Cycling

[aaltayeh]

Hello, I have used the Fritz 900 turbo start with 2 clownfish. It’s been 5 days now. Ammonia 0 and the Nitrates 2 .
when do you know the cycle is done and can add more fish as well as clean up crew?

 

[Azedenkae]

Hello, I have used the Fritz 900 turbo start with 2 clownfish. It’s been 5 days now. Ammonia 0 and the Nitrates 2 .
when do you know the cycle is done and can add more fish as well as clean up crew?

Well, the easy way would have been to do fishless cycling and test the ammonia oxidation capacity and tada!

But anyways that's not possible, so. With fish-in cycling basically so long as ammonia can constantly stay at 0 despite feeding and everything, then you just slowly continue adding more fish and rinse and repeat.

 

[aaltayeh]

Appreciate your feedback. So when you say constantly ammonia at zero means over a period of couple weeks, I can add more fish?

 

[Matt L.]

If ammonia stays near zero, and your nitrate is increasing, then yes, your tank is cycled for the current bioload of two clownfish. How fast you can add more fish depends on the size of your tank and your filtration.

Appreciate your feedback. So when you say constantly ammonia at zero means over a period of couple weeks, I can add more fish?

I would say yes.

If your ammonia and nitrite are zero, and your nitrate is increasing, then yes, your tank has cycled for the bio load present.

A change in bio load can trigger a new cycle to handle that additional bio load. That’s why it’s best to wait a few weeks between additions.

A lot depends on how big your tank is, and what you have for filtration.

Another benefit to waiting is it lets your recent additions settle in and establish before disrupting the environment again.

Matt

 

[Azedenkae]

Appreciate your feedback. So when you say constantly ammonia at zero means over a period of couple weeks, I can add more fish?

Yes in essence. Does not have to be a couple of weeks, a couple of days is fine. Just that you'd want to be sure your tank can handle the ammonia produced by the current fish, before moving on to the next.

Note that if you measure with the API ammonia test kit, it may constantly read 0.25 instead of 0. So long as ammonia does not rise above that, that's fine too.

 

[Jekyl]

CuC can be slowly added now. No rush on adding fish. Slower is better in this hobby

 

[bmeily]

What they said. And you getting ready to go through the ugly stage and might want to get fish and CUC to help get through that.

 

[aaltayeh]

The tank is 100.3 g, all together with the sump. When do you recommend to start the skimmer and media reactor?
I like the idea of the carbon in order to have clear water.
I would use GFO if my phosphate begins to rise?
Thanks so much

 

[Jekyl]

Start the skimmer now. Will take a week or 2 to break in.