Need help

[creamycream]

Building a new tank, so far I have the tank and equipment set up, substrate and dry rocks in the tank(very dry, got out of bin at fish store). Buying the RODI water, What are my next steps to get the sand and rock cycled? What products do you recommend? or any advice period. Thankyou

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I like the products by Dr. Tim's Aquatiucs, his One and Only bottled bacteria and his ammonium chloride as an ammonia source. Here's some more info on how his stuff works to cycle a tank:

One & Only Saltwater Live Nitrifying Bacteria

Instantly create a bio filter in saltwater aquariums that can eliminate new tank syndrome and remove toxic ammonia and nitrite without any sulfurs or odors. Perfect for fishless cycling new aquariums, especially if used with Dr.Tim's Ammonium Chloride. Four Sizes Available: 2oz - up to 30...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Good luck with your build!

 

[fishyjoes]

I recommend biospira and fritz turbo start as they work more quickly than the others

Not all Cycling Bacteria are created equal. Who's who, and what do they need?

My hypothesis is that there are very different types of Bacteria that are being used to "cycle" tanks to prevent ammonia accumulation, and it's not entirely clear which products contain which group, and it's also poorly understood what the requirements are for one of these groups to do their...

www.reef2reef.com

I also would recommend against the common advice of dosing ammonia to 2ppm for weeks until your tank processes 2ppm of ammonia in 24 hours - because this is a waste of time, effort, and supplies unless you plan to dump in several large fish all at once.

Aside from that, I would recommend keeping your lights low (or even off) until you add something (corals, decorative algae, etc) that actually needs the light.

 

[Fish Fan]

The Fritz is indeed fast acting. I don't believe thy make BioSpira anymore, that was what Dr. Tim was working on before he started his own company.

I also would recommend against the common advice of dosing ammonia to 2ppm for weeks until your tank processes 2ppm of ammonia in 24 hours - because this is a waste of time, effort, and supplies unless you plan to dump in several large fish all at once.

How is it a waste of time to use ammonia to cycle a tank?

 

[fishyjoes]

The Fritz is indeed fast acting. I don't believe thy make BioSpira anymore, that was what Dr. Tim was working on before he started his own company.


How is it a waste of time to use ammonia to cycle a tank?

Because you don't have to wait weeks and weeks. You can add either of those products the same day as you add a fish (even a couple of small fish) without harming the fish.

 

[Utubereefer]

Did you rinse off the rock?

 

[lilearl]

Building a new tank, so far I have the tank and equipment set up, substrate and dry rocks in the tank(very dry, got out of bin at fish store). Buying the RODI water, What are my next steps to get the sand and rock cycled? What products do you recommend? or any advice period. Thankyou

Fritz turbo start worked well for me. When setting up my 47g AIO I was able to get about 20g of water from an established tank at my LFS (obviously I trusted them and what was in their tank) . I think the combo of both really helped as I was cycled in a little over a week.

Also get some media you can put in your sump like bio-balls or something similar to give additional space for good bacteria to live. Also don’t forget to dose a little of phytoplankton in your sump with your bio media.

I also read that some people soak the rock separate with turbo start and a small pump or power head to move the water. Then add it to their tank with additional turbo start. I haven’t tried that method yet so I can’t compare.

 

[Fish Fan]

Because you don't have to wait weeks and weeks. You can add either of those products the same day as you add a fish (even a couple of small fish) without harming the fish.

Not everyone is looking to go as quickly as possible, but most fish-less cycles take around three weeks to complete, which is just fine. The "test" for when the cycle is complete is indeed when the tank can process 2.0 ppm ammonia to nearly zero in 24 hours.

Although I've seen people do it, I don't agree with adding fish the same day as the bacteria. This can absolutely damage fish gills, and many see this as cruel to the fish. Years ago we did cycle tanks with fish in them (no bottled bacteria), and they can survive, but it's not how the majority of R2R members would suggest doing anymore, even with bottled bacteria.

 

[edsbeaker]

Because you don't have to wait weeks and weeks. You can add either of those products the same day as you add a fish (even a couple of small fish) without harming the fish.

With any bacteria culture product you still need a source of ammonia to make sure the tank cycles. Some people add fish right away as the food they eat and their poop adds the ammonia. Nowadays, most people think this is inhumane.

 

[Fish Fan]

When setting up my 47g AIO I was able to get about 20g of water from an established tank at my LFS (obviously I trusted them and what was in their tank) . I think the combo of both really helped as I was cycled in a little over a week.

I'm glad your cycle method work out for you, but just to be clear there is no real benefit to using the water from your LFS to help speed a cycle. The bacteria are not free floating in the water, they populate on rocks and sand and other surfaces. The better idea for next time is to use some of their sand or a piece or rock from one of their tanks.

Good luck!

 

[Fish Fan]

With any bacteria culture product you still need a source of ammonia to make sure the tank cycles. Some people add fish right away as the food they eat and their poop adds the ammonia. Nowadays, most people think this is inhumane.

^This.

 

[creamycream]

Did you rinse off the rock?

Yes, rinsed off rocks, placed them in tank first and put in sand last

 

[BryGuy903]

Building a new tank, so far I have the tank and equipment set up, substrate and dry rocks in the tank(very dry, got out of bin at fish store). Buying the RODI water, What are my next steps to get the sand and rock cycled? What products do you recommend? or any advice period. Thankyou

I would HIGHLY recommend this series.
Watch them all!



Once you have specific question the community here is super helpful.

You say you have some items already. Early questions would be:

Do you have salt mix? A pump to use to mix it with your ro water?
Do you have a refractometer or some way to measure salinity?
Do you have a basic test kit?

Is the sand already in the tank? What kind/size?

How will you be cycling, fishless or with a couple of hearty starters?

What are your plans for the tank, fish only with live rock? Aggressive fish?
Reef tank.

I’m reentering the hobby after a 20year break. Some things have changed A LOT others are of course don’t change.
The video series takes you from the beginning, through setup, into cycling, into fish/coral selection, quarantine tank, acclimation, and throws in a good amount of more advanced chemistry and biology. It’s fantastic!

 

[BryGuy903]

Building a new tank, so far I have the tank and equipment set up, substrate and dry rocks in the tank(very dry, got out of bin at fish store). Buying the RODI water, What are my next steps to get the sand and rock cycled? What products do you recommend? or any advice period. Thankyou

I would HIGHLY recommend this series.
Watch them all!



Once you have specific question the community here is super helpful.

You say you have some items already. Early questions would be:

Do you have salt mix? A pump to use to mix it with your ro water?
Do you have a refractometer or some way to measure salinity?
Do you have a basic test kit?

Is the sand already in the tank? What kind/size?

How will you be cycling, fishless or with a couple of hearty starters?

What are your plans for the tank, fish only with live rock? Aggressive fish?
Reef tank.

I’m reentering the hobby after a 20year break. Some things have changed A LOT others are of course don’t change.
The video series takes you from the beginning, through setup, into cycling, into fish/coral selection, quarantine tank, acclimation, and throws in a good amount of more advanced chemistry and biology. It’s fantastic!

Looks like the link didn’t post. It’s the ultimate beginner series on bulk reef supplies YouTube page.

Also noticed you said sand was in the tank. Sorry.

 

[lilearl]

When setting up my 47g AIO I was able to get about 20g of water from an established tank at my LFS (obviously I trusted them and what was in their tank) . I think the combo of both really helped as I was cycled in a little over a week.

I'm glad your cycle method work out for you, but just to be clear there is no real benefit to using the water from your LFS to help speed a cycle. The bacteria are not free floating in the water, they populate on rocks and sand and other surfaces. The better idea for next time is to use some of their sand or a piece or rock from one of their tanks.

Good luck!

Good to know. I did get a bag of bio-media from them so maybe that was the real reason it cycled so fast.

I am setting up a 167g soon and will be using live rock from my LFS. Though I am a little concerned about pests tagging along with the live rock.

 

[edsbeaker]

Yes, rinsed off rocks, placed them in tank first and put in sand last

Hi,
Forgive me if I’m not interpreting what you wrote correctly.

Do you mean that the rock you purchased was submerged in saltwater at the store?

If it was submerged at the store, that is what we call live rock, basically rock that has life and is already cycled. If kept wet in saltwater it would have had all kinds of bio filtering capabilities already on it.

If that rock is allowed to dry out, everything on it dies and you need to start from scratch and cycle it over again.

So sorry if this is what happened. Please let us know.

 

[Fish Fan]

Good to know. I did get a bag of bio-media from them so maybe that was the real reason it cycled so fast.

I am setting up a 167g soon and will be using live rock from my LFS. Though I am a little concerned about pests tagging along with the live rock.

Yes, the cycled bio media almost certainly had a big impact on your cycle, that's a great way to do it!

Using real, wet live rock is in fact my preferred way to start a tank, so I think you're doing the right thing. Don't worry too much about bad hitchhikers. The good stuff far, far outweighs any of the bad stuff, and even if you do get a a pest or two they can be dealt with.

Good luck with your new build!

 

[creamycream]

Yes, rinsed off rocks, placed them in tank first and put in sand last

Hi,
Forgive me if I’m not interpreting what you wrote correctly.

Do you mean that the rock you purchased was submerged in saltwater at the store?

If it was submerged at the store, that is what we call live rock. If kept in saltwater and if it is kept wet, it would have had all kinds of bio filtering capabilities already on it, and is considered cycled. When done this way, you don’t have to cycle your tank. If that rock is allowed to dry out, everything on it dies and you need to start from scratch and recycle again.

No I got it out of a bin at the fish store, completely dry.

 

[edsbeaker]

No I got it out of a bin at the fish store, completely dry.

I’m very happy!!!! So relieved I was reading this wrong!

 

[creamycream]

Building a new tank, so far I have the tank and equipment set up, substrate and dry rocks in the tank(very dry, got out of bin at fish store). Buying the RODI water, What are my next steps to get the sand and rock cycled? What products do you recommend? or any advice period. Thankyou

I would HIGHLY recommend this series.
Watch them all!



Once you have specific question the community here is super helpful.

You say you have some items already. Early questions would be:

Do you have salt mix? A pump to use to mix it with your ro water?
Do you have a refractometer or some way to measure salinity?
Do you have a basic test kit?

Is the sand already in the tank? What kind/size?

How will you be cycling, fishless or with a couple of hearty starters?

What are your plans for the tank, fish only with live rock? Aggressive fish?
Reef tank.

I’m reentering the hobby after a 20year break. Some things have changed A LOT others are of course don’t change.
The video series takes you from the beginning, through setup, into cycling, into fish/coral selection, quarantine tank, acclimation, and throws in a good amount of more advanced chemistry and biology. It’s fantastic!

I am going to buy the RODI water for now until I can purchase a RO system.

I have a refractometer

No basic test kit yet, the fish store said they could test it for me. But I do plan on buying one this week.

The sand I am using is caribsea w/ aragonite

I thought I had to cycle fishless, didn’t even know I could cycle w/ fish

My plan is to have about 8-10 fish. Beginner fish, shrimp, hermit crab

I’d like to work my way up to a reef tank

Thank you for sharing the video, I’m going to go and watch.