New Tank Cycle Help/Advice

TbSaysNo

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hello reef2reef, hopefully you can help me.

My cycle started a week ago in my 90 gallon Red Sea reefer 350 g2 tank.

I bought 4 kg real live rock, while the rest is dry rock. I have been testing my nitrate levels 3 times so far and results have said the following.

1st test on day 2: no or extremely little nitrate ppm

2nd test on day 6: 0,3-0,5 ppm no3/nitrate

3rd test day 7: 1,0-1,2 ppm no3/nitrate.

is my cycle close to getting completed? I have bought some clownfish specific bred clownfish some time ago that are ready to be shipped in 7 days. would it be possible to buy them?
 

MnFish1

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hello reef2reef, hopefully you can help me.

My cycle started a week ago in my 90 gallon Red Sea reefer 350 g2 tank.

I bought 4 kg real live rock, while the rest is dry rock. I have been testing my nitrate levels 3 times so far and results have said the following.

1st test on day 2: no or extremely little nitrate ppm

2nd test on day 6: 0,3-0,5 ppm no3/nitrate

3rd test day 7: 1,0-1,2 ppm no3/nitrate.

is my cycle close to getting completed? I have bought some clownfish specific bred clownfish some time ago that are ready to be shipped in 7 days. would it be possible to buy them?
1. Using 'actual live rock' - I would assume your cycle is 'ready for clown fish'.
2. I would consider, though, a quarantine period for your new clown fish - unless they have already been appropriately quarantined at the merchant you're buying from.
3. To adequately determine whether a tank is 'cycled' - you should have ammonia, nitrite and nitrate measurements - simultaneously - on a daily basis.

But - it's quite possible - that your Nitrate is only rising slowly (was that your question?) because there is no 'food source' for the bacteria. Normally, when. one adds live rock to a tank - you do not add ammonia the same way you do in a dry-rock tank.

If you want to add your clownfish - without QT - thats your decision - but IMHO - it should be ok. (assuming your ammonia is 0). Otherwise, you could add a CUC (clean-up crew) - or some invertebrates (shrimp, snails) - and add some food for them - which will maintain/improve your nitrifying bacteria - while your fish QT is completed.

Hope this helps - and good luck! Welcome to R2R
 
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TbSaysNo

TbSaysNo

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1. Using 'actual live rock' - I would assume your cycle is 'ready for clown fish'.
2. I would consider, though, a quarantine period for your new clown fish - unless they have already been appropriately quarantined at the merchant you're buying from.
3. To adequately determine whether a tank is 'cycled' - you should have ammonia, nitrite and nitrate measurements - simultaneously - on a daily basis.

But - it's quite possible - that your Nitrate is only rising slowly (was that your question?) because there is no 'food source' for the bacteria. Normally, when. one adds live rock to a tank - you do not add ammonia the same way you do in a dry-rock tank.

If you want to add your clownfish - without QT - thats your decision - but IMHO - it should be ok. (assuming your ammonia is 0). Otherwise, you could add a CUC (clean-up crew) - or some invertebrates (shrimp, snails) - and add some food for them - which will maintain/improve your nitrifying bacteria - while your fish QT is completed.

Hope this helps - and good luck! Welcome to R2R
thank you so much for the reply!

would it be possible to mix a ocellaris clown and a percula clown together?

https://www.masterfisch.eu/en/wysiwyg/79506-amphiprion-percula-black-helmet-picasso-4-5-cm.html

and

 

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