Is my cycle stalled?

[CasperOe]

you will see when reading the disease forum that nitrates have no bearing at all when it comes to fish in a reef tank, they don't factor. fish health is the same if nitrates are 4ppm or 160ppm (Paul B's reef is this high, all healthy fish)

be reading the stickies in the disease forum, it will undo all the prior learning that had you thinking nitrate matters

send back your nitrite kit for credit/not needed/we don't test for it in updated cycling science. he's stating that while nitrite is present, you can't accurately test for nitrate.

so you'd wait 30 days to begin nitrate testing, which has nothing to do with fish use. 30 days = nitrite is controlled on all cycling charts, you don't have to wait for it or test for it.

move past testing for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, study on pure fish disease prep bc your tank is ready to carry fish now.

resume testing for nitrate in 30-60 days, it has no bearing on your tank's ability to keep fish. nitrate balancing is for invasion tuning and color tuning in corals, that's it. it's a long-term scope measure, not something you need to know in the first half year.

Lots and lots of great information there, thank you! I am still a bit worried moving my first fish in to their new tank given the nitrite is still present; this is literally the only source where i have seen that nitrite does not matter..

Every other source i have of information on this matter explicitly says that nitrite has to be 0 before going ahead with any fish. Guess it will be learning by doing- or leaning by burning

My two beloved clowns that i have had for +10 years will be the first ones to move once I’m brave enough!

 

[brandon429]

hey that's a serious transfer then, you're familiar with disease options, ten year fish is a big deal

you should post a picture of your reef tank above, reason why: we're checking for surface area. if you have rocks piled in the middle like most reefs, then this is enough activation time for it. once you get a chance to read the disease forum, you'll see Jay mention nitrite specifically in a few places as not a factor.

its not in the stickies here in the chem forum, not as a sticky in the disease forum, nitrite matters in freshwater not marine keeping.


its ok to wait arbitrarily longer to add fish, what I like to do is assess a known ready date based on description and however long extra someone else wants to wait past that/not a prob. match the salinity and temp to the old system and the fish will transfer well when you are ready

 

[CasperOe]

hey that's a serious transfer then, you're familiar with disease options, ten year fish is a big deal

you should post a picture of your reef tank above, reason why: we're checking for surface area. if you have rocks piled in the middle like most reefs, then this is enough activation time for it. once you get a chance to read the disease forum, you'll see Jay mention nitrite specifically in a few places as not a factor.

its not in the stickies here in the chem forum, not as a sticky in the disease forum, nitrite matters in freshwater not marine keeping.


its ok to wait arbitrarily longer to add fish, what I like to do is assess a known ready date based on description and however long extra someone else wants to wait past that/not a prob. match the salinity and temp to the old system and the fish will transfer well when you are ready

It is a very serious transfer, I will be as cautious as i possibly can- these guys have been with me for a long, long time! Here’s a picture of the new tank; the scape is quite open.

I will take some time reading around that section you propose. I do appreciate the assistance i get form the experienced reefers on this forum

 

[CasperOe]

hey that's a serious transfer then, you're familiar with disease options, ten year fish is a big deal

you should post a picture of your reef tank above, reason why: we're checking for surface area. if you have rocks piled in the middle like most reefs, then this is enough activation time for it. once you get a chance to read the disease forum, you'll see Jay mention nitrite specifically in a few places as not a factor.

its not in the stickies here in the chem forum, not as a sticky in the disease forum, nitrite matters in freshwater not marine keeping.


its ok to wait arbitrarily longer to add fish, what I like to do is assess a known ready date based on description and however long extra someone else wants to wait past that/not a prob. match the salinity and temp to the old system and the fish will transfer well when you are ready

4 x 2 x 2 feet , 125 gallons.

 

[brandon429]

ok perfect it all checks out. that's too much dilution for any issues in moving over a couple clowns, match salinity and temp and move them right in when ready.

 

[CasperOe]

ok perfect it all checks out. that's too much dilution for any issues in moving over a couple clowns, match salinity and temp and move them right in when ready.

Grand! And cheers! You’re a wizard! Guess thats my Tuesday sorted out- lots of time off when you work offshore

 

[CasperOe]

So.. turns out; the first fish who will move will be a Timor Wrasse as he was the first one to enter the trap

 

[brandon429]

once you put any fish in, observe him for an hour I bet he acts normal. any fish that was put into bad water will show it with behavior issues not associated with common new tank feeling out. if he's good after an hour, add more.

 

[Jedi1199]

4 x 2 x 2 feet , 125 gallons.

Gotta love/hate it when you have a window opposite the tank. Reflections are such a pain in photography. I have a huge bay windo opposite my 130 and I usually wait till after dark before attempting any photos.

Is the rock new dry rock, new "prepared" rock (the purple stuff) or best yet old rock from an established tank?

I agree with @brandon429 that the tank is ready to go immediately. I have never waited more than a day or so after first fill up to add fish. I do however always start a new build with at least a few larger pieces of rocks from an established tank.

 

[brandon429]

I also like that as a dry rock bring up, he's not violating disease protocol in this switch over


** be mindful on new stocking here. Anything wet, new from a pet store like a new clean up crew is a direct disease vector risk. Don't even get a Cuc for a while. Use old tank as a fallow pass- through system before items stock into this new tank, do it slow to meet the demands of old fish. So far, these fish are very safe moving over but any new additions from a pet store remove that safety % incrementally

 

[Saz]

Hun its simple

Start cycle by adding ammonia
Then wait
Nitrite will rise
Wait
Nitrate will rise
Wait
Nitrite will fall
Wait
Nitrate will fall
Wait

When Ammonia and Nitrite is Oppm add your beings

Once they’re in there their pooh provides the bacteria (ammonia)
If the ammonia and/or nitrite rise above 0ppm, water change
Do a reg weekly water change anyway - 25 percent, more if it those two tings rise more

Oh and suck up waste food and pooh debris with a turkey baster

Btw adding moss balls, several I have six in a two foot tank) helps keep the cycle going well

That’s it

One

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hun its simple

Start cycle by adding ammonia
Then wait
Nitrite will rise
Wait
Nitrate will rise
Wait
Nitrite will fall
Wait
Nitrate will fall
Wait

When Ammonia and Nitrite is Oppm add your beings

Once they’re in there their pooh provides the bacteria (ammonia)
If the ammonia and/or nitrite rise above 0ppm, water change
Do a reg weekly water change anyway - 25 percent, more if it those two tings rise more

Oh and suck up waste food and pooh debris with a turkey baster

Btw adding moss balls, several I have six in a two foot tank) helps keep the cycle going well

That’s it

One

My recommendation is even simpler:

Start cycle by adding ammonia
Then wait
ammonia will fall
add ammonia
ammonia will fall
tank is good to go!

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

My recommendation is even simpler:

Start cycle by adding ammonia
Then wait
ammonia will fall
add ammonia
ammonia will fall
tank is good to go!

My recommendation is even simpler:

- add a little live rock or sand from established system
- never think about it again