I am dumb please help

[bingus]

Well I’m back again to counsel with the fish elders. I just finished week 3 of my tank cycle and I have questions about how to know if it’s cycled or not. I put all my rocks in a garbage can with bleach and dechlorinated water for a week then soaked them again in normal water for another week and then let them sit out for a couple more days before I set up my tank. Does that mean I’m not going through and ammonia cycle? I’ve been testing all week and have had 0 ammonia each time. My nitrites were .2 and nitrates were at 1 today. I’m using the Red Sea marine care test kit for everything. I also used dr Tim’s one and only for the bacteria. Am I Ready for a Fish? I’m clueless right now despite the countless hours of brs videos and time I’ve spent reading on here. I guess my smooth brain can’t retain any knowledge. Thank you in advance for any and all advice!

 

[JosephM]

Have you added an ammonia source to get the cycle started? Raw cocktail shrimp, 100% ammonia, fish food?

 

[bingus]

Have you added an ammonia source to get the cycle started? Raw cocktail shrimp, 100% ammonia, fish food?

I have not

 

[JosephM]

I have not

Sadly you need to add an ammonia source for the bacteria to start your cycle. They can’t reproduce off of nothing

 

[N.Sreefer]

Pee in the tank thatll get the cycle started! (Jk)

 

[bingus]

Sadly you need to add an ammonia source for the bacteria to start your cycle. They can’t reproduce off of nothing

Would frozen fish food work? And how much should I add?

 

[jradishness]

Yes, it will. If it’s cubes, just drop one in and as it rots, it’ll release ammonia that bacteria (from your Dr Tim’s) convert to nitrites that other bacteria (from Dr Tim) will convert to nitrate. Cycle begun/processing.

 

[bingus]

Yes, it will. If it’s cubes, just drop one in and as it rots, it’ll release ammonia that bacteria (from your Dr Tim’s) convert to nitrites that other bacteria (from Dr Tim) will convert to nitrate. Cycle begun/processing.

Thank you!

 

[jradishness]

Another option that some people prefer is to dose ammonium nitrate. Brightwell, Dr Tim, and Fritz (among others I’m sure) sell an aquarium-safe ammonia product that we dose to 2 ppm ammonia per a test kit (I use Salifert, DON’T use API!).

At 2 ppm, there is ample ammonia for the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria to reproduce, while not being toxic to the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. If you rise above 5 ppm ammonia, you should do water changes until you’re back in the sweet spot. Also, higher temps (82-83F) and lower salinities (1.018Sg) promote faster bacterial growth, returning to normal parameters slowly over some time.

Of course all of this is probably overkill. Many get away without such measures. But Dr Tim himself gave a great MACNA speech a few years back about the cycle. I follow his tips on all my tanks and have had nothing but success, even without ever using a single chunk of “seeded live rock”.

 

[bingus]

Another option that some people prefer is to dose ammonium nitrate. Brightwell, Dr Tim, and Fritz (among others I’m sure) sell an aquarium-safe ammonia product that we dose to 2 ppm ammonia per a test kit (I use Salifert, DON’T use API!).

At 2 ppm, there is ample ammonia for the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria to reproduce, while not being toxic to the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. If you rise above 5 ppm ammonia, you should do water changes until you’re back in the sweet spot. Also, higher temps (82-83F) and lower salinities (1.018Sg) promote faster bacterial growth, returning to normal parameters slowly over some time.

Of course all of this is probably overkill. Many get away without such measures. But Dr Tim himself gave a great MACNA speech a few years back about the cycle. I follow his tips on all my tanks and have had nothing but success, even without ever using a single chunk of “seeded live rock”.

Thank you for the awesome advice! I didn’t know that

 

[Rmckoy]

Have you added an ammonia source to get the cycle started? Raw cocktail shrimp, 100% ammonia, fish food?

If using dr Tim is a ammonia source needed .
essentially it’s nitrifying bacteria in a bottle .
Instant cycle ?

raw shrimp and wait is the old
School way I cycled my tank 20 years ago .
Do they still cycle tanks that way ?

 

[JosephM]

If using dr Tim is a ammonia source needed .
essentially it’s nitrifying bacteria in a bottle .
Instant cycle ?

raw shrimp and wait is the old
School way I cycled my tank 20 years ago .
Do they still cycle tanks that way ?

Yes. He’s starting with a clean slate, there absolutely nothing on that rock. That’s why there’s also dr. Tim’s ammonia that they sell. I’m sure it would cycle in months or years with just the bacteria but no one has that patience. The bacteria in dr Tim’s will have nothing to feed off of without an ammonia source of sorts. Personally I prefer the live rock cycle, but that’s expensive lol.

 

[Rmckoy]

The way I always have cycled was added 2-3 large raw shrimp in the tank and let them disappear .
Tested ammonia every other day until it was 0 but as it got close to 0 nitrites were detectable .

as they got close to 0 nitrates would increase .
When both ammonia and nitrite were both 0 nitrates should be high ( 40ppm+ )

large water change and start adding fish slow

 

[Rmckoy]

Yes. He’s starting with a clean slate, there absolutely nothing on that rock. That’s why there’s also dr. Tim’s ammonia that they sell. I’m sure it would cycle in months or years with just the bacteria but no one has that patience. The bacteria in dr Tim’s will have nothing to feed off of without an ammonia source of sorts. Personally I prefer the live rock cycle, but that’s expensive lol.

It’s been 20+ years since starting fresh . And even at that time , I bought 100lbs of live rock from a closing tank online .
Mind you it was covered in mushrooms that I freshwater bathed as I didn’t want so many .

 

[JosephM]

It’s been 20+ years since starting fresh . And even at that time , I bought 100lbs of live rock from a closing tank online .
Mind you it was covered in mushrooms that I freshwater bathed as I didn’t want so many .

Live rock is 100% the way to go IMO if you can afford it. I got a quick cycle, biodiversity that can’t be beat, and stability very early. Were they ugly shrooms or just too many?

 

[Rmckoy]

Live rock is 100% the way to go IMO if you can afford it. I got a quick cycle, biodiversity that can’t be beat, and stability very early. Were they ugly shrooms or just too many?

I agree ....
finding live rocks online used from someone else is a cheaper way to go .
but the risk of bringing anything they had into your dt

 

[Azedenkae]

Another option that some people prefer is to dose ammonium nitrate. Brightwell, Dr Tim, and Fritz (among others I’m sure) sell an aquarium-safe ammonia product that we dose to 2 ppm ammonia per a test kit (I use Salifert, DON’T use API!).

At 2 ppm, there is ample ammonia for the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria to reproduce, while not being toxic to the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. If you rise above 5 ppm ammonia, you should do water changes until you’re back in the sweet spot. Also, higher temps (82-83F) and lower salinities (1.018Sg) promote faster bacterial growth, returning to normal parameters slowly over some time.

Of course all of this is probably overkill. Many get away without such measures. But Dr Tim himself gave a great MACNA speech a few years back about the cycle. I follow his tips on all my tanks and have had nothing but success, even without ever using a single chunk of “seeded live rock”.

Fully in agreement with this.

 

[bingus]

Yes, it will. If it’s cubes, just drop one in and as it rots, it’ll release ammonia that bacteria (from your Dr Tim’s) convert to nitrites that other bacteria (from Dr Tim) will convert to nitrate. Cycle begun/processing.

How often should I add a cube? Everyday?

 

[jradishness]

How often should I add a cube? Everyday?

No. Just leave the one in for now. After a couple days, test ammonia again. If you’re still not getting a reading. Throw another cube in. If you’re still not reading ammonia after that, take a water sample to an LFS and have them test it for you to rule out the test kit / your process.

I suspect you’ll see ammonia in a matter of days after chucking in the first cube of meat.

 

[bingus]

No. Just leave the one in for now. After a couple days, test ammonia again. If you’re still not getting a reading. Throw another cube in. If you’re still not reading ammonia after that, take a water sample to an LFS and have them test it for you to rule out the test kit / your process.

I suspect you’ll see ammonia in a matter of days after chucking in the first cube of meat.

Thank you!