Noob Questions (cycling + legitimacy of BRS)

[boboyo]

Hi guys, im new here and im getting frustrated on cycling methods since the internet seems very mixed on the subject.

If i get an aquarium tomorrow, dry sand and dry rocks, assuming the salinity is right and the temperature is good and having a bacteria booster bottle, how long should I wait for the cycle to start and safely put 2 clownfish? Is it safe to drop the booster bottle 24h after filling the tank (assuming nothing is cloudy and everything else looks good) then putting the clownfish 24h after that? Or should I wait longer? Or should I drop the bottle at the same time as i put the fish? Im lost and frustrated!!!! (also VERY excited because its a decade old dream coming true finally!!!) I'm also worried about the lockdown about to start in my province and afraid all the fish stores will be closed and I'll have to wait till after jan 11th to buy my first fish.

Also, is it recommended to use dry rocks and add 1 live rock in there to speed up the process? I'm on a budget here





I'm sure you guys are familiar with the 5 minute saltwater beginners series from BRS on youtube, is it super legit or are they not the most accurate? It looks cool as a good pointer for directions on how to start up with not much detail. Although, should I religiously follow their advice or should I ignore some of the things they say as there might be better methods?

 

[ReefRusty]

All ligetamiate questions you have raised, I too am in the same boat loads of information in here, all over internet BRS everywhere and its all different.

Im following the cycle process from BRIGHTWELLS AQUATICS Microbacter dry rock bacteria starter kit.

I would say every tank is different on how they cycle weathet it be 5 mins or 7days or 6 weeks.. depends on the process you follow.

I personally will be waiting for the cycle to complete before adding fish which will undergo QT before put into the DT.

Much the same with corals also.

There will be loads of advice on here and lots of information to search for. The cycling process is a good guide to follow on here.

Good luck and hopefully the stores dont fully close where you are.

 

[jjencek]

Welcome to the hobby.

BRS is a good start. There are other methods but I followed them when I was starting and I did fine. Waiting until Jan 11 might actually not hurt anyway. One thing that was the hardest to learn when I was starting was to be patient and go slow. I watched the 52-week youtube by BRS and learned a lot. It is little outdated, but still a good start. So fill your tank ... get the cycling started ... get some eggnog ... relax and watch the youtube,

 

[SPR1968]

If you use something like ATM Colony you can add fish straight away and just follow the instructions, it’s very simple, and there are of course other products

Ive used it 3 times without issues, the last time in my big tank were around 30 fish went in on day one with 5 bottles of Colony

Its nearly 2021 and the days of the rotting shrimps and waiting around are done, albeit they work

 

[boboyo]

Welcome to the hobby.

BRS is a good start. There are other methods but I followed them when I was starting and I did fine. Waiting until Jan 11 might actually not hurt anyway. One thing that was the hardest to learn when I was starting was to be patient and go slow. I watched the 52-week youtube by BRS and learned a lot. It is little outdated, but still a good start. So fill your tank ... get the cycling started ... get some eggnog ... relax and watch the youtube,

So I just put the bacteria booster now and sit back for 4 weeks before putting fish or do I let the tank sit, wait 4 weeks then put the bacteria booster and fish?

 

[boboyo]

If you use something like ATM Colony you can add fish straight away and just follow the instructions, it’s very simple, and there are of course other products

Ive used it 3 times without issues, the last time in my big tank were around 30 fish went in on day one with 5 bottles of Colony

Its nearly 2021 and the days of the rotting shrimps and waiting around are done, albeit they work

Big thank you!!! You guys are honestly the best!! 2nd post and always got some quality advice and clarifications!!!

Happy holidays to all of you!! (my bday was yesterday and this saltwater aquarium is my present to myself).

 

[jjencek]

So I just put the bacteria booster now and sit back for 4 weeks before putting fish or do I let the tank sit, wait 4 weeks then put the bacteria booster and fish?

Watch the BRS.

Adding live fish provides ammonia to help the cycling. There are other ways then live fish to add ammonia (piece of shrimp, ammonia, etc.).

 

[burningmime]

You need ammonia. If you add a bottle of bacteria now with no ammonia for them to eat, then all the bacteria will die off.

You can add small amounts of ammonia (there are kits or DIY methods) and keep testing. Usually takes about 7-14 days. Or you could drop the bacteria in along with a piece of shrimp from the grocery store and let the shrimp decay (VERY stinky). Or, the old method was to drop some hardy fish (clownfish) in along with the bacteria and start feeding them. That's going to stress them out a little bit, but clowns are hardy, so it's up to you.

What brand of bacteria did you use?

 

[ReefRusty]

If you use something like ATM Colony you can add fish straight away and just follow the instructions, it’s very simple, and there are of course other products

Ive used it 3 times without issues, the last time in my big tank were around 30 fish went in on day one with 5 bottles of Colony

Its nearly 2021 and the days of the rotting shrimps and waiting around are done, albeit they work

Wish ATM colony was readily available here in Aus hrmm

 

[Tamberav]

Patience will get you far in this hobby. I cycle the tank before I add fish and the take the time to pick out healthy specimens from a quality vender as there are diseases in this hobby that can wipe out tanks. Many also quarantine fish.

 

[Reef Box]

It's been said everywhere and there ARE ways to do cycle faster. Like someone said earlier Patience is an absolute MUST for this hobby. The longer you let your tank cycle the better your chances for a good start. Using all new dry Rock/Sand for my many tanks I've waited upwards of 6 months before adding anything. Your foundation is going to determine how your tank matures, whether or not you have major issues and possibly your continued interest in keeping a tank. @Bulk Reef Supply is one of the most trusted brands in this hobby for probably 15+ years.

Welcome and Enjoy

 

[Cell]

I'm a firm believer in the usage and effectiveness of bottled bacteria cycling products. I'd recommend following the directions on the bottle. I use Bio-spira.

And BRS videos and advice is legit.

 

[iamacat]

I would suggest learning about the ammonia/nitrogen cycle. Once you understand that you will know what you need to do. It’s best to know why you are doing something. Reading 85 ways to do the same thing will lead you to mistakes unless you know why you are doing them.

I shared my cycle in my build thread, it might help you with your timing. But I do encourage investigating and educating the whys. This is the easiest process in reefing. It gets much more complex after the ammonia cycle.
Good luck!

 

[terraincognita]

Read This.

Beginner: The Nitrification Cycle and New Tank Syndrome(

Make sure you get yourself an API Saltwater Master Test Kit and start learning how to test.

Practice it about 20 times until you get the hang of it while you cycle. It will help you understand a LOT about what's going on in your reef.

----------------------

Re: BRS for new reefers.

Watch through this series:



This is their most up to date and accurate complete guide to setting up an aquarium from cycling all the way through lighting to corals and long term success.

 

[bigjgmac]

Hi guys, im new here and im getting frustrated on cycling methods since the internet seems very mixed on the subject.

If i get an aquarium tomorrow, dry sand and dry rocks, assuming the salinity is right and the temperature is good and having a bacteria booster bottle, how long should I wait for the cycle to start and safely put 2 clownfish? Is it safe to drop the booster bottle 24h after filling the tank (assuming nothing is cloudy and everything else looks good) then putting the clownfish 24h after that? Or should I wait longer? Or should I drop the bottle at the same time as i put the fish? Im lost and frustrated!!!! (also VERY excited because its a decade old dream coming true finally!!!) I'm also worried about the lockdown about to start in my province and afraid all the fish stores will be closed and I'll have to wait till after jan 11th to buy my first fish.

Also, is it recommended to use dry rocks and add 1 live rock in there to speed up the process? I'm on a budget here





I'm sure you guys are familiar with the 5 minute saltwater beginners series from BRS on youtube, is it super legit or are they not the most accurate? It looks cool as a good pointer for directions on how to start up with not much detail. Although, should I religiously follow their advice or should I ignore some of the things they say as there might be better methods?

BRS has good information and will steer you in the right direction. It’s old advice and everyone gives it, but never forget that nothing good happens quickly in this hobby.
Good luck. Asking questions and digging for information is a good sign you’re going to do well.

 

[thewire]

When i had my tank back in 2011 ish, I literally setup the tank with live rock and dead sand and added fish within a week after the water clear up. The live rock never get dry. After that, I feed the fish in a small amount every 3 days or so.
Water change 5-10% every week for first month of so. Works out for me

The new tank I am planning to setup will be dry rock and live sand (from bag) and I will be adding the BRIGHTWELLS AQUATICS Microbacter. I will wait for a week or so before maybe add something as long I don't go crazy on feed, feed sporadically



If you look at the video from ReefBuilder setting their 20g nano. They literally setup the tank in 1 day (added all the livestock too) and no water change in 6 months! LOL

 

[brandon429]

Wanted to chime in something

Brightwell is taking longer to produce ammonia movement than any other measure, average a month we see on new thread patterns. from posts in the chem forum there’s a risk in using brightwell + instant bioload. Once we see different thread patterns I’d relay it differently.


Fritz and biospira are the known skip cyclers and Dr Tims as well, that brand of bac has been used in more fish - in cycles than any other brand


we expect reef tanks dosed with ammonia and shown going + up on a test kit to be able to go back down after adding X brand of bacteria. Most brands drop ammonia in five days


but on several threads, brightwell sat as same positive ammonia day one to day thirty, perhaps they have alternate lab data. merely reporting web trends.

in other words when trying to galantly call a cycle from so far across the lake I can hardly see any details Brightwell mix was the one to mess me up. I legit think some brightwell tanks were not ready

 

[SMSREEF]

I really like @Lasse ’s method

15 Steps to Starting a Saltwater Aquarium: The Lasse Method

15 Steps to Starting a Saltwater Aquarium: The Lasse Method Display Tank. Photos are all courtesy of Lasse Forsberg. ©2019, All Rights Reserved. INTRODUCTION There are many methods to start a saltwater aquarium--each major aquarium product manufacturer has its own. Common to most, however...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[tricky_tran]

i just got back into the hobby after a long hiatus so i went/going through the same thing. there are all these different methods and opinions out there. Fish to fishless cycle, Dry Rock vs live rock, dry sand vs live sand, additives/boosters, different testing kits, I have read people throw in an actual fresh shrimp from the supermarket. I believe 1 thing remained the same. Patience and testing, but understanding the results is a different story. i am currently cycling a 75 Gal display with a 60 Gal sump, started last friday. I have no filter sock and skimmer is turned off, no lights and heater set to 78*. When I filled my tank, I transferred the live rock, i also transferred the approx 30 gals of cycling water into the tank also, along with fresh mixed RODI. Every other day I throw in a cube or 2 of frozen brine shrimp and have tested every night. Couple of times, i got trace Ammonia, no Nitrite and some Nitrate (I am self proclaimed "Color Blind"). If you want to cycle with fish, there are certain types that are "hardy" and can normally survive through a cycle. depends on if you want to put them through that or not. Below is what i started off with and will be waiting at least another week or 2 before putting in fish and turning everything on.

1) 70 lbs of cycled live rock from the LFS and cycled it for another couple of weeks at home in a Brute.
2) 60 lbs of Fiji Pink Live Sand
3) couple of Ceramic Bio Media bricks
4) approx 8 oz of Dr Tims one and only.

 

[monicalooze]

Hi guys, im new here and im getting frustrated on cycling methods since the internet seems very mixed on the subject.

If i get an aquarium tomorrow, dry sand and dry rocks, assuming the salinity is right and the temperature is good and having a bacteria booster bottle, how long should I wait for the cycle to start and safely put 2 clownfish? Is it safe to drop the booster bottle 24h after filling the tank (assuming nothing is cloudy and everything else looks good) then putting the clownfish 24h after that? Or should I wait longer? Or should I drop the bottle at the same time as i put the fish? Im lost and frustrated!!!! (also VERY excited because its a decade old dream coming true finally!!!) I'm also worried about the lockdown about to start in my province and afraid all the fish stores will be closed and I'll have to wait till after jan 11th to buy my first fish.

Also, is it recommended to use dry rocks and add 1 live rock in there to speed up the process? I'm on a budget here





I'm sure you guys are familiar with the 5 minute saltwater beginners series from BRS on youtube, is it super legit or are they not the most accurate? It looks cool as a good pointer for directions on how to start up with not much detail. Although, should I religiously follow their advice or should I ignore some of the things they say as there might be better methods?

I am a beginner as well, and I followed a lot of advice from the 5 min guide. Just be aware that the products they feature are essentially advertisements for said products. It's a good place to start, but there's no end to the amount of research you can do.

Addressing the cycling process: I cycled my first tank with ammonia drops and Dr. Tims. It took forever and my nitrates were sky high at the end, which I think probably contributes to algae blooms. Unfortunately, my tank started leaking, so I had to start over. After more research AND setting up a QT tank, I learned that adding bacteria IS in fact an insta-cycle. I only saw a teeny tiny spike in ammonia after 2 days, then it went away. There are good threads on this site about the methods and mythologies of cycling. I know that a "fish in" cycle causes a lot of strife on these sites, but technically if you add bacteria, the tank is already cycled. It's different than just throwing a fish in without bacteria and hoping for the best. And for the record, Dr. Tim advises that cycling with ammonia is unnecessary because you've already seeded the tank.

My tank stats: 10 gal waterbox AIO, 2 ocellaris (both went through the insta cycle in the new tank and the QT tank - zero issues, almost zero ammonia).