Cycling question

Avengerx77

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I am doing a fishless cycle with Macrobacter QuikCycl and Macrobacter XLM start. I am already at Day 6. The Salifert test for Ammonia can't tell anymore if it reads between 0 to 0.15 and Nitrates I can clearly see this in the 0.50ppm area. According to the product page, tank should be cycle if Ammonia/Nitrites are 0 and Nitrates over .25ppm. Based on this, I will be making a 25% water change in the next couple of days.

My question here is, I was planning to go to my LFS on Saturday to get the fish and give the cycle a couple of additional days to be on the safe side and because I don't have a Nitrites test. Will bacteria will still thrive for 3 more days until I get the fish?
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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here's exactly what you need to do

wait for a total of fifteen days then do a larger water change, most of it. that bac you are using tests slower than the main ones, so wait a total of fifteen days. any sooner and you risk stressing fish.


at day fifteen after the big water change if you add fish from a pet store, they instantly infect your reef with disease and losses by month eight can be expected, per any new post trends in the disease forum day to day.

select a disease protocol for all fish and items added, or they w die unrelated to cycling.
the way you know thats not hyperbole is to study the new threads in the fish disease forum, any day for the last five years



the duration of 15 days accounts for all possible param shifting that may occur and it will be safely done by that date, no need to rush for a quicker time as disease controls are needed here.

if you had used biospira, Dr Tims or fritz, you action time would be now vs fifteen days.
 
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Avengerx77

Avengerx77

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Thanks, I am now currently sitting at Day 10 and seems my Ammonia is pretty much at 0, but showing some Nitrites still, so yeah seems I am at the mid way of cycling. So as you stated, looks that Macrobacter takes a bit more time to get the full cycle done.
 
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Avengerx77

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Day 14 update, one day away of the 2week period after adding Microbacter. Ammonia has now reached 0 or at least undetectable levels from my Saifert test. Nitrites seems to lower down versus last time I measure on Sunday, coming down from about 2.5ppm to somewhere around 0.5-1ppm. I would give it a couple more days to see if it comes even lower than that before introducing the fish. I have not tested for Nitrates as I have read that it will give a false read as there is still Nitrites present.

Question now is that I have still some bottle bac left, should I continue to dose every other day, or just let it run its course for the remaining days? I am planning to put fish on Friday or Sunday.
 

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