ammonia. It will be safer moving forward for the gills of your fish. If you get a better kit, then some things could maybe change. Both your test and the one at the LFS are within a margin of error that could be dangerous to fish gills. I would not let it get much higher, just to be safe.
Please, stop with the nitrate and nitrite measuring or even thoughts.
Even if you got a dead-on-balls-accurate level, it does not matter without a complete ecosystem. That ecosystem needs to develop still before any number could have any actual meaning.Just keep the fish fed enough so that the ammonia levels do not rise. Feeding can increase if the levels stay low which means that the oxic bacteria is developing.
This whole thing will happen on it's own. All that you need to do is not overfeed it or overstock it. All of the posts and garbage about this or that does not matter... all noise in system that is destined to be an ecosystem and will get it done.
Next steps are film algae and maybe some uglie like dinos, diatoms or cyano. The real live rock might help ease the pain of some of the uglies. There are some really deep intricacies in this, but in general, the more that you do to interfere, the longer this phase will take before the ecosystem can fully develop to get past it. Some of the less-observant and less-informed do indeed interfere and see some short term gains and post about the victories, but they are not real victories.
dieselgoose
Community Member
Yeah I’m totally fine with that assessment and recommendation. Especially considering I am in no hurry as I was planning on being in the cycle for a few weeks or month. I’m going to start turning on the lights on a schedule now and see if I get algae and go from there. Thank you.You are fine and people want to help you and want to get this figured out. You are not the problem.
Go with the .25 ammonia. It will be safer moving forward for the gills of your fish. If you get a better kit, then some things could maybe change. Both your test and the one at the LFS are within a margin of error that could be dangerous to fish gills. I would not let it get much higher, just to be safe.
Please, stop with the nitrate and nitrite measuring or even thoughts.
Just keep the fish fed enough so that the ammonia levels do not rise. Feeding can increase if the levels stay low which means that the oxic bacteria is developing.
This whole thing will happen on it's own. All that you need to do is not overfeed it or overstock it. All of the posts and garbage about this or that does not matter... all noise in system that is destined to be an ecosystem and will get it done.
Next steps are film algae and maybe some uglie like dinos, diatoms or cyano. The real live rock might help ease the pain of some of the uglies. There are some really deep intricacies in this, but in general, the more that you do to interfere, the longer this phase will take before the ecosystem can fully develop to get past it. Some of the less-observant and less-informed do indeed interfere and see some short term gains and post about the victories, but they are not real victories.
glb
7500 Club Member
You’re asking all the right questions. You’ll definitely get algae when you turn on the lights. It’s the “ugly” phase of cycling and it happens to everyone. Just hang in there and things will clear up with time. Good luck!
It's more like ignore. Left Click on the name under the Avatar of the person you want to ignore and then click on "ignore". When they post in a thread you are participating in, you'll see that they posted, but not what the wrote. I've used it a couple of times. No doubt some have used it on me also.
glb
7500 Club Member
Thank you!It's more like ignore. Left Click on the name under the Avatar of the person you want to ignore and then click on "ignore". When they post in a thread you are participating in, you'll see that they posted, but not what the wrote. I've used it a couple of times. No doubt some have used it on me also.
I hate blocking people, it makes threads seem like nonsense sometimes. But there is one person that I block, and he blocks me. lol
I find instead of blocking them, I just scroll past their post. If I need to read it for thread structure, I can.
I don't think I've ever encountered anyone that was actually mean on these boards. Some people I don't agree with, but they are not mean to me, or me to them.....
Except one person, was a pretty heated debate that mods had to step into(imagine that, it was a cycling thread too LOL)
I don't think I've ever encountered anyone that was actually mean on these boards. Some people I don't agree with, but they are not mean to me, or me to them.....
Except one person, was a pretty heated debate that mods had to step into(imagine that, it was a cycling thread too LOL)
dieselgoose
Community Member
I get the feeling that cycling is maybe the most highly debating aspect in the hobby.
dieselgoose
Community Member
I had a reef tank maybe 5 years ago but I have never talked to anyone about the hobby besides my uncle who has passed on which is why when I decided to get back into it I reached out on here.
Seems so. I don't know why though. It should be a simple, easy to understand process.
Maybe highly debated, but not really all that controversial. In some ways, it is the easiest part of the build because all that you need to know is that nature will do it's thing if you just are not stupid. However, there are all kinds of stupid things that people do by trying to outsmart nature, speed it up, overs stocking, using chemicals, etc. that sometimes work, but also sometimes do not. If you are slow, have self control and are patient, then nearly anything can work here.
In the end, whatever most people did that they think made a difference probably did not... it was just time that nature got to a point where it was dynamic and was able to do it's job better that it did even a few days before. There are a lot of products and methods that claim this victory, but they did not have much to do with it.
In the end, whatever most people did that they think made a difference probably did not... it was just time that nature got to a point where it was dynamic and was able to do it's job better that it did even a few days before. There are a lot of products and methods that claim this victory, but they did not have much to do with it.
This is actually one of the best communities on the net IMO. Not too much fighting to be honest.
As said above, this probably one of, if not the most highly debated topic in aquariums keeping history. You hit a nerve, so to speak.
dieselgoose
Community Member
Seems people have very mixed opinions and treat those opinions like a religion almost lol. I mean I not complaining I have learned more about cycling tanks in this thread than really anything I ever read.
dieselgoose
Community Member
I really like that. That statement makes me regret ever adding the fritz in the first place. I would 100% like to stay away from adding any unecessary chemicals or anything that nature and time would not take care of on its own. I’m a die hard flounder fisher so I know how to be patient lol
Simply because there is many of us "old school" reefers that know what works, and it just takes time.
Then you have the "new school" reefers that want to hurry everything up with magic potions. That sometimes works and they claim victory as the only method that works.
Like @jda said:
and we all mingle together and 99% of the time get along, and actually advance the hobby.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
That is 0 ( undetectable) ammonia.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Just read one of Brandon's... They're all the same, lol
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