New cycle and zeo light method

[maikel255]

Hi,

I have recently started a new tank (Reefer 250). I put carib sea life rock and live sand in it. After 5 days of no activity, I added a raw shrimp and let it rot for 4 - 5 days. Then I took it out. Now my measurements are No2 1 ppm and No3 100+ ppm. This has been like this for more than a week. How do I speed this up? Or do I need to do something? Also adding Microbe Lift special blend bacteria according to their schedule.

I would also like to start the Zeo Light method (Fauna Marin). When will be a good time to start with this method and add the zeovit filter with stones etc? Do this right away or wait until the cycle is over?

I'm making it myself quite hard I figured

This is my third reef tank, so I have some expierence but I have never cycled a tank from scratch with this kind of rock and sand.

Maikel

 

[brandon429]

Caribsea life rock needs only to be wet two weeks then it's ready. It's painted with all the required items to cycle. What your tests read interim won't matter, wait two weeks change water then it's done

 

[brandon429]

Not anything you do regarding zeo stones added or not added will matter. Don't have to add bottle bac, or shrimp, their website shows it's ready when you bring rocks home all that's needed is water and a couple weeks. Adding the items didn't hurt, cycle is likely done but in our cycle thread we wait two weeks for life rock and it's always ready then, after a water change to export metabolite and start fresh

You can start the zeo approach if you like, it has no impact on cycling since these rocks have all requirements painted on them

 

[maikel255]

Do you have expierence with these rocks? Because I heard from some people that they do cycle these rocks because when only using the painted bacteria it's not enough. That's why I added the shrimp to produce ammonia. But now I'm stuck on nitrite. So it's cycling, but I'm not sure where to go from here. Because when I change water, the rocks will still contain nitrite.

 

[brandon429]

Full experience, see this works thread we have life rock cycles in it

Nitrite isn't required for cycling using updated science, this w help clarify

The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

You can skip your cycle. Ive been reefing online for twenty years and have never waited one second for a tank to cycle, because I buy rocks that are already cycled and move them home. Here's two: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/...

www.reef2reef.com

We also collect closed cycle proofs there, read last three pages and page one for details on how to make an ammonia kit show a closed cycle once submersion times have been met per the types of rocks used, yours is a two week time. You have a way to prove your cycle is done using the calibrated zero ammonia test from the last pages, your results will match theirs.

 

[maikel255]

Alright. But what would be the best step to take now? Because I have 100+ nitrates. Ammonia is 0 already for few weeks.

 

[brandon429]

oh I see its already been two weeks nice~

change all water and proceed. your cycle is as ready now as it will be in five years, nitrates don't factor into a cycle they factor for algae tuning, so we're changing out the shrimp water so the new tank algae battles wont win. Ill link your thread to the portion there for liferock cycles so that others can watch your tank grow. can you post us pics

the final proof of the called-done cycle is you add something to the tank after the water change and it doesn't cause cloudiness, smell, or animal loss this is what we like to track in the thread, the usefulness of knowing when a cycle is done. we want to watch what you add to the tank coming up, it'll be happy and healthy

 

[maikel255]

Okay, but doesn't it matter that I measure nitrite? Doesn't that indicate in incomplete cycle?

 

[brandon429]

it truly doesnt factor at all, older information has it as a core measure but thats dated/old/not applicable due to updates in cycling science. we show links from the chemistry thread on page 1 regarding details

the rationale is this: nitrite isn't harmful in a reef tank even when present, so we're testing a neutral impact param using testers that almost never measure it right. that's #1 reason nitrite doesn't factor in updated cycling science.

#2 is google cycling charts. we can search this term "aquarium cycling chart" and one million hits come back all showing the same timeframe that nitrite always complies with ammonia, day 20 ish, and its the same though those cycling charts come from 10x000 different web pages.
only aquarists report variations in those charts....using api testers typically, and they're also testing wastewater. we test only the clean condition, and it passes. Nitrite absolutely factors in a cycle, its just so predictable and neutral impact we can kick it out of the lineup and have fewer test misreads indicating stalled cycles. cycles do not stall in reef tanks, only testing varies and wastewater approximations vary.

#3 is adulterants to the test. One use of Prime as water prep and all following nitrite readings are wrong, but nobody's instructions on bottle is mentioning that fact. So, we have ten thousand Prime users reporting stalled cycles (though cycles cannot stall) and in this madness we invented testless cycling so that 100% of reef tanks are ready by the same date, and they are.

 

[maikel255]

Alright. So you are saying when I change 100% water, I can put fish and corals in?

 

[brandon429]

corals yes, but in our thread we specifically mention quarantine and disease protocols that require more time for proper fish use. but if you added them, yes they'll be ok.

 

[maikel255]

Alright I will prepare some water and change it and see what happens. How long can the rocks be out of water? Since I cant take the rocks out of the tank. And is there anything else I should pay attention to when doing a 100% water change? Just match temp and salinity?

 

[brandon429]

agreed just temp and salinity. rocks can stay out probably a day without recycling. here's my entire 14 yr nano reef, rocks and coral, in the air for 33 mins without water as proof. then I did 150% water change, just to show how tough a cycled system really is.


33 mins in the air, drained.

next morning:

 

[maikel255]

Amazing. I’ll take your advice and start making water. I’ll let u know the results!

 

[maikel255]

I took your advice. Changed 95% water. Lowered my nitrite to 0.1 and nitrate to 15. Added 3 fish and 3 corals the day after and a cleanup crew. They are all doing well. The nitrite is all gone now after one more day and nitrate is 0.1.

 

[brandon429]

thank you tons for updates I'm about to link and use your thread right off the bat caribsea cyclers here we go

As soon as your fish bioload didn't die within 12 hours that is final proof of submersion time testless cycling. You're on page one of the cycling thread under life rock cycle