New2Reefing- Prepping and Preparing

nickkohrn

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Welcome to Reef2Reef!
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BuildsWithB

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Welcome @BuildsWithB ~ Did you add an ammonia source to feed the bacteria for cycling?
I have not, it's funny you mentioned it though. I saw people throw a shrimp in the tank but, I wasn't told I had to. I wondered about that myself. Would that be something I do when I go to put everything in the tank when I'm ready? Or is that something I should do while I am cycling the dry rock. I'm sure there are a few threads I can search on. I familiar with forums from the automotive culture. I try to find it before ask.
 
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BuildsWithB

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hey welcome to R2R! glad to have you! i have a very small nano reef unlike most people here haha. and when i say small i mean SMALL. like 2 g small. but i love it because it is healthy and beautiful and thats all i care about!
I've seen those cookie jar tanks they are amazing! I'll be sure to check yours out!
 

ScottR

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I have not, it's funny you mentioned it though. I saw people throw a shrimp in the tank but, I wasn't told I had to. I wondered about that myself. Would that be something I do when I go to put everything in the tank when I'm ready? Or is that something I should do while I am cycling the dry rock. I'm sure there are a few threads I can search on. I familiar with forums from the automotive culture. I try to find it before ask.
Basically the bacteria that you added need an ammonia source to kickstart the nitrogen cycle. There’s a dr Tim’s one. There’s the raw shrimp method. Some add a damsel. Lots of options.
 
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BuildsWithB

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Basically the bacteria that you added need an ammonia source to kickstart the nitrogen cycle. There’s a dr Tim’s one. There’s the raw shrimp method. Some add a damsel. Lots of options.
I was reviewing this video and was wondering if I was missing something. I'll be stopping by WWC on lunch to see what they have in stock. I don't wanna throw a fish in the bucket because I don't have water testing things yet, nor a light or sufficient flow. Plus I've read that when the tank isn't cycled you can potentially harm them by burning their gills with spikes in ammonia.

I would either go with Dr.Tim's or the shrimp. I know they have mesh bags at my LFS. I might go that route. Keep the bucket cleaner while it breaks down.. less maintenance on my end for clean up. I will update later to announce the path I take. When I get home I will document some more and probably start a build thread separate from this post.

Thanks for the advice. I'll take all the help I can get. I know it takes time. I just want to do t right the first time so I won't have so many problems in the future. That was a common trend when watching videos of other peoples successes and failures. Not quarantining and rushing the cycling process.
 

Peace River

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You may also want to ask the WWC team about Brightwell XLM for cycling.
 
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BuildsWithB

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So I went to WWC on lunch, like I do almost everyday. I asked about ammonia dosing to start the cycle and they gave me the suggestion of using Brightwell Quikcycl. My only issue is it states I should be testing the water. I haven’t yet bought the testing kits yet. Should I put in what is recommended without being able to test or should I just continue using the microbacter7 until I can test the ammonia? Any suggestions are welcome. I know there are a million ways to cycle. Time is not an issue so I’m not looking to have it cycled in a week. I’m in it for the long haul. Looking to cycle this over 4 months time. Attempting the BRS/WWC method to ensure a successful longevity.

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Dj City

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You are taking your time, asking questions and doing your research.
You are off to a great start!
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As far as testing, you definitely want to test.
But...
As long as you started cycling the rock, you pretty much can't stop it even if you tried.
As long as the is a food source for the bacteria, your cycle will be just fine without testing.
You can use bottled ammonia which you would really want to test or you could throw a smallish raw shrimp in and let the cycle progress.
Just follow the directions on the microbacter7 bottle.
Believe me, this is something you really can't mess up as long as you give it enough time.
 

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