Skip cycling or other?

Icedphoenix

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So I should have my new tank delivered Thursday YAY!! Had a question on the way I would like to cycle the tank. First way is to use fritz or DR Tims and let it run its course. Second way is to take the marine pure that has been running on my other tank in a canister filter and toss it in the back chamber. If I run the second way, would it be beneficial to add some fritz etc to boost the load or just use the marine pure. I am figuring if the marine pure option is basically a skip cycle then I would need to add a clown or pair to maintain the bacteria while the tank goes through its "ugly" phase without the lights. Does this sound right? Any thoughts? The marine pure was put in the canister about a month before I ordered the tank so it would be ready but the tank delayed almost 3 months so its been in the canister almost 5 months now. Yes I clean the canister out but just slosh the marine pure in water change water if it is dirty. Thanks guys
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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Add your sand, rock, and any biomedia from the existing system, add some food or another ammonia source, and test for ammonia 24 hours later. If it's back down to zero, you're good. If it's not, add bottled bacteria OR wait a week or two before adding fish.

And keeping the lights off will only delay the uglies, not prevent them. May as well let the algae cycle start too, add some cuc, and let the tank mature. There are no shortcuts that don't end up making extra work down the road.
 

GARRIGA

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I’d add the mature biological media but just keep adding ammonium chloride vs adding fish unless those are intended to be kept later. NoPox solves the resulting nitrates although I had to add phosphates for it to work. Went dark as long as possible but still got the ugly stage. Starting to believe I should have added at least some live rock. Go old school. More things change. More they remain the same.
 
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Icedphoenix

Icedphoenix

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Not to repeat myself, but you need lights to grow algae...
So best to just turn the lights on and let it go? Obviously, no corals yet so I guess an abbreviated schedule? Not sure I need full run out of the XR15s if nothing to grow but algae.
 

bushdoc

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True but carbon dosing is less effort, cheaper and less wasteful of water in my experience having done both.
That is true, but I am still not convinced that carbon dosing should be started in barely established tank, where parameters are still swinging, so you would have to adjusting dosing up and down frequently.
 

GARRIGA

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That is true, but I am still not convinced that carbon dosing should be started in barely established tank, where parameters are still swinging, so you would have to adjusting dosing up and down frequently.
I started it last cycle. Initial high dose to test what overdosing did. No fish therefore I felt a good time to test that. Then dosed as recommended until nitrates under 20 ppm. It’s not that critical to be exact and I know this because I’ve deliberately overdosed by 2x what I started after purposely raising nitrates back over 80 and only affect was white slime. Did that a couple of times and now waiting on GHA to show itself again so I can try dosing as recommended to see if that’s effective or need somewhere between my prior overdosed amount and recommended to solve nuisance GHA which is only a nuisance aesthetically yet nature’s way of cleansing itself of decomposing matter.

WCs best left for other reasons vs that initial overload of nitrates from cycling in my experience. Although I stopped doing WCs in the 80s because life too busy and now trying to see how I can maintain corals without ever lifting another bucket or at a minimum keep it to something I do annually just to remove that unknown that no carbon or filtration can resolve.
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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I started it last cycle. Initial high dose to test what overdosing did. No fish therefore I felt a good time to test that. Then dosed as recommended until nitrates under 20 ppm. It’s not that critical to be exact and I know this because I’ve deliberately overdosed by 2x what I started after purposely raising nitrates back over 80 and only affect was white slime. Did that a couple of times and now waiting on GHA to show itself again so I can try dosing as recommended to see if that’s effective or need somewhere between my prior overdosed amount and recommended to solve nuisance GHA which is only a nuisance aesthetically yet nature’s way of cleansing itself of decomposing matter.

WCs best left for other reasons vs that initial overload of nitrates from cycling in my experience. Although I stopped doing WCs in the 80s because life too busy and now trying to see how I can maintain corals without ever lifting another bucket or at a minimum keep it to something I do annually just to remove that unknown that no carbon or filtration can resolve.
I think to tell a new reefer that water changes aren't needed is foolhardy. One thing that makes a good reefer is learning about their tank, developing good maintenance habits, and being hands on (and also not taking shortcuts like dosing carbon to a new tank).
 

jda

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The ugly phase is going to come whenever you turn the lights on. You cannot skip anything... it has to happen. There is more to a real cycle than just getting enough nitrifying bacteria to process some fish urine.

I would let nature take over until you are well past some ugly phases and have some good film algae in the tank. Removing things like even nitrate will deprive the denitrifying bacteria of fuel that they need to develop, which is actually the end of the real nitrogen cycle.

In general, everything that you dose or do to interfere will need repaid, often several times in kind, for the ecosystem to establish it's self. Just let the tank work.

If you want to speed things up, then get more real live rock and get a jump start on the critters that you need for a diverse tank.

FWIW - those marine pure blocks were not great for reefs and had heavy metals in them. Perhaps they changed, but check them out and see. I don't use them, so I am just going off of what I have heard. This is one place where water changes are a really good idea.
 

GARRIGA

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I think to tell a new reefer that water changes aren't needed is foolhardy. One thing that makes a good reefer is learning about their tank, developing good maintenance habits, and being hands on (and also not taking shortcuts like dosing carbon to a new tank).
That's your approach. Not mine. Look into Trident and Moonshiners and DSR before assuming I'm providing bad information. Been at this since the 70s. I'm far from a rookie. Each has their own method and all they can use as advise. Although I don't agree with yours. Don't see me telling you not to tell others. More than one approach to doing most things and especially with keeping life in a box.
 

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