Cycling question

[Alamo1836]

New to saltwater but a seasoned freshwater keeper. My question/observation is this, I have Fluval 13.5 with dry dead rock and CaribSea "live" sand. I set up the tank and it ran empty for about a week. I saw a BRS video about adding fish and helping them along with bottled bacteria so I said "what the heck" and tried it out. Added two tiny clowns, less than an inch. I used a whole bottle of Biospira while I was drip acclimating them. Every day for a week I have also used Microbacter7 per instructions. I have tested my parameters three times with the Red Sea test kit, first two times ammonia Nitrite and nitrate were at zero. Third time, ammonia and nitrite were still at zero but my nitrate was around 20 (I despise color changing tests). So, I guess my question is, has my tank cycled in five days?

 

[DDenny]

With that information then yes in 5 days your tank is cycled, however, as soo as you add livestock then it will spike ammonia so add very slow. When you start feeding it will then start to mature and you will probably go through the ugly phase.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

In the time that the tank was empty did you add anything to the water? The presence of nitrate would indicate that you are indeed cycled.

 

[PatW]

It might have but maybe not.

Generally when I cycle a tank, I get a bottle of ammonia for cycling a reef tank (they are small and last a LOOOONG time). I the amount recommended (if I recall it is up to 1 ppm NH3). Then I test to see when the ammonia is zero and watch it convert to Nitrite then to Nitrate. You can add cultured bacteria to speed the process.

When everything is converted, I add more ammonia. The notion is that a cycled tank should eliminate the ammonia within 24 hours. I would not recommend adding ammonia to a tank with fish or inverts in it.

For testing ammonia and nitrate levels (I have not bothered testing for nitrite for quite some time), you can use the Salifert tests. As reef test go they are very cost effective and generally quite good.

 

[Azedenkae]

New to saltwater but a seasoned freshwater keeper. My question/observation is this, I have Fluval 13.5 with dry dead rock and CaribSea "live" sand. I set up the tank and it ran empty for about a week. I saw a BRS video about adding fish and helping them along with bottled bacteria so I said "what the heck" and tried it out. Added two tiny clowns, less than an inch. I used a whole bottle of Biospira while I was drip acclimating them. Every day for a week I have also used Microbacter7 per instructions. I have tested my parameters three times with the Red Sea test kit, first two times ammonia Nitrite and nitrate were at zero. Third time, ammonia and nitrite were still at zero but my nitrate was around 20 (I despise color changing tests). So, I guess my question is, has my tank cycled in five days?

Yeah, could be possible that your tank is 'cycled', or at least cycled enough for your live stock. Although you started with dry rock, there is at least live sand and given the super small sizes of your clowns, it may be entirely possible that they are producing a low enough amount of ammonia that whatever amount of nitrifiers you have in the tank at the moment are enough to handle it. So if you keep at it, it would be fine.

However, I have doubts about what would happen if the bioload increases significantly, so just beware a bit.

 

[Alamo1836]

With that information then yes in 5 days your tank is cycled, however, as soo as you add livestock then it will spike ammonia so add very slow. When you start feeding it will then start to mature and you will probably go through the ugly phase.

In the time that the tank was empty did you add anything to the water? The presence of nitrate would indicate that you are indeed cycled.

No, I didnt add anything

 

[Cell]

Bio-spira doing its thing.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Quick check to see if you are cycled... Are your fish gasping for air? Do they have red gills? Your ammonia source was the respiration and fish waste and likely burned the fish's gills the first couple days. Typically we do as PatW suggested and do it fishless. End result is the same, you have a significant bacteria population for your fish... Unless they are struggling.

 

[Gogol_frag]

New to saltwater but a seasoned freshwater keeper. My question/observation is this, I have Fluval 13.5 with dry dead rock and CaribSea "live" sand. I set up the tank and it ran empty for about a week. I saw a BRS video about adding fish and helping them along with bottled bacteria so I said "what the heck" and tried it out. Added two tiny clowns, less than an inch. I used a whole bottle of Biospira while I was drip acclimating them. Every day for a week I have also used Microbacter7 per instructions. I have tested my parameters three times with the Red Sea test kit, first two times ammonia Nitrite and nitrate were at zero. Third time, ammonia and nitrite were still at zero but my nitrate was around 20 (I despise color changing tests). So, I guess my question is, has my tank cycled in five days?

Most likely it is cycled. You can use a Seachem Ammonia Badge to monitor the water a little longer. The only questionable idea is introduction of clownfishes ... they can become unsavory characters in your tank.

 

[Alamo1836]

Quick check to see if you are cycled... Are your fish gasping for air? Do they have red gills? Your ammonia source was the respiration and fish waste and likely burned the fish's gills the first couple days. Typically we do as PatW suggested and do it fishless. End result is the same, you have a significant bacteria population for your fish... Unless they are struggling.

No gasping or swimming at the top of the tank. No red gills either.