Questions on cycling with Bio Spira and Vibrant

[Fishingandreefing]

Feel like a complete newbie again since being awhile I cycled a tank. Please bare with me

so the tank was wet with cured dry rocks almost a month ago and added a bottle of bio spira. But just about a week ago, I added live sands and Caribsea life rocks that were supposedly painted with dormant bacteria’s. Then I also added about 1/3 bottle of bio spira (skimmer was off). I ghost feed mysis daily。 I tested ammonia was around .25 and phosphate was .03. The tank currently has no visible algae yet but cloudy.

questions:

1) Do I know start running skimmer?

2) Do I start changing water? If so how much and how often?

3) Do I run carbon or gfo?

Also, BRS recommend dosing Vibrant during cycle to prevent the ugly phase, have you done that with success?

lastly, if ammonia and nitrite tested zero, my tank is cycled correct?

Thanks!

 

[Dr Jimmy]

Skimmer off for 48 hours if seeding for cycle. If just dosing, usually 4 hours. Water change and carbon is also ok after that time

 

[Nurse.Reef.Reapeat]

I personally haven’t done the Vibrant while cycling but should work... I cycle by dosing a whole bootle of the Biospira and few drops of ammonia.

 

[Dr Jimmy]

The bacteria lives on surfaces so after that period of time it's surface bound. Prior to that, it's floating in the water which is why no skimmer. And carbon has lots of surface area as well.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

There were a bunch of little white bacteria sticking on the glass, wonder if they are clinging onto the rocks or what not. I did run the skimmer couple day before adding the second dose.