Hello, I just set up a new lagoon style frag tank. It is two 20G tanks plumbed into a 36G sump. I am attempting a clear bottom build and only have 10lbs of miracle mud for substrate in the sump. I took about 50lbs rock from a tank that's been running for 20 years, cleaned it up and cooked it for about 3 months, no chemicals, just a clean water cook. The first chamber of the sump and one of the tanks is filled with that rock. It is extremely healthy, has beautiful coralline all over everything, large fan worms feeder tentacles are popping out, ect. There is a ton of bio media in the sump from Algae Barn.
The Dilemma:
I ordered the large refugium starter kit from Algae Barn and planned on doing a fishless cycle with Turbo Start and Nitro Cycle. Unfortunately my Nitro Cycle was delayed for another week, but I didn't want my chaeto, pods and phyto (that expires in 3 weeks) to sit in their packaging for too long, so I switched to a fish in cycle and filled the tank with 4 Fiji Damsels. I know the rule of thumb would be to add 7 or 8 for this tank but I have been ghost feeding ground up plankton and flake food so I didn't think I would need 8 fish to supply enough ammonia. I also don't like the idea of a fish in cycle but I didn't want to kill the other live goods waiting to go into the tank.
The Method:
I did not test anything for the first 4 days since I added the Turbo Start. Stupid, I know, but I've been crazy busy! Fish went in 8 hours or so after the Turbo Start. I ghost fed the tank the day before and the same day as adding the good bacteria, as well as every day after for 4 days. 4oz of turbo start the first day and another 2 the second and the last 2 the third. Fish have all been super happy. I did keep the lights on since day 2. I have also been running the fuge lights even though there is no clean algae in the sump yet.
The Test Results:
So since I waited until day 5 to test, I am concerned I may have missed my whole cycle... I also have ****** API test kits for ammonia and nitrite so not sure if the data from those is useful at all. ORP and PH are Neptune, Nitrates are from High Level Reefing.
Day 5 test results were as follows:
Ammonia: < .25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate API: 5 PPM
Nitrate HLR: 2 PPM
ORP: 220
PH: 8-8.1
Temp: 77.5
Day 6 test results were as follows:
Ammonia: < .25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate API: 5 PPM
Nitrate HLR: 3 PPM
ORP: 220
PH: 8-8.1
Temp: 77.5
Did I completely miss the cycle in my tank or are the API test kits so bad that they wouldn't detect my ammonia and nitrite swings? Maybe my tank hasn't cycled at all? Maybe my super well established rock, ghost feeding and fish cycled the tank before I could even get around to testing? I would assume I messed up and the cycle hasn't started yet if there wasn't a definite presence of Nitrates. I have green algae growing on the rocks in the tank so I think I might have turbo cycled the tank. I put a shroom, a goni, and a nem in the tank and they look happier than they were in their old tank. I want to think my tank is cycled and would like to move some more livestock and add my pods and chaeto. Would like to know the communities thoughts on this.
(I don't have any filters for photos but I promise the algae in the photo is green lol)
Also huge shout out to @SBB Corals for the pretty frags!
The Dilemma:
I ordered the large refugium starter kit from Algae Barn and planned on doing a fishless cycle with Turbo Start and Nitro Cycle. Unfortunately my Nitro Cycle was delayed for another week, but I didn't want my chaeto, pods and phyto (that expires in 3 weeks) to sit in their packaging for too long, so I switched to a fish in cycle and filled the tank with 4 Fiji Damsels. I know the rule of thumb would be to add 7 or 8 for this tank but I have been ghost feeding ground up plankton and flake food so I didn't think I would need 8 fish to supply enough ammonia. I also don't like the idea of a fish in cycle but I didn't want to kill the other live goods waiting to go into the tank.
The Method:
I did not test anything for the first 4 days since I added the Turbo Start. Stupid, I know, but I've been crazy busy! Fish went in 8 hours or so after the Turbo Start. I ghost fed the tank the day before and the same day as adding the good bacteria, as well as every day after for 4 days. 4oz of turbo start the first day and another 2 the second and the last 2 the third. Fish have all been super happy. I did keep the lights on since day 2. I have also been running the fuge lights even though there is no clean algae in the sump yet.
The Test Results:
So since I waited until day 5 to test, I am concerned I may have missed my whole cycle... I also have ****** API test kits for ammonia and nitrite so not sure if the data from those is useful at all. ORP and PH are Neptune, Nitrates are from High Level Reefing.
Day 5 test results were as follows:
Ammonia: < .25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate API: 5 PPM
Nitrate HLR: 2 PPM
ORP: 220
PH: 8-8.1
Temp: 77.5
Day 6 test results were as follows:
Ammonia: < .25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate API: 5 PPM
Nitrate HLR: 3 PPM
ORP: 220
PH: 8-8.1
Temp: 77.5
Did I completely miss the cycle in my tank or are the API test kits so bad that they wouldn't detect my ammonia and nitrite swings? Maybe my tank hasn't cycled at all? Maybe my super well established rock, ghost feeding and fish cycled the tank before I could even get around to testing? I would assume I messed up and the cycle hasn't started yet if there wasn't a definite presence of Nitrates. I have green algae growing on the rocks in the tank so I think I might have turbo cycled the tank. I put a shroom, a goni, and a nem in the tank and they look happier than they were in their old tank. I want to think my tank is cycled and would like to move some more livestock and add my pods and chaeto. Would like to know the communities thoughts on this.
(I don't have any filters for photos but I promise the algae in the photo is green lol)
Also huge shout out to @SBB Corals for the pretty frags!
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