First time Reefer Cycle questions

[NOT310]

Hi All,

I have been cycling my Aqua One Reefsys255 since 4th Of September 2021.
I’m using the Red Sea Test kit.
I started the cycle with Dr Tim’s one and only and Ammonia. To this day I still believe the tank is still cycling, which isn’t an issue but I just want to know if Everything is ok. I have 0 Ammonia showing and I’ll post pictures below of my Nitirie & Nitrate.

Any tips and Advice will be greatly appreciated !!

 

[fappingpanda]

Everything should be going as planned! In the next few days, you should see a fall in nitrites and a rise in nitrates. When nitrites are at 0 and nitrates start to fall you will be ready for livestock. Some even add livestock when nitrites are gone and nitrates aren't incredibly high. Hope this helps!

 

[LouisianaReef]

If you showing no ammonia present I would said that while you are still cycling, you are close to the end my friend. Shouldn't be much longer and those nitrites should fall and you would be ready for a WC and some livestock.

 

[brandon429]

If post #1 here doesn’t show you are done and ready I’ll go edit it to make sure it does

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...

www.reef2reef.com

post a pic of your rockwork

a Dr Tims cycle is done in under ten days

 

[PeterC99]

Welcome to R2R!

Looks like you are on the right track!

 

[NOT310]

If you showing no ammonia present I would said that while you are still cycling, you are close to the end my friend. Shouldn't be much longer and those nitrites should fall and you would be ready for a WC and some livestock.

Thank you! I have read that Nitiries being present isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a salt water aquarium? It was strange to me as I have come from a freshwater background

 

[NOT310]

If post #1 here doesn’t show you are done and ready I’ll go edit it to make sure it does

How to unstick any seemingly stuck cycle

non digital ammonia test kit readings (api, Red Sea, nyos, seachem badges) make you think you aren’t cycled when indeed you are if you owned a $200 expensive seneye meter, you’d never be doubting your cycle status. since .01% of the reefing population owns these, we need a way to help the...

www.reef2reef.com

post a pic of your rockwork

a Dr Tims cycle is done in under ten days

 

[brandon429]

Agreed. Thats sixteen pages of tanks like yours you can track out. Great pics that’s plenty of surface area

** choosing disease preps for the fish now is the key decision point the cycle is done

that’s not a flippant assessment your tank meets key timing details from the post. Having a very specific start date lets you focus on disease prevention which is the real source of loss in cycling, problems with the filter are never a source of loss


you can see your cycle is fully complete by tracking the outcomes for any tank on those pages. They’re all very happy reefs due to following updated cycling science rules and timing

you can see by Randy’s article we caption on page one that we don’t factor nitrite any longer. this helps us focus on what does matter in cycling: disease preps

 

[Garf]

Nice. Probably ok to start but lots of us would much rather wait till nitrites fall till undetectable. I use the cycle time to quarantine my fish in a separate tank, which leaves lots of time for a full cycle in the display. Are you going to quarantine your first fish?

 

[Jeffcb]

If you have Nitrate and no ammonia after 3 weeks I would add an animal and start feeding it.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

this article gives the right insight into your cycle, we built our start date patterns around Randy’s admonition regarding the chemistry of nitrite in the reef tank- no need to measure it. Plus, the op paid for the allowed quicker start date, bottle bac convey this benefit. The cycle is ready, use prepped fish as Garf had suggested.

 

[NOT310]

If you have Nitrate and no ammonia after 3 weeks I would add an animal and start feeding it.

Is there a specific animal that a new tank would benefit from having?

 

[NOT310]

Nice. Probably ok to start but lots of us would much rather wait till nitrites fall till undetectable. I use the cycle time to quarantine my fish in a separate tank, which leaves lots of time for a full cycle in the display. Are you going to quarantine your first fish?

If I’m honest, I don’t have a quarantine tank. A very good friend of mine owns my LFS and specialises in Marine Aquariums. He quarantines all fish when they come into stock. I will only be getting fish and coral from him

 

[Jeffcb]

Is there a specific animal that a new tank would benefit from having?

A few Blue legged Hermit crabs. I added a couple clown fish right away to my tank, if you want clowns. They are very hardy.