First Tank Cycle

[Reefer-Noob]

Agreed but with this limit: if the bottle bac was dead during shipping then the new fish will die over nite and water will by rule be cloudy and bad, visually. The one step bottle bac makers should put on the label / they may have already not sure / is that demonstration of ammonia control should be proven, before adding fish. In your case you had proof bottle bac were alive 24 hours after adding fish.


since 99% of shipping isn’t killing bottle bac, it’s how the hobby keeps getting away with no pre verification.

That makes sense. It does depend on the quality of the product. But Dr Tims said it can live in bottle for over a year too.

 

[Reefer-Noob]

At this point, how long do you think it will take my ammonia/nitrite levels to drop to 0?

 

[brandon429]

You are using test kits that can’t register either accurately, the params don’t matter. Your tank is cycled like a convention reef, it’s literally done cycling lol add some starter coral and make use of your skip cycle reef. Only seneye ammonia can be trusted, and nitrite and nitrate don’t matter in a cycle.

heres a cycling thread that uses only new science for cycling, the single parameter cycling approach that allowed your fish to live:

The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

You can skip your cycle. Ive been reefing online for twenty years and have never waited one second for a tank to cycle, because I buy rocks that are already cycled and move them home. Here's two: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/...

www.reef2reef.com

*my advice to begin reefing would appear brash, rushed, not thought out, borderline anarchic were it not for the convention posted on prior pages who set up sixty thousand dollar coral tanks in one day. My advice to you is more like buy a candy coral and a six dollar zoanthid set, not total anarchy

 

[Reefer-Noob]

You are using test kits that can’t register either accurately, the params don’t matter. Your tank is cycled like a convention reef, it’s literally done cycling lol add some starter coral and make use of your skip cycle reef. Only seneye ammonia can be trusted, and nitrite and nitrate don’t matter in a cycle.

heres a cycling thread that uses only new science for cycling, the single parameter cycling approach that allowed your fish to live:

The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

You can skip your cycle. Ive been reefing online for twenty years and have never waited one second for a tank to cycle, because I buy rocks that are already cycled and move them home. Here's two: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/...

www.reef2reef.com

*my advice to begin reefing would appear brash, rushed, not thought out, borderline anarchic were it not for the convention posted on prior pages who set up sixty thousand dollar coral tanks in one day. My advice to you is more like buy a candy coral and a six dollar zoanthid set, not total anarchy

Should I do a water change soon? If so, how much? Tank is 32.5g. Thanks for all the advice

 

[brandon429]

I like to do it just to start in much lower algae feed water, change a good amount.

 

[brandon429]

hey can you post a full tank shot so we can see ratios/fish behavior stills/where they're at in the tank etc. all handy details for cyclers.

 

[Reefer-Noob]

hey can you post a full tank shot so we can see ratios/fish behavior stills/where they're at in the tank etc. all handy details for cyclers.

I am at work currently but when I get home later today I will

 

[Reefer-Noob]

hey can you post a full tank shot so we can see ratios/fish behavior stills/where they're at in the tank etc. all handy details for cyclers.

I have a photo from the other night but thats it right now

 

[Reefer-Noob]

hey can you post a full tank shot so we can see ratios/fish behavior stills/where they're at in the tank etc. all handy details for cyclers.

It was like 10pm so it was only running at 5% blue here but it’s the only full tank photo I’ve got right now. This was 2 days ago.

 

[Trylobyte]

I am a newer member and definitely not an expert (although I don't really believe in experts, but more of "successful" reefers), but I have read hundreds (literally hundreds) of posts from this forum, others, watched almost every video you can think of from hobbyists and even BRS, LiveAquaria, MarineDepot, SaltwaterAquarium, etc. In which case, most of those are promoting the fish-in cycle with Dr. Tims, Fritz and even Brightwell Aquatics bacteria, and most recommend some sort of Damsel, Chromis or other hearty fish to use during this. That being said, they did say 1 fish, maybe 2 depending on tank. On a 39 gallon I might have err'd on the side of being safer and just going 1. And then to add 1 more fish every 2 weeks or so. As far as coral, everything I have read (about LPS & softies) say they have a pretty much undetectable bio-load and some even prefer more nutrient rich water, so you could quite possibly look into something like that as mentioned above.

Again, I am new to the hobby but just relaying the absolute crap ton of information I have already read, so be sure to confirm, and I am sure other members will point out anything I was wrong about.

 

[brandon429]

hey that's tons of surface area, for sure all set. The fish are swimming mid tank, and down low, whereas ammonia burning even at all would have them hovering at the top seeking 02 in a plain and clear manner.

 

[Reefer-Noob]

I am a newer member and definitely not an expert (although I don't really believe in experts, but more of "successful" reefers), but I have read hundreds (literally hundreds) of posts from this forum, others, watched almost every video you can think of from hobbyists and even BRS, LiveAquaria, MarineDepot, SaltwaterAquarium, etc. In which case, most of those are promoting the fish-in cycle with Dr. Tims, Fritz and even Brightwell Aquatics bacteria, and most recommend some sort of Damsel, Chromis or other hearty fish to use during this. That being said, they did say 1 fish, maybe 2 depending on tank. On a 39 gallon I might have err'd on the side of being safer and just going 1. And then to add 1 more fish every 2 weeks or so. As far as coral, everything I have read (about LPS & softies) say they have a pretty much undetectable bio-load and some even prefer more nutrient rich water, so you could quite possibly look into something like that as mentioned above.

Again, I am new to the hobby but just relaying the absolute crap ton of information I have already read, so be sure to confirm, and I am sure other members will point out anything I was wrong about.

I am in a similar boat as you so far as being new in personal experience but likewise scoured over all the info I could find. So far, so good, I believe. Clowns are doing great and I do have a few corals in there already.