(Edit: no longer new and no longer have the tank)My new Saltwater Tank (also new to the hobby)

[NotFishyFishGuy]

You can research it (there is a search function here) or simply post just like you did now and ask a question. There are no stupid questions - only stupid answers. Whatever you ask here will be replied by a large community that only has interest for you to succeed as a reefer.

K I will thanks

 

[Todvod]

Welcome NotFishy!
I second the motion on research. Plans succeed with many advisors. Taking it slow is the way to go. You are not just filling a tank with fish, but building an eco system. Best wishes to you. Oh, and clowns are the best!!!

 

[Dimmy007]

Welcome. Check this out by @KJ Patience is key.

Section 5: The Cycle

image via @rusticgirls

In a freshwater aquarium you can add some flake food, wait a couple weeks, and then you can add fish. In the ocean there is much more involved than mechanical filtration. In fact, 70% of your aquariums filtration relies on the maturity of the live rock. A combination of bacteria, algae, and various invertebrates compose the “live” part of the rock. It takes quite a while to establish an ecosystem, even on a microscopic level. Without a proper understanding of the Marine Cycle, you will be in for a long term battle with parameters and algae. There are six main stages to a properly cycled tank. Follow this guide and you cannot mess up. You will need your basic test kit to test the progress.

Stage 1: Ammonia Cycle

Ammonia is the first thing that forms when something rots. It is a waste product in nearly all creatures as well. Instead of using a fish to start the cycle just use some food. Anything that is all natural and uncooked works just fine. Table shrimp that is uncooked works great. Drop it on the sand so it is in view. The shrimp should begin to rot within a couple hours or more. Let this shrimp rot until it is completely gone. If you are curious what your ammonia levels are, go ahead and take some tests. Keep track of the results as the shrimp rots. The smaller the food gets the more ammonia should be present in your water column and pretty soon should be off the charts. This will stay high for a while, but then start to drop. As soon as the ammonia starts to drop you will see a rise in Nitrite, you are now on the next stage.

Stage 2: Nitrite Cycle

Ammonia when broken down by bacteria becomes Nitrite, which is still a toxin. As your Nitrites rise your Ammonia will drop, drop, and keep dropping as long as you haven’t added any animals. Keep up with testing to observe your progress. Eventually your Ammonia will be very low and your nitrites will peak out until it starts feeding a different type of bacteria that turns it into Nitrates. Once your first signs of Nitrates are seen you are on the next stage.

Stage 3: Nitrate Cycle

Nitrates are removed within the live rock deep inside in all of the deep pours. This hidden bacteria consumes the nitrate and creates nitrogen gas as a byproduct. The nitrogen gas rises in the water column and escapes into the air. When one gas leave, another enters. Oxygen is then infused into the water. After the Nitrates start to dissipate your oxygen will increase and you will be ready for the intermission:

Intermission:

You are not done yet! You may have cultivated a nice crop of groovy bacteria and your water may be clean as can be, but, there are still 3 more stages to the cycle process before you can start your stocking. Take this time to consume all of which you have already done. The next 3 stages often put fear into the eyes of many newcomers. These are perfectly natural and are partially a representation of how the earth became an oxygen rich planet. Before there was any oxygen breathing organisms, there was the evolution of Cyanobacteria. This is a photosynthetic bacteria that creates Oxygen as a byproduct. There are several colors, but the commonality is that it is like a slime. The Cyanobacteria spread over a vast area and the atmosphere became oxygen rich like we breath today, without the smog. Cyanobacteria is responsible for life as we know it. The same applies to the reef. Now that your mind has been blown you may move on to the next stage of the cycle.

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

Welcome to reef2reef.

 

[Dimmy007]

Also this by @Brew12 These helped me tremendously when first starting out.

Cycling a new aquarium.​

One of the earliest topics a new aquarium hobbyist needs to learn is how to properly cycle their aquarium. There is a ton of information on this process and many different methods on how to accomplish it. There are many different chemical and biological cycles our tank goes through as it matures but this addresses the one most commonly discussed.


What is cycling?

The term cycling comes from the process known as the “Nitrogen Cycle”. When a plant or animal decays, or an animal expels waste, nitrogen is released. In our aquariums we initially see this as ammonia. Bacteria converts the ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate. When we have enough bacteria to quickly convert ammonia to nitrate, we say that our tank has cycled. This is deceiving because the process doesn’t stop at this point and it is never complete. For this reason we need to think of this as establishing a large enough bacteria population to support fish, not completing a cycle.


Ammonia is a waste product of a fish’s cellular activity which is expelled through their gills. If the ammonia in the water is higher than in their blood it cannot be released and builds up in the fish causing cell damage. Nitrosomonas bacteria use ammonia as food and convert it to nitrite.

Nitrite is also harmful to fish. In a fish, nitrites hinder the ability of its blood to carry oxygen. Nitrites are a serious issue in fresh water systems. The same receptors in a fish that would absorb nitrites have a higher affinity for chlorides. The chlorides in saltwater block nitrites from being absorbed and protects the fish in marine systems. We rely on a different species of bacteria, Nitrobacter, to convert nitrite to nitrate.

Nitrates are relatively harmless for fish unless it reaches very high levels. Nitrates leaves our tank in any number of ways. We get rid of it via water changes. Algae and some corals can consume it as food.

The last part of the cycle is when nitrate is converted to nitrogen gas. This is done by anaerobic bacteria inside porous rock or within deep sand beds. Not every aquarium has the necessary conditions for this to occur

What conditions do I need for the cycle to occur?

To provide a good environment for the bacteria, we only need to make sure they are wet, oxygenated, and the pH is between 6.5 and 8.5. They will grow best at a temperature close to where we keep our tanks however they will still survive and reproduce at temperatures between 45F and 100F. We also want to monitor ammonia during this process. If ammonia gets over 5ppm it can slow down the rate bacteria reproduce. Above 10ppm it can stall the cycle.


How does rock affect the cycle?

The rock in a marine tank is the core of its filtration system. We use porous rock to provide as much surface area as possible for bacteria to grow on. The water flowing around the rock brings the ammonia and nitrites to the bacteria. If the rock is large enough it may have anaerobic bacteria deep within it that can convert the nitrates to nitrogen gas.

There are many types of rock that are available in our hobby. I won’t get into all of the different types but I do want to address how dry and live rock impacts the cycle

Dry rock is just that. It is rock that has been dried out and has nothing alive on it. Dry rock can be “clean” where it is considered safe to put directly into an aquarium. If it is not clean it will need to be cured prior to use. Either way, it will not contain nitrifying bacteria. This isn’t a problem as nitrifying bacteria are everywhere and it would be impossible to keep them out of our aquarium even if we wanted to.

Live rock is rock that does have living bacteria on it. The main reason to use live rock is to speed up the cycling process. Just like with dry rock, not all live rock is ready to put immediately in an aquarium. For simplicity I am going to put live rock in 2 broad categories. If your live rock came directly out of a marine system and is kept submerged in quality water during transport you can put it directly into your tank. If the rock was exposed to air or shipped damp then it needs to be cured prior to use. The bacteria on this rock will be fine but other living things may have died and should be removed prior to putting it in your tank.

How do I feed the bacteria?

There are many different takes on this and it is largely a matter of opinion. So here are the most common ways from worst to best in my opinion.

Adding a fish – while it will work as an ammonia source, why would you make a fish suffer in an environment in which it can’t properly shed its toxins?

Ghost feeding – When you add food to the tank you are adding much more than just what breaks down to ammonia. While none of it will be a problem, other than possibly algae, this is an uncontrolled process.

Adding a shrimp – The shrimp will decay and create ammonia, but again, this is an uncontrolled process. How much ammonia will this add and how quickly? I don’t know.

Dosing pure ammonia – This is the only method I will ever use in the future. You can measure exactly how much you need to add to achieve a specific level of ammonia. You can measure just how quickly your bacteria consume it to judge the health of your bacteria population.

How do I recommend doing it?

I’m glad you asked! I’ll start from the point where the tank is set up, filled, has flow, and temperature is in the normal range. It doesn’t matter if you used live or dry rock.

I will either use pure ammonia or ammonium chloride to raise the total ammonia to 2ppm. I will test for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates daily until ammonia is near 0ppm. I will then dose it back up to 2ppm while continuing daily tests. I will repeat this process in a smaller tank until ammonia goes from 2ppm to 0ppm within 24 hours. In tanks that are 90g+ that will be stocked slowly I will only dose to 1ppm ammonia after the initial dose and consider it cycled when it drops from 1ppm to 0ppm in 24 hours. This is to limit nitrates in larger tanks. Keep in mind that a 120g system that drops 1ppm in a day can support more fish than a 40g tank that drops 2ppm in a day.

But I still have questions!

Ok, let me see if I can answer some of the more common ones.


If nitrifying bacteria are everywhere, why are “bacteria in a bottle” products so popular?

Nitrifying bacteria are everywhere so that isn’t the problem. Some bacteria can double their population in 20 minutes. Luck would have it that these tend to be the more poisonous kind. Nitrifying bacteria are relatively slow reproducers and it takes between 8 and 24 hours for them to double their population. If you start with dry rocks it can take a month or two to produce enough bacteria to support even a few small fish. Using bacteria in a bottle instantly provides a larger source of bacteria to speed up the front end of this process.

My cycle went fine for 3 weeks but now it stalled, what happened?

It could be any number of things. Did you let your ammonia go to high? Do you have a pH issue?

Your nitrifying bacteria may be being outcompeted for resources with other bacteria and/or algae. They may process ammonia fine at first but they will eventually go dormant. When this happens, your cycle will stall until a more marine friendly bacterium reproduces enough to begin the cycling process again. Bacteria in your tank are in constant competition for food. Eventually the one best suited to your specific system will thrive.


Can I vacuum out too much bacteria by cleaning? Will cleaning my sand bed cause my tank to cycle?

No, you cannot hurt your bacteria population by routine vacuuming or water changes. These bacteria are very difficult to remove from solid surfaces and would be difficult to remove even with scrubbing.

If your sand bed is very dirty you may cause an ammonia spike that is larger than your current bacteria population can handle but you haven’t done any harm to your bacteria population.

Can I use old tank water to cut back on my new tanks cycle time?

You can, but it won’t help much. The majority of the bacteria is going to be growing on hard surfaces, not floating in the water. There will be some, however, so you will likely introduce a strain of bacteria into your new tank that will eventually work very well.

I never measured any nitrite during my cycle, is this a problem?

No, odds are this is not a problem. It is possible that you had a larger initial population of Nitrobacter bacteria (nitrite eaters) compared to Nitrosomonas bacteria (ammonia eaters). In this case the nitrite was processed to nitrate almost as soon as it was produced.

Another possibility is that you have a large population of Nitrospira bacteria. These bacteria convert ammonia into nitrite and then to nitrate within the same cell structure so the nitrite is never released into the water to be measured.

My tank has been empty for 6 months, did my bacteria starve?

No. It is almost impossible to starve bacteria. They will adjust their metabolism and reproduction rates based on the food supply. As the amount of available food goes down, they will process it slower and reproduce less. If they go without food long enough they will go into a cystic stage (typically around a year without food). Once food is available again it will take longer for them to recover from this stage but they are still viable.

This does not mean that your tank is ready for fish after sitting dormant for up to a year. Bacteria is part of the food chain and is consumed by many different organisms. Just because your bacteria didn’t starve doesn’t mean it didn’t get eaten or is still viable. Every aquarium will respond differently based on its unique biology.

Why can I add more fish to an older aquarium faster than a new aquarium?

Let’s say you have 2 identical aquariums set up one year apart. They both have the exact same number and size of fish and both have 0 ppm ammonia and nitrite. They must have the same amount of bacteria, right? Well, no. The older tank will have a larger population of bacteria that is processing ammonia at a slower rate. The younger tank will have a smaller population of bacteria with faster metabolisms. If you add new fish to the younger tank you need to wait for the population to increase which can take days. In an older aquarium, the bacteria only need to become more active which can happen in a matter of hours.

 

[cracker]

Hello & welcome ! So the tank is cycled 2 weeks now with one fish. Consider holding off on any fish for a while. As for what fish? They need to be & stay small . You only have ro0m for a few. Maybe small wrasses. A goby & shrimp combo. anyway it's your tank your call. Don't forget to keep some backs aside for that bigger tank !

 

[KJ]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[NY_Caveman]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

Also this by @Brew12 These helped me tremendously when first starting out.

Thks

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

Hello & welcome ! So the tank is cycled 2 weeks now with one fish. Consider holding off on any fish for a while. As for what fish? They need to be & stay small . You only have ro0m for a few. Maybe small wrasses. A goby & shrimp combo. anyway it's your tank your call. Don't forget to keep some backs aside for that bigger tank !

How long until another fish? And how do I know if the fish is doing well. Also how often should I test the water?

 

[Ruben's Reef]

!!! Welcome to R2R !!!

 

[CJS80]

Welcome to R2R!! I would test for ammonia and nitrates everyday at first just to get in tune with the tank, and adjust feeding habits/maintenance as necessary.

 

[Captain Quint]

@NotFishyFishGuy welcome to R2R. I respect you asking for advice here and not solely on the advice of your LFS. I'm not saying it is a bad LFS. In fact, it sounds as if they are getting you in slowly which I also respect. But as others have mentioned they want/need to earn some cash as well.

I would consider purchasing a test kit so you can check your parameters daily for a while and you would know for sure when an addition could be made. One also needs to consider partial water changes.

We'd like to see a pic of your tank as we're pic freaks. lol

Again...welcome aboard.

 

[dantimdad]

Welcome aboard!

 

[reef lover]

Welcome to r2r!!

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

Welcome to R2R!! I would test for ammonia and nitrates everyday at first just to get in tune with the tank, and adjust feeding habits/maintenance as necessary.

My LFS told me to test every week so what should I do

 

[NotFishyFishGuy]

@NotFishyFishGuy welcome to R2R. I respect you asking for advice here and not solely on the advice of your LFS. I'm not saying it is a bad LFS. In fact, it sounds as if they are getting you in slowly which I also respect. But as others have mentioned they want/need to earn some cash as well.

I would consider purchasing a test kit so you can check your parameters daily for a while and you would know for sure when an addition could be made. One also needs to consider partial water changes.

We'd like to see a pic of your tank as we're pic freaks. lol

Again...welcome aboard.

I have three test kits: ammonia, high ph, and nitrates for now. Is that enough? I haven’t done any water changes though and here is a pic. There’s some excess food because he hasn’t eaten it yet.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

My LFS told me to test every week so what should I do

To start out, ammonia and nitrites every day for a bit. Then you can move to nitrates and phosphates. If you do plan to keep corals at some point you will need the tank up for quite a while and then start testing for alkalinity and calcium, on top of nitrates and phosphates.

Also, an automatic top off (ATO) is your friend with a tank that small. There is ton of info that you could be bombarded with, but slow and steady for now is the best info to be given.

Ohh....and welcome to R2R. If it wasn’t for this place I would have 8 saltwater tanks with dead coral and dead fish. Wonderful place for help and advice.

 

[Mjrjj23]

I have three test kits: ammonia, high ph, and nitrates for now. Is that enough? I haven’t done any water changes though and here is a pic. There’s some excess food because he hasn’t eaten it yet.

I would think nitrites are important as well. You want to test all 3 to make sure your cycle is moving along. You should get to point where your ammonia test always reads zero. If your ammonia is reading zero but you are showing nitrates your moving in the right direction. Just take it nice and slow. A few extra weeks is worth the wait

 

[CJS80]

To start out, ammonia and nitrites every day for a bit. Then you can move to nitrates and phosphates. If you do plan to keep corals at some point you will need the tank up for quite a while and then start testing for alkalinity and calcium, on top of nitrates and phosphates.

Also, an automatic top off (ATO) is your friend with a tank that small. There is ton of info that you could be bombarded with, but slow and steady for now is the best info to be given.

Ohh....and welcome to R2R. If it wasn’t for this place I would have 8 saltwater tanks with dead coral and dead fish. Wonderful place for help and advice.

The every day is just in the beginning, once you get to know your tank you can lower the times you test.