New Reefer Questions!

[MermaidReef]

Good morning! I am new to reefing and I have some questions. I can't figure out if my tank has cycled, and I want to make sure it is prior to adding anything alive.

I have a 15 gallon Hello Reef cube, which is a starter kit. It came with live rock, live sand, and Dr. Tim's nitrifying bacteria. It has been cycling for 15 days, which I have read should be plenty long enough after using Dr. Tims bacteria to add livestock. However, my dad came over the other day to look at it (he had a huge saltwater tank when I was a kid), and said that the cycle was not done. He asked if I had a nitrate bloom, which I did not have, and said it was not done until I saw this. He recommended adding a raw shrimp and checking my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, and waiting for the bloom.

I checked a few things last night. My pH was 8.15, my nitrite is 0, and my nitrate is 0. My ammonia test kit is coming. I have been reading that my nitrates should not be 0, so I don't want to add things until I am sure it's ok. And, obviously I would need to check my ammonia levels as well.

So, what should my next steps be? How can I be sure if it's cycled? Will I see the bloom if I am using Dr. Tim's bacteria? Do my nitrates need to be more than 0, or is it ok since nothing is in it?

I appreciate any help/guidance! Thank you!

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome again!

The piece of the cycling puzzle that the Hello Reef kit leaves out for reasons unknown to me is that in addition to adding the Dr. Tim's bacteria, you need to provide the bacteria a source of ammonia to process to get them to start to grow to a population that can handle the waste of your future livestock. You need to increase the ammonia concentration to ~2.0 ppm by using something like Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride, food grade baking ammonia, some fish food (what I think the Hello Reef instructions suggests) or by adding a piece of shrimp from the seafood market, which I prefer least as it can literally smell

Raise your ammonia and watch to see if/when it goes down. When your ammonia is down to close to zero (~0.25 ppm) you're safe to start slowly adding hardly livestock. You can safely ignore nitrite as it's non-toxic in marine systems (unlike in freshwater).

Unfortunately, I think you're going to need another few weeks to get your tank fully cycled. In my experience, the Dr. Tim's product takes about 3 to 4 weeks, give or take.

I hope that helps and good luck!!

 

[MermaidReef]

Thank you Fish Fan!

Ok yes, the videos did not mention anything about adding ammonia, other than a few fish food sprinkles, so thank you for that! So, when I add the ammonia, do I need to add another bottle of bacteria with it? Or is it ok with what's in there? I did read a forum elsewhere that mentioned Dr.Tim's only lasting for so long before another bottle was needed prior to adding any livestock. And 3-4 weeks sounds more accurate, the helloreef videos had me adding livestock around week 2, but it just didn't feel right. So, thank you for your help!

 

[Fish Fan]

Thank you Fish Fan!

Ok yes, the videos did not mention anything about adding ammonia, other than a few fish food sprinkles, so thank you for that! So, when I add the ammonia, do I need to add another bottle of bacteria with it? Or is it ok with what's in there? I did read a forum elsewhere that mentioned Dr.Tim's only lasting for so long before another bottle was needed prior to adding any livestock. And 3-4 weeks sounds more accurate, the helloreef videos had me adding livestock around week 2, but it just didn't feel right. So, thank you for your help!

Some of what you read about Dr. Tim's One and Only says it can work in a week or two, and that's happened, but I've been in a lot of threads here at R2R with people cycling their tank, and I think ~3 weeks is usually needed.

I believe the bacteria you have now would still be in there and viable, I'd just "feed" them some ammonia.

I do think adding some fish food is a good idea, a pinch or three would be fine. I believe this adds some phosphate that some of the bacteria use, but I would go with something like Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride to get the ammonia level up. The ammonia chloride is easy to work with and clean (like, no rotting fish food or shrimp in the tank!). You can also use food grade baking ammonia (ammonia carbonate).

 

[The Ugly Phase]

if you want a faster cycle go with fritz turbo start 900 best stuff on the market

 

[MermaidReef]

Some of what you read about Dr. Tim's One and Only says it can work in a week or two, and that's happened, but I've been in a lot of threads here at R2R with people cycling their tank, and I think ~3 weeks is usually needed.

I believe the bacteria you have now would still be in there and viable, I'd just "feed" them some ammonia.

I do think adding some fish food is a good idea, a pinch or three would be fine. I believe this adds some phosphate that some of the bacteria use, but I would go with something like Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride to get the ammonia level up. The ammonia chloride is easy to work with and clean (like, no rotting fish food or shrimp in the tank!). You can also use food grade baking ammonia (ammonia carbonate).

Ok great! Thank you! I just ordered a bottle of ammonia, so it should be here within a few days. I will try that and give it a few more weeks. :)

 

[MermaidReef]

if you want a faster cycle go with fritz turbo start 900 best stuff on the market

Ok thank you!

 

[Fish Fan]

Ok great! Thank you! I just ordered a bottle of ammonia, so it should be here within a few days. I will try that and give it a few more weeks. :)

Sounds good! Let us know how it's going!

 

[MermaidReef]

Good morning!

Ok last night around 9pm, I added 52 drops of Dr Tim’s ammonium chloride (4 drops per gallon, estimating 13 gallons after substrate and rock). This morning I did my ammonia test, and this is what it looks like. Should I add more ammonia? Or just retest tonight?

 

[Fish Fan]

Did you happen to test it last night right after adding the ammonia? Do you know what the concentration was last night? Sometimes the Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride can have weaker potency than advertised, so going by the drops doesn't always work.

However, I'm leaning toward your tank being cycled, it's been running for three weeks now

 

[MermaidReef]

Did you happen to test it last night right after adding the ammonia? Do you know what the concentration was last night? Sometimes the Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride can have weaker potency than advertised, so going by the drops doesn't always work.

However, I'm leaning toward your tank being cycled, it's been running for three weeks now

Last night I tested it right before adding the ammonia, and it read the exact same. So, this is why I was a little confused. I though with the dose of ammonia the levels would be closer to 2 this morning. But maybe I should have tested right after adding as well.

And ok well that's good news! I would like to add some things, but we have a trip in December for 8 days. Do you think it would be a good idea to add some snails now? Or just wait until we get back before I add anything?

 

[Fish Fan]

Last night I tested it right before adding the ammonia, and it read the exact same. So, this is why I was a little confused. I though with the dose of ammonia the levels would be closer to 2 this morning. But maybe I should have tested right after adding as well.

And ok well that's good news! I would like to add some things, but we have a trip in December for 8 days. Do you think it would be a good idea to add some snails now? Or just wait until we get back before I add anything?

I think you're safe to start slowly adding some hardy livestock, but be careful adding things like snails and other Clean Up Crew critters until they have some algae and detritus to scavenge, otherwise you may have to target feed those critters until the tank is a bit more mature.

Assuming - and I'm only assuming - that the amount of ammonium chloride you added yesterday did bring the concentration to ~2.0 ppm, and now today it's down to nearly zero, that's a solid sign your tank is cycled

 

[MermaidReef]

Last night I tested it right before adding the ammonia, and it read the exact same. So, this is why I was a little confused. I though with the dose of ammonia the levels would be closer to 2 this morning. But maybe I should have tested right after adding as well.

And ok well that's good news! I would like to add some things, but we have a trip in December for 8 days. Do you think it would be a good idea to add some snails now? Or just wait until we get back before I add anything?

I think you're safe to start slowly adding some hardy livestock, but be careful adding things like snails and other Clean Up Crew critters until they have some algae and detritus to scavenge, otherwise you may have to target feed those critters until the tank is a bit more mature.

Assuming - and I'm only assuming - that the amount of ammonium chloride you added yesterday did bring the concentration to ~2.0 ppm, and now today it's down to nearly zero, that's a solid sign your tank is cycled

Ok got it thank you!

And I think I will dose it again tomorrow and test right after just to make sure it gets to 2 ppm. Then check it a few more times. For some reason I thought I was supposed to wait a day before testing again after I dosed it. Thank you for your help!

 

[Fish Fan]

Ok got it thank you!

And I think I will dose it again tomorrow and test right after just to make sure it gets to 2 ppm. Then check it a few more times. For some reason I thought I was supposed to wait a day before testing again after I dosed it. Thank you for your help!

You are supposed to wait and check it the next day, but I suggest checking the ammonia shortly after you add the ammonium chloride just to see if it's really getting up to about 2.0 ppm. We've seen some examples of the ammonium chloride not being as potent as it supposed to be, and sometimes counting the drops doesn't always give you the ~2.0 ppm ammonia.

 

[MermaidReef]

Ok that makes sense; I was wondering how I would know if I added enough drops. Thank you for the advice!

 

[Freenow54]

Good morning! I am new to reefing and I have some questions. I can't figure out if my tank has cycled, and I want to make sure it is prior to adding anything alive.

I have a 15 gallon Hello Reef cube, which is a starter kit. It came with live rock, live sand, and Dr. Tim's nitrifying bacteria. It has been cycling for 15 days, which I have read should be plenty long enough after using Dr. Tims bacteria to add livestock. However, my dad came over the other day to look at it (he had a huge saltwater tank when I was a kid), and said that the cycle was not done. He asked if I had a nitrate bloom, which I did not have, and said it was not done until I saw this. He recommended adding a raw shrimp and checking my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, and waiting for the bloom.

I checked a few things last night. My pH was 8.15, my nitrite is 0, and my nitrate is 0. My ammonia test kit is coming. I have been reading that my nitrates should not be 0, so I don't want to add things until I am sure it's ok. And, obviously I would need to check my ammonia levels as well.

So, what should my next steps be? How can I be sure if it's cycled? Will I see the bloom if I am using Dr. Tim's bacteria? Do my nitrates need to be more than 0, or is it ok since nothing is in it?

I appreciate any help/guidance! Thank you!

you can add shrimp if you like but cleaner to just add ammonia. Add it to 4ppm. If ammonia nitrites and nitrates are zero in 24 hours you are done the Blume as your father calls it is called the ugly stage around here. It should disappear in a few days. According to my article , and it did . You will think something is wrong but there isn't .You did not say if you had the lights on or off. If they were on you would have algae ect. , by now. My 100 which is why I think this is a relative thing now. It took 45 days. I followed an article.

My opinion