Cycling with Microbacter Dry Rock Starter Kit

[Magostini]

Hi everyone, I have just started the cycling and I will share the results with the community I hope the positive and negative results can be used by many people so they can do even better.
I am in the day 4 of cycling and I am using this starter kit, it is a cycling without fish. I added the Quikcycl, which is ammonia until achieve 2 ppm total and then 120 ml of Microbacter Start Xlm (the tank is 100 gallon).
Well, I started the tests on a daily basis, I am in day 4. The ammonia reduced to 1.2 ppm in day 2, but it is stable since then. Nitrite is increasing day by day and it is now 0.2 ppm.
I will complete this first comment with a question: should I add a WaveMaker? Could this improve the speed of cycling?
Note: skimmer and UV are turned off and I am using the Brightwell Bio Brick in the sump.

 

[Ludders]

That all sounds good to me, a wave maker won't make any difference, the water flowing around the system from the return pump is just fine.
Don't get too hung up on nitrite levels, main thing is ammonia reduction in cycle.

 

[Magostini]

Hi everyone, I have just started the cycling and I will share the results with the community I hope the positive and negative results can be used by many people so they can do even better.
I am in the day 4 of cycling and I am using this starter kit, it is a cycling without fish. I added the Quikcycl, which is ammonia until achieve 2 ppm total and then 120 ml of Microbacter Start Xlm (the tank is 100 gallon).
Well, I started the tests on a daily basis, I am in day 4. The ammonia reduced to 1.2 ppm in day 2, but it is stable since then. Nitrite is increasing day by day and it is now 0.2 ppm.
I will complete this first comment with a question: should I add a WaveMaker? Could this improve the speed of cycling?
Note: skimmer and UV are turned off and I am using the Brightwell Bio Brick in the sump.

After the test above, I added 120ml of microbacter start xlm and after that the results are:
Day 5
27.1 C
1023 salinity
8.2 ph
0.35 nitrite
1.1 ammonia

 

[Ludders]

Try to get your salinity up to around 1.025-1.026.
Everything looks to be going as expected. What are you using to test for ammonia?

 

[Magostini]

Try to get your salinity up to around 1.025-1.026.
Everything looks to be going as expected. What are you using to test for ammonia?

Thanks for the tip.. I have just added little bit of salt... Interesting the reduction of salinity considering I am keeping the same level of water, but maybe this is related to the new environment, rocks, sand, the brick and etc.
I am using red sea tests... The values are based on my judgment between the limits... Ammonia thresholds are 0.8 and 1.2..the 1.1 is my reading... And the same applies to nitrite.. Thanks!

 

[Ludders]

You could wait for 10 weeks for nitrite to read zero, so best not worrying about that. I use Red Sea and they seem to be reliable to me as far as these kind of test kits go for ammonia.

 

[olonmv]

Just a rookie throwing in his 2 cents. I did the long ball version of getting my first tank cycled a few months ago. Recently had to treat my fish and go fallow. Needed to do so relatively quickly and used turbo start 900 in my hospital tank to kick off the cycle (a couple of mils in a 10 gallon with a tiny bit of frozen mysis), the second day had zero ammonia and zero nitrites. This has been consistent for the past 3 days. I’m still in awe on how quick it worked to get the tank inhabitable.

 

[ReefRusty]

Wait till day 10 check nitrate and ammonia. If still ammonia and no nitrate wait till day 15 will tell you ammonia will have gone and your nitrates will rise.

Cycle will be complete.

Dont worry about testing nitrites anymore you have confirmed there is nitrites and this will convert into nitrates.

Nitrites have shown its not important for saltwater. Its very harmful for freshwater fish.

Used the same product will use again to cycle my next tank.

 

[Magostini]

Day 6
27.2 C
1025 salinity
8.2 ph
0.7 nitrite
1.1 ammonia
7 ppm nitrate

+85 ml microbacter start xlm

 

[Magostini]

Thank you for your messages it was very important to understand nitrite is not that relevant but I am still measuring because I am curious about the bacteria production. How fast they are able to convert in nitrite... And even more... I measured nitrate for the first time because as an engineer I would like to understand the bacteria capability to produce nitrate too.
And then I am limited to my engineering knowledge:
5 days ago I had 2 ppm of ammonia NJand no nitrite and no nitrate.. Now I have 1.1 ppm of ammonia, 0.7 ppm of nitrite and 7 ppm of nitrate.. The thing is... 0.9 ppm of ammonia generated 0.7 ppm of nitrite and 7 ppm of nitrate? And more than that... I am not able to measure how much of the nitrate was converted in gas... Just sharing...

 

[Ludders]

Yeah you will find the outputs higher than the original input.

 

[ReefRusty]

Again you will be more than likely be ready to go by day 15. Your ammonia may show 0.25 or 0.15 depending on test kit but it will more than likely be a false reading. Did you use dry rock and sand?

 

[Magostini]

Again you will be more than likely be ready to go by day 15. Your ammonia may show 0.25 or 0.15 depending on test kit but it will more than likely be a false reading. Did you use dry rock and sand?

Yes, Dry Rock and sand... According to the instructions...

 

[Magostini]

Again you will be more than likely be ready to go by day 15. Your ammonia may show 0.25 or 0.15 depending on test kit but it will more than likely be a false reading. Did you use dry rock and sand?

Yes, Dry Rock and sand... According to the instructions

 

[Ludders]

Again you will be more than likely be ready to go by day 15. Your ammonia may show 0.25 or 0.15 depending on test kit but it will more than likely be a false reading. Did you use dry rock and sand?

100% agree with this.

 

[Magostini]

100% agree with this.

I think the main issue is to keep the anxiety under control... There is no bacteria for that....

 

[Ludders]

What are your cycle anxieties? I'm sure we can put them to rest

 

[Magostini]

It seems to be half way...
Day 7
27 C
1025 salinity
8.2 ph
1 ppm nitrite or more (max on test)
1 ammonia
15 ppm nitrate

 

[Magostini]

Just wondering if the half of speed is related to less rocks than necessary... I added 35 pounds to 100 gallon system (80 g display).
I was reading about recommendation of 3/4 to 1 pound per gallon... Considering that, I would need to double the amount of rock...
What do you think... Should I add it? And would it be fine to do it during during cycling? Thanks!

 

[ReefRusty]

70 pounds of rock sounds exsessive, you could always add more rock now, don't see why you can't. I added dry rock after I had cycled.. the bacteria will build up on it.. if you decide to add rock I would add to much more. could build up the left side with some rock maybe a little overhang would look cool and still keeping it simple. Think of future coral placement if you go down that path