My SPS Waterbox Peninsula Mini 15
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I'm not trying to be rude, but I genuinely don't understand what is special or "old school" about the way you cycled. You put dry rock in water and added some food periodically to provide nutrients. How does that contrast so much with the way other people who use dry rock cycle?
I personally struggled a lot with my first tank, and it took a long time to get through the uglies. I blamed it on the Pukani rock that I used, but maybe it was something else.
I personally struggled a lot with my first tank, and it took a long time to get through the uglies. I blamed it on the Pukani rock that I used, but maybe it was something else.
OP
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howaboutme
Active Member
Not rude. I didn't use any bottle this or that. Whether or not you think it's old school will depend on how long you've been in the hobby.
Ricksreeefs
Well-Known Member
Hey man looks great!
Ghost: because it has a predetermined end date, before any system is even built
all of cycling is open ended wait, operates on the concept it might not complete if you don’t do x/y/z/a/b
this is the infallible approach. pinch of feed, no bottle bac, thirty days, rocks in water so they have time to uptake bacteria which nature provides free, can’t fail. Nobody’s tank at home will fail
The whole world wants us paying for bacteria
regarding proofing or testing of the feed only + 30 days wait cycle: subject to test error and method mistakes. For example running a one time api ammonia test on day 30 might show higher ammonia than is real, or it might show zero depending on factors
both can still be a valid proof of being fully cycled for these reasons: 1. it’s api, everyday I’m listing examples where it reads dark green in someone’s year old reef tank. Other posters show a yellow. Both tanks were cycled, api has this known range it’s why everyone dogs the kit. 2. A reading of yellow might tell someone ‘hey, there’s no ammonia therefore bacteria either starved or never showed up’
but in the end this fact remains true: anyone who does this cycle, a decent water change for a fresh start in the end, adds some fish and hooks up a seneye will see unabated bioload carry.
how you load the tank for testing matters; which test kit you use matters, api is rarely the most trusted option across the masses due to known range of reporting in 100% already cycled reefs up and running.
see how the circumstances for a test, and what we are testing, is what really matters?
it’s a no test option, api owners aren’t required to fumble with readings for permission. Cycle charts don’t range in time across books, or websites, because the ready dates are already charted. That’s what sets this mode apart from buy Dr Tims, add 2 ppm ammonia, still wait a month because all the api stuff is messed up etc
due to the exact same mis testing mentioned above, most people are waiting entirely too long to start even after paying for the boost bacteria. If someone has 30 days to wait, do howaboutme’s way and save the money on the bottled bac which is about a three days wait (but your api won’t show it)
if we expect everyone who tries to proof this type of cycle with api to agree on completion, results are going to look like any other api study: all over the place. And mostly doubters.
all of cycling is open ended wait, operates on the concept it might not complete if you don’t do x/y/z/a/b
this is the infallible approach. pinch of feed, no bottle bac, thirty days, rocks in water so they have time to uptake bacteria which nature provides free, can’t fail. Nobody’s tank at home will fail
The whole world wants us paying for bacteria
regarding proofing or testing of the feed only + 30 days wait cycle: subject to test error and method mistakes. For example running a one time api ammonia test on day 30 might show higher ammonia than is real, or it might show zero depending on factors
both can still be a valid proof of being fully cycled for these reasons: 1. it’s api, everyday I’m listing examples where it reads dark green in someone’s year old reef tank. Other posters show a yellow. Both tanks were cycled, api has this known range it’s why everyone dogs the kit. 2. A reading of yellow might tell someone ‘hey, there’s no ammonia therefore bacteria either starved or never showed up’
but in the end this fact remains true: anyone who does this cycle, a decent water change for a fresh start in the end, adds some fish and hooks up a seneye will see unabated bioload carry.
how you load the tank for testing matters; which test kit you use matters, api is rarely the most trusted option across the masses due to known range of reporting in 100% already cycled reefs up and running.
see how the circumstances for a test, and what we are testing, is what really matters?
it’s a no test option, api owners aren’t required to fumble with readings for permission. Cycle charts don’t range in time across books, or websites, because the ready dates are already charted. That’s what sets this mode apart from buy Dr Tims, add 2 ppm ammonia, still wait a month because all the api stuff is messed up etc
due to the exact same mis testing mentioned above, most people are waiting entirely too long to start even after paying for the boost bacteria. If someone has 30 days to wait, do howaboutme’s way and save the money on the bottled bac which is about a three days wait (but your api won’t show it)
if we expect everyone who tries to proof this type of cycle with api to agree on completion, results are going to look like any other api study: all over the place. And mostly doubters.
I see. I think it is fair to say that many reefers experience diatoms/dinos/cyano/GHA in the months following setting up a new tank, I know I did. Yes, I did use bottled bacteria (Microbactr7) but in most other respects my setup was very similar to yours. So either the bottled bacteria caused all those problems or the causes of the uglies are something else, (the types of rock commonly available or a lack of biodiversity etc.)
Either way, you were obviously successful, I guess I'm just trying to figure out why so many people have those problems and you didn't. It seems fairly unlikely to me that simply not using bottled bacteria would solve all those problems.
OP
OP
howaboutme
Active Member
I don't know the specific answer. There's just too much nuance in this hobby so giving 1,2, 3 or 4 steps doesn't meant thing if the person listening to the advice doesn't do steps 5, 6, 7, 8......100 too. That's why experiencing some of the things yourself is best.
No one truly knows what's inside those bottles. I'll never use them. I'll also never use live rock. The nuance for this particular build is that I did use previously live but long dead (~5/6 years) rock, fully cooked before installing into the tank.
If anyone actually did true research, I mean going back years/decades, you'll likely find that dinos (as we know them today) didn't exist. Do you know what else didn't exist back then?
amazing build here. I’m currently days 3 of letting my tank sit and away to start ghost feeding. This is extremely helpful so thank you for that.
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