Cycling

[austinschroeds]

Cycling. Currently 3 days since hermits have been in and thriving. Advice moving forward and how long to wait before adding snails?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What did you do to cycle it?

 

[austinschroeds]

What did you do to cycle it?

Added bacteria daily, fish foods, carbon, etc. and trying to be patient

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Dr. Holmes-Farley is a true expert, I'd listen to what he suggests that you do here

But just to be clear, when did you start the tank up, and did you add the hermits right way?

What did you use for bacteria, and when you say "carbon" do you mean that you're using Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filter media, or that you're dosing some form of an organic carbon source?

 

[austinschroeds]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Dr. Holmes-Farley is a true expert, I'd listen to what he suggests that you do here

But just to be clear, when did you start the tank up, and did you add the hermits right way?

What did you use for bacteria, and when you say "carbon" do you mean that you're using Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filter media, or that you're dosing some form of an organic carbon source?

Microbacter7, GAC, adding some frozen foods and pellets, RODI water mixed with Fritz RPM salt 1.025 salinity, Hermits were added roughly within like 5 days. And been doing great for the past 36 hrs. So far seem happy.

 

[Fish Fan]

I typically would like to see a new tank nitrogen cycled before adding livestock including hermits, but the hermits are hardy, and I'm old enough to remember a time when "they" told you to use hardy animals like hermits or a Damsel fish to cycle your new tank.

Personally, I would keep going by adding some food for the hermits, which will both feed them (as there's little for them to scavenge in a brand new tank), as well as provide some ammonia and organic carbon to get your cycle going. I'd give this about three weeks or so before adding more livestock. I wouldn't add algae grazing snails until you have some algae for them to feed on.

 

[Fish Fan]

Side note: make sure to have a variety of empty shells for your hermits to change into. They swap shells more frequently than many would expect, and if you get snails, the hermits can viciously murder your poor snails just to steal their shell

Good luck, please post back with any further questions!

 

[austinschroeds]

I typically would like to see a new tank nitrogen cycled before adding livestock including hermits, but the hermits are hardy, and I'm old enough to remember a time when "they" told you to use hardy animals like hermits or a Damsel fish to cycle your new tank.

Personally, I would keep going by adding some food for the hermits, which will both feed them (as there's little for them to scavenge in a brand new tank), as well as provide some ammonia and organic carbon to get your cycle going. I'd give this about three weeks or so before adding more livestock. I wouldn't add algae grazing snails until you have some algae for them to feed on.

Thanks for the advice and positive feedback. Anyone experienced im trying to take in all i can and willing to learn more

 

[Fish Fan]

Thanks for the advice and positive feedback. Anyone experienced im trying to take in all i can and willing to learn more

Feel free to keep posing when you have questions, there's a lot of amazing members I learn from every day