New Tank Cycling - How's My Algae?

907_Reefer · May 4, 2022

Hey all, we ave a new tank cycling - first one in 10 years! Details in my build thread. We're cycling with Dr. Tim's, just wanted to see some opinions on how everything looks and if we should add a cleanup crew yet - tomorrow is "Day 9 - Add Fish!", per the doc

. Have been planning to start with a clown pair tomorrow or the next day and waiting on cleanup crew a week or so.

Tank startup 4/21, Dr. Tim's added 4/27 as "Day 1". Today 5/4 is "Day 8".

55 gal, will be mixed reef and fish. 120 lbs Carib Sea live sand, 91 lbs live rock from my LFS. Leaves us with ~34 gal water. Protein Skimmer, dual Radion XR15 Blue lights.

Red Sea Test Kit:

pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 20+ (not quite the 50 on my chart)

Salinity lowered to 1.018 for cycling with temp up to 81, both per Dr. Tim for best results. Will do a water change to resume 1.024 and 78 degrees F prior to fish/inverts.

Ammonia has been lowering consistently, today is first day of 0. Nitrites have been holding 0.2 until today, finally 0 (exactly on Tim's schedule), pH solid 8.0.

Had diatoms (I believe) starting pretty early, before Dr. Tim's went in. Over the last few days have been noticing a lot more growth, curious on your thoughts!

Otherwise our 1 asterina and feather worm hitchhikers seem happy lol.

Thanks!

blaxsun · May 4, 2022

I think you're probably good to add a small fish! I would probably also add a few members of your cleanup crew - something fairly hardy like a few trochus snails.

Glenner’sreef · May 4, 2022

So you’re adding fish tomorrow. Is that the first introduction of ammonia? The fish?

907_Reefer · May 4, 2022

blaxsun said:
I think you're probably good to add a small fish! I would probably also add a few members of your cleanup crew - something fairly hardy like a few trochus snails.

Sounds good to me!

Glenner’sreef said:
So you’re adding fish tomorrow. Is that the first introduction of ammonia? The fish?

I think I'll handle water change, salinity and temp adjustment tomorrow, fish/cleanup next day. Ammonium Chloride has been added 3x with the Dr. Tim's cycle, it started as 2.0, been dwindling to 0 over the past week. Numbers are on par with the cycling instructions!

ilikefish69 · May 25, 2022

907_Reefer said:
Hey all, we ave a new tank cycling - first one in 10 years! Details in my build thread. We're cycling with Dr. Tim's, just wanted to see some opinions on how everything looks and if we should add a cleanup crew yet - tomorrow is "Day 9 - Add Fish!", per the doc . Have been planning to start with a clown pair tomorrow or the next day and waiting on cleanup crew a week or so.

Tank startup 4/21, Dr. Tim's added 4/27 as "Day 1". Today 5/4 is "Day 8".

55 gal, will be mixed reef and fish. 120 lbs Carib Sea live sand, 91 lbs live rock from my LFS. Leaves us with ~34 gal water. Protein Skimmer, dual Radion XR15 Blue lights.

Red Sea Test Kit:

pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 20+ (not quite the 50 on my chart)

Salinity lowered to 1.018 for cycling with temp up to 81, both per Dr. Tim for best results. Will do a water change to resume 1.024 and 78 degrees F prior to fish/inverts.

Ammonia has been lowering consistently, today is first day of 0. Nitrites have been holding 0.2 until today, finally 0 (exactly on Tim's schedule), pH solid 8.0.

Had diatoms (I believe) starting pretty early, before Dr. Tim's went in. Over the last few days have been noticing a lot more growth, curious on your thoughts!

Otherwise our 1 asterina and feather worm hitchhikers seem happy lol.

Thanks!

This is a beautiful aquascape, and a LOT of sand!! I love how much rock you've got in there. I would say you are alright to add a couple clownfish.

Garf · May 25, 2022

I cable tie my temperature probes to a Little Rock, you don’t want it popping out of the water.

907_Reefer · May 25, 2022

ilikefish69 said:
This is a beautiful aquascape, and a LOT of sand!! I love how much rock you've got in there. I would say you are alright to add a couple clownfish.

Thanks! And clowns are in! (plus more stuff). More details in my build thread

907_Reefer · May 25, 2022

Garf said:
I cable tie my temperature probes to a Little Rock, you don’t want it popping out of the water.

I may just do that, the suction cup has popped off a few times already - where it is, it just swings in the breeze though. Also adding an Inkbird shortly here..