New reefer, tank cycle. Opinions, suggestions ?

[Methodzx860]

Hi everyone

So I'm currently Cycling my 1st reef.

Here are the step I've taken

Had the rock in water for a month or so in a tub. With WaveMaker, air stone and heater. Some ghost feeding.


Put Arag-alive sand , CaribSea life rock 1st day and , fritz900 turbo start on 2nd day in actual tank.

Dosing microbacter7 daily and on week 2, 1st day dosed some Dr Tim's One and only bacteria .

Nitrites are high right now. Only dosed recommended amount of Dr Tim's ammonia on like day 3 of 1st week

Then one more time 2 days ago but only a third of recommended dosage to supply food for bacteria. Ammonia lower. Letting it do its thing for now till I see a natural drop in nitrites

I have a GSP frag and a Ricordea Mushroom that I added about a week in. I know the cycle isn't complete but I did decide to go with Hardy corals for that reason along with monitoring parameters daily. I plan to focus on coral 1st primarily then add fish.

Lights have been on for like 5 days but I just reduced to 15% at peak at sign of algea. 1hr ramp up and down about 5hrs daily and plan on shutting off intermittently (2 or 3 days) depending on algea bloom/severity.

Will dose some Turbo 900 again in about a week

Here's a video of the tank and algea beginning

Any opinions ? Suggestions?

Open to learning more !

Thanks in advance!

 

[dedragon]

nitrite wont matter for inhabitants really, what is ammonia at?

 

[Methodzx860]

.

 

[dedragon]

you dont need anymore bacteria either ime so i wouldnt buy anymore but if you have the other stuff on hand might as well dose it, wont do any harm

 

[brandon429]

reasons this tank is cycled:

ghost feeding for a month alone would do it. all the rest ancillary... and test clouding when compounded. simply reef on, this cycle is done, dont measure ammonia and nitrite for the rest of the life of this reef or you'll be torturing yourself, they align just fine from here on out. this reef is compound cycled, multiple ways to full completion its the most cycled reef we're going to see today and all through next week.

second reason of four: fritz is instant skip cycle bac along with Dr. Tims. your test kits are expected to read in ways that cause you doubt, by being wrong, more than they're expected to give you a right reading.

 

[dedragon]

lol, brandon was just trying to ease em into that a bit, a lot of people are still stuck on the nitrite myth

 

[brandon429]

what I like is that in paying for the quick start dates, those bottles weren't cheap, we earn that quick start date its nothing unethical.

it rushes us right into: how are we going to manage fish disease

options:
1. wing it. read five pages of the fish disease forum, any five, before selecting this option

2. do what's in the fish disease forum now that you're cycled.

we build up this readiness to reef, yesterday, and then bam you get to fallow more weeks he he. your reef can carry ten fish, right now if behavior allows among them. filtration won't be an issue

but should you, considering how many active posts comprise the disease forum

 

[Methodzx860]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

Things I should clarify. When the rock was in the tub I wasn't measuring anything . I got some SW from LFS and threw it all together. Water did evaporate so I'm sure salinity wasn't ideal.

I then took a while to figure out my rockscape so that may have interrupted that initial process.

I know that much bacteria isn't needed but I'm trying to be ahead of the game lol.

Would adding a clean up crew be OK/ideal at this point ?

Given that I do have GSP and a Ricordea Mushroom should I increase my lighting ?

What other test kits would be beneficial at this point ? Phos ? Nitrate?

I have some Seachem Matrix and Carbon coming in as well. Planning to add matrix and dose Fritz one more time to seed matrix and later add Seachem carbon one fish or CUC added.

Ammonia currently basically at 0

I really appreciate you all.

 

[brandon429]

nothing else is needed but its harmless to add those things.

all variances you could have imparted at the start were considered, no reef cycle has ever stalled except on non digital ammonia test kits. it would take metered and sustained antibiotics, boiling or freezing for you to interrupt the cycle. no practical home variation can do so, these aren't finicky preps.

this one was easy and fast. and the the matrix is not needed its a waste of funds as well, but harmless to add. you should run your entire reef without it. go ahead and add it though if wanted. not harmful to build up all kinds of structure, you can leave them out too and the reef still works. handy prep options. its nice to know we're not under bacteria constraints like we used to be...freer designs available.

 

[dedragon]

it aint gonna hurt and the bottle of bacteria will go bad overtime so might as well use it. I say time for first fishes, i will now let brandon lecture you on the problems of not qting, honestly buy pre qt fish if you can.
I feel clownfish is always the go to first fish, if so order from ORA or Biota directly so the fish is already qt'd. i think this is prob safe, right brandon? or ORA and Biota would have problems with their breeding projects failing

 

[Methodzx860]

& actually ammonia is about 0.25 ATM.

Possibly due to bacteria dosed yesterday?

 

[Methodzx860]

Thanks for the help everyone.

I will look to add fish soon but would going down the path of coral 1st present any issues ?

I currently have a Fireworks Clove polyps, Yuma mushroom and Zoas waiting to be picked up for my reef

Any utilitarian fish you'd all suggest for a nano ? (20gal)

Also I added some BioMedia a couple days ago (1in plastic bioballs in mesh)

Was gonna replace those with matrix. Any pros and cons for one or the other in your experiences ?

 

[brandon429]

no its .025 after tan reduction see that portion of the instructions. the total ammonia we dont care about

these details all lead back to nothing stopped the cycle at all. only api can cause doubt, but its not a reading to concern over. it means completed.

we covered the fish disease part very well also.

 

[Methodzx860]

Thanks !

So at this point, would I be safe to do a water change ? Maybe 30% ? Add some snails and the corals mentioned earlier ?

Can anyone take a shot at the algea that's starting to grow?

Hoping the pink is Coralline and not Cyano. It won't come off the rock easily. I tried blowing off with a pipette and nothing ! Was thinking of dosing some coralline.


Again thanks !!

 

[Methodzx860]

it aint gonna hurt and the bottle of bacteria will go bad overtime so might as well use it. I say time for first fishes, i will now let brandon lecture you on the problems of not qting, honestly buy pre qt fish if you can.
I feel clownfish is always the go to first fish, if so order from ORA or Biota directly so the fish is already qt'd. i think this is prob safe, right brandon? or ORA and Biota would have problems with their breeding projects failing

Man that's one things that I'm stressing is the QT. I don't have a tank set up and honestly no space to set one up.

Is QT important for a CUC as well ? Maybe some shrimp but mostly snails

 

[dedragon]

I dont but it is important as they can transfer algae and also parasites like ich as well (low possibility but still there).
Try a first purchase from algae barn or liveaquaria ORA or Biota section for the first fish and snails. Biota and ORA ship directly from their breeding facilities so no need to qt those organisms imo