Cycling Question

[jtmoney528]

First of all thank you for all the help!

My tank has been up for 2 weeks now and I've been adding two types of bacteria and ammonia chloride to the tank. I added ammonia to bring it up to 2.0 yesterday and it was all the way at 0 24 hours later.

From what I have read this means the tank is cycled.

I have been doing more research and it says rhe longer you wait the better the tank and everything living in it will do. I am perfectly fine with waiting and giving it time to mature.

My question is do I need to keep dosing it with ammonia chloride or can I just let it go and do its thing without adding anything?

Do I wait to do my first big water change until I am ready to add livestock?

My first fish will be clowns but can I add a tang at the same time to help with algae or what order should I add fish?

I have a 72 gallon bow front with a 33 gallon sump.

 

[ASIN28]

Be careful on the size tang you add because in a 75 it will have to be rehomed or in an upgraded tank sooner than later. But to answer your question your tank is cycled. However if I were you I would definitely add a fish to get started and then add livestock slowly over a course of time! Once you start to see some algae build up you can throw in a clean up crew and even some phyto and some pods would be good!

 

[jtmoney528]

Be careful on the size tang you add because in a 75 it will have to be rehomed or in an upgraded tank sooner than later. But to answer your question your tank is cycled. However if I were you I would definitely add a fish to get started and then add livestock slowly over a course of time! Once you start to see some algae build up you can throw in a clean up crew and even some phyto and some pods would be good!

I am looking at getting a Kole Tang, nothing that gets too big.

When do I need to add my filter sock and start my protein skimmer? I have a RSK 300 skimmer.

I also have a refugium setup which I am going to add pods to. When do I do that and when do I add the cheto?

 

[PotatoPig]

I am looking at getting a Kole Tang, nothing that gets too big.

When do I need to add my filter sock and start my protein skimmer? I have a RSK 300 skimmer.

I also have a refugium setup which I am going to add pods to. When do I do that and when do I add the cheto?

Add the skimmer whenever you want. Even if it’s not skimming it’ll act as a glorified aerator to improve gas exchange.

I wouldn’t attempt to add pods until after you have livestock, add Tisbe pods for something that’ll colonize the tank but assume you’ll you’ll also end up with random wild pods sooner or later as you add inverts.

 

[brandon429]

There’s also something to consider. No matter how long you wait past the initial cycle, agreed it’s done, you can’t make the tank safer for fish. There is no arbitrary wait period that lessens fish disease incidence, only specific disease preps on everything you’ll ever add

need to read the stickies in the disease forum

read this thread too, fish go in last, after the whole tank has been stocked. Skipping these preps always has a consequence, usually a few months delayed after addition, see any help post in the disease forum.

Has anyone done coral/inverts only and no fish at first?

Fish seem to be the main cause of disruption in a display tank, given the current circumstances in the hobby with pests (ich, velvet, parasites, etc.). I have been in this hobby for 18 years, and the amount of pests that are showing up lately is much more (could also be the fact that we have...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[brandon429]

What you read about waiting several more months for maturity of rock has 0% impact on fish disease, it’s for guiding the uglies out of the tank a little better than starting right now with bright light.
you don’t have to feed the cycle anymore, the bacteria cannot starve whatsoever.

your upcoming challenge is disease in fish preps and uglies management

 

[exnisstech]

Ammonia is going to 0 so I assume you have nitrates? Nitrates are all I test for when cycling. Once I see them I them proceed slowly adding livestock.
Pods will eventually come on their own but adding them won't hurt I just never have.
Stop the ammonia if you are going to add the clowns. Food and fish waste will be all that you need.
As Brandon mentioned fish disease is a concern. There's enough info on that here so I don't make recomendations as I feel it's a personal decision and my process varies depending on the type of fish. I would never recommend end against it tho.
I would pass on the tang for now and add a robust cuc crew from reef cleaners or somewhere once you start to see algae. Their recommendations sound like too many but for years I understocked my cuc.

 

[jtmoney528]

Ammonia is going to 0 so I assume you have nitrates? Nitrates are all I test for when cycling. Once I see them I them proceed slowly adding livestock.
Pods will eventually come on their own but adding them won't hurt I just never have.
Stop the ammonia if you are going to add the clowns. Food and fish waste will be all that you need.
As Brandon mentioned fish disease is a concern. There's enough info on that here so I don't make recomendations as I feel it's a personal decision and my process varies depending on the type of fish. I would never recommend end against it tho.
I would pass on the tang for now and add a robust cuc crew from reef cleaners or somewhere once you start to see algae. Their recommendations sound like too many but for years I understocked my cuc.

Yes - I have nitrates - I have a good liquid test to test for them. Before I add any cuc or fish from what I have found I need to do a big water change (like 50%), is this true or do I just do a 20% water change?

From all this reading I assume I need to wait until I see some algae then add my cleanup crew, then after I add in my cleanup crew I add fish or can I add a pair of clowns at the same time as my cleanup crew?

For right now we are going to do FOWLR tank and add coral down the road.

 

[vetteguy53081]

First of all thank you for all the help!

My tank has been up for 2 weeks now and I've been adding two types of bacteria and ammonia chloride to the tank. I added ammonia to bring it up to 2.0 yesterday and it was all the way at 0 24 hours later.

From what I have read this means the tank is cycled.

I have been doing more research and it says rhe longer you wait the better the tank and everything living in it will do. I am perfectly fine with waiting and giving it time to mature.

My question is do I need to keep dosing it with ammonia chloride or can I just let it go and do its thing without adding anything?

Do I wait to do my first big water change until I am ready to add livestock?

My first fish will be clowns but can I add a tang at the same time to help with algae or what order should I add fish?

I have a 72 gallon bow front with a 33 gallon sump.

Once you add ammonia chloride, as you saw, the ammonia climbed which it should. adding bacteria, you did. You will see ammonia and nitrate drop. Once ammonia is steady at zero for 5 days and nitrate is 20 or below for 5 days - You are cycled.
When you add fish, you will see these levels rise then fall which is normal and reason you want to add fish slowly which impacts the bioload of the tank

 

[brandon429]

Did you read the disease thread linked or the info from the disease forum?

 

[jtmoney528]

Did you read the disease thread linked or the info from the disease forum?

Brandon - thank you for your help, Ive been trying to learn as much as I can so I do it right!

Yes - I read the thread that you put in your post thank you for the link! I am not planning on doing corals anytime soon we are going to just start with Fish Only and do that for awhile.

From reading that it seems that I need to wait for algae to show up then add my CUC and then give the tank time to mature before adding any fish? Do I need to do any water changes before adding my CUC?

I am not running any lights right now as I saw that it was best to not run lights doing the cycling phase.

 

[exnisstech]

From reading that it seems that I need to wait for algae to show up then add my CUC and then give the tank time to mature before adding any fish? Do I need to do any water changes before adding my CUC?

Definately wait for algae to appear before adding cuc. You should be OK adding the clowns now. It will help feed the bacteria.
It wouldn't hurt to do a water change but unless nitrates are really high I wouldn't do an extra large one. High nitrates are subjective but 20 and under seems to work for many myself included.
EDIT : You don't have to add fish right away but the tank will need an ammonia source to be processed and feed the bacteria. Ghost feeding is what a lot of people do

 

[jtmoney528]

Definately wait for algae to appear before adding cuc. You should be OK adding the clowns now. It will help feed the bacteria.
It wouldn't hurt to do a water change but unless nitrates are really high I wouldn't do an extra large one. High nitrates are subjective but 20 and under seems to work for many myself included.
EDIT : You don't have to add fish right away but the tank will need an ammonia source to be processed and feed the bacteria. Ghost feeding is what a lot of people do

Thank you for your advice - from what I have seen its best to just keep all of the lights off still even with a pair of clowns in there for awhile so I do not have to deal with as much algae?

I will test my nitrates again and just do a normal 20% water change and go from there on the water change topic.

If I do not add a pair of clowns I will just ghost feed the tank, wait for algae to show up, add a CUC and then add the clowns once I have it under control - does that sound like a good idea?

This is why I love hobbies like this - everyone is so helpful!