Cycling a new tank- am I doing this correctly?????

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks! I’ve got a few people helping me with Octo care from Tonmo that have kept them for years it’s just the initial tank set up that’s confusing. Oddly more so than actually keeping them! Seeing all the pretty fish and corals has gotten me though- we’re picking up a 30.2 Waterbox Saturday for fish, nems and corals. My husband wants a pair of clown fish so bad
Totally speaking way outside of my comfort zone in asking size of octopus? Just asking that question gives me the sense that we should know how much food it consumes daily? Maybe some of the pros here, myself not included could possibly give you a rule of thumb on how much you would need to feed to build appropriate bioload for that creature. Lol
 

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks! I’ve got a few people helping me with Octo care from Tonmo that have kept them for years it’s just the initial tank set up that’s confusing. Oddly more so than actually keeping them! Seeing all the pretty fish and corals has gotten me though- we’re picking up a 30.2 Waterbox Saturday for fish, nems and corals. My husband wants a pair of clown fish so bad
Your planning on keeping fish in same tank?
 
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Your planning on keeping fish in same tank?
You typically start feeding about the size of their eye (pea sized usually) and then build up as they get bigger. From my understanding they can eat a fiddler crab or two/piece of shrimp daily but some variance in appetite per animal!

No sir, we will keep the octopus in the big tank and the fish and corals in the 30 gallon. You can’t put anything in the octo tank that won’t be food. Fish usually pester them and get “taken out” and not eaten. Corals/Nems get trampled. This species is a cold water octo and the water will be around 65 degrees so that takes most things off the table too
 

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Totally feel like I just entered some form of reef matrix that I wasn't sure existed on r2r:)
 
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Totally feel like I just entered some form of reef matrix that I wasn't sure existed on r2r:)
Haha I figured most people wouldn’t know much about them which is why I never mentioned them specifically just starting the tank questions lol
 

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,134
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I like Octoverse for this one now. Almost said Octo Matrix but thought better of that:D
 
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I like Octoverse for this one now. Almost said Octo Matrix but thought better of that:D
Gold! They are pretty fascinating creatures- defiantly worth a google! A lot of time and energy has went into research on this and trying to have patience while this tank matures is the equivalent to children on Christmas Eve! So close I can taste it- figuratively of course
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
29,483
Reaction score
23,570
Location
tejas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
One key for the uv: it doesn’t unseat attached benthic growths

it only intercepts things traveling through the water

so when patches of cyano appear on the sand, or golden diatoms on the walls those need to be removed to some degree the only thing the uv does is zap bits left in suspension from your cleaning. It doesn’t stop the actual manual work needed to force invasion balances they merely reduce such work and in some cases will stop it but in the end your arms are the clean up crew. If you depend on an actual clean up crew to avoid work, wreckage follows

only the .01% lucky have a working clean up crew, which then motivates them to sell the notion as 100% successful for all

tips from the invasion front~
 
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
One key for the uv: it doesn’t unseat attached benthic growths

it only intercepts things traveling through the water

so when patches of cyano appear on the sand, or golden diatoms on the walls those need to be removed to some degree the only thing the uv does is zap bits left in suspension from your cleaning. It doesn’t stop the actual manual work needed to force invasion balances they merely reduce such work and in some cases will stop it but in the end your arms are the clean up crew. If you depend on an actual clean up crew to avoid work, wreckage follows

only the .01% lucky have a working clean up crew, which then motivates them to sell the notion as 100% successful for all

tips from the invasion front~
Thank you for the detailed knowledge! I will make sure to clean and scrub things off to help get it going! This early in the game should I be messing with the sand bed? I was watching a YouTube video on various cleaning methods before I did my first water change last week and it said on new tanks it is not a good idea to mess with the sand beds early on so you don't disrupt the beneficial bacteria. My sand bed doesn't have algae growth so should I wait until next week's cleaning to fool with it or go ahead and start now?


How long does it take for levels to start stabilizing where water changes can happen bi-monthly? Not sure I will do that however sometimes life gets busy and things happen so I would just like to know.
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
29,483
Reaction score
23,570
Location
tejas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
thats all false, in no way does sandbed bacteria matter in reefing or in fish only setups, be siphon cleaning it in the classic manner. the only bacteria that matter are stuck to your rocks already and can't be removed by cleaning acts.

see here for the truth in messing with sandbeds:


fifty pages of the harshest cleaning of sensitive reef sandbeds you could possibly imagine. click any work job and see them washing their entire sandbed out with tap water for three hours, then reassembling the tank without using bottle bac in any job. sandbed bacteria do not matter in saltwater keeping in general.

the wastes and bacterial metabolites from non filtration bacteria are dangerous, its not lack of filtration bacteria that kills some example tanks on page one, it was them not messing with the bed a long time as basic cleaning, and then something disturbed it all at once, then their fish died. sandbeds can store up dangerous waste, its not a lack of bacteria issue its a matter of decay and too much bacteria as the years go by. preventative cleaning saves the headache. hands off reefing causes massive loss in the hobby, only the lucky can pull it off.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
thats all false, in no way does sandbed bacteria matter in reefing or in fish only setups, be siphon cleaning it in the classic manner. the only bacteria that matter are stuck to your rocks already and can't be removed by cleaning acts.

see here for the truth in messing with sandbeds:


fifty pages of the harshest cleaning of sensitive reef sandbeds you could possibly imagine. click any work job and see them washing their entire sandbed out with tap water for three hours, then reassembling the tank without using bottle bac in any job. sandbed bacteria do not matter in saltwater keeping in general.

the wastes and bacterial metabolites from non filtration bacteria are dangerous, its not lack of filtration bacteria that kills some example tanks on page one, it was them not messing with the med a long time in basic cleaning, and then something disturbed it all at once, then their fish died. sandbeds can store up dangerous waste, its not a lack of bacteria issue its a matter of decay and too much bacteria as the years go by. preventative cleaning saves the headache. hands off reefing causes massive loss in the hobby, only the lucky can pull it off.
Thank you! I appreciate all of your help so much!
 

Eric Cohen

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 16, 2016
Messages
751
Reaction score
1,030
Location
Los Angeles
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I started a new tank on New Year's eve- 70 gallon with built in overflow that goes into a 20 gallon trigger emerald sump.

I added about 65 lbs of live rock (15 lbs already established from my LFS) and 50 lbs of live CarribSea aragonite sand. We purchased RODI water and mixed it at home. The sump has a filter sock with carbon, there is miracle mud and live rock in the refugium section waiting on the cycle to complete for me to add pods and algae, and bio rings in the return section.

The first day we added rock, then sand, and finally water. We have our pumps going, protein skimmer priming and wave maker on. I was told to add some fish food or shrimp- we added a little of both.

How long should it be before I start to see an ammonia spike and typically how long will it take to start converting? I understand the concept of the cycle I would just like a ball park on what to expect to see every few days/weeks in my parameters.

Thank you!
Good luck with the new tank! Very exciting always! Im sure you have your answers already, but my simple answer to something like this is that if you have livestock already in the tank, and you are feeding them, you could see ammonia start climbing the first week. Expect to run through your full cycle in 3-4 weeks, and you can track it by doing daily water tests for ammonia and nitrite. You can control your peaks of ammonia and nitrite by adding live bacteria, and or water changes to make sure you are not endangering your new livestock by allowing things to peak too high for too long. Balance, and patience.....and enjoy playing chemist.
 

Islandvib3s

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 17, 2021
Messages
282
Reaction score
192
Location
Vancouver
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The fastest way I've found from scratch is to dose the correct amount of just pure ammonia. Let them all spike ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Let settle till zeroed,may have to waterchange if nitrates aren't dropping. Then low spike it again with ammonia. And it should clear in 24hrs and you are cycled.thats what I've done anyway and have been successful. I have also skipped the waterchange by adding macroalgea to take care of the nitrates. I've done the "live bottled bacteria " but have found they dont spike and aren't good enough from starting from scratch. They do help once it's cycled however to build a bigger bio diversity. Just what I've done and have found it works. I get the ammonia from home depot. No additives or perfumes. Lol I also use the left over ammonia for hard to clean stuff in my washer. (THIS IS ALL FISHLESS AND NO LIVESTOCK UNLESS YOU COUNT MACROALGEA)
 
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The fastest way I've found from scratch is to dose the correct amount of just pure ammonia. Let them all spike ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Let settle till zeroed,may have to waterchange if nitrates aren't dropping. Then low spike it again with ammonia. And it should clear in 24hrs and you are cycled.thats what I've done anyway and have been successful. I have also skipped the waterchange by adding macroalgea to take care of the nitrates. I've done the "live bottled bacteria " but have found they dont spike and aren't good enough from starting from scratch. They do help once it's cycled however to build a bigger bio diversity. Just what I've done and have found it works. I get the ammonia from home depot. No additives or perfumes. Lol I also use the left over ammonia for hard to clean stuff in my washer. (THIS IS ALL FISHLESS AND NO LIVESTOCK UNLESS YOU COUNT MACROALGEA)
We have seen the spike and reduction with levels staying consistent after adding invertebrates with heavy feeding! Everything is going nicely. The live aquaculture rock was the best way addition to the tank! Were a month in and I am so happy with it!
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
29,483
Reaction score
23,570
Location
tejas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
this thread is now being used as a prime example of benthic visual cycling, nice job.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

damsels are not mean

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 14, 2021
Messages
1,952
Reaction score
2,151
Location
Chicago
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

would anyone know what type of algae it is that I’m seeing in the tank? I started a new thread for it but can not upload the video on this thread under the comments. The UV sterilizer I purchased was damaged per the handling of of the postal service so we still haven’t gotten our replacement one in yet to start running
Might be bryopsis. Like hair algae but more annoying. I would cover it will superglue or something to smother it because it is hard to scrub off once it is established in the rock.
 
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Might be bryopsis. Like hair algae but more annoying. I would cover it will superglue or something to smother it because it is hard to scrub off once it is established in the rock.
What about the stuff on the back wall? Will the UV sterilizer kill this?
 
OP
OP
BContos

BContos

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
282
Reaction score
142
Location
Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
not sure what back wall you mean? It's out of focuse. UV sterilizers may neutralize spores of algae to a degree but it won't kill anything that is already growing.
The back wall of the tank. It’s growing on the glass too. I’m sorry for not clarifying I can see how you would be confused re-reading what I said lol

F8B2664B-3CCA-4970-9C57-38689C8133F7.jpeg
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.2%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
Back
Top