Cincy_Reefer
Active Member
How’s it looking so far? Haven’t ghost fed anything yet or dosed ammonia.
It’s tough for me to estimate where exactly the API test kit is reading… any tips?
Starting a cycle with Fritz Zyme 9, how much should I dump in my system?
- Thread starter Cincy_Reefer
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How’s it looking so far? Haven’t ghost fed anything yet or dosed ammonia.
It’s tough for me to estimate where exactly the API test kit is reading… any tips?
Cincy_Reefer
Active Member
Yessir! I’ve got 2 running, got them on a random cycle with one of them running 180deg out of phase with the other.
I put a lot of details into my build thread if you want to check it out!
Cincy_Reefer
Active Member
Pretty odd right? If I run the tests again and post pictures of the test tubes next to the results color charts - do you think you’d be able to tell me if I’m approximating the values correctly?
or would that be difficult to tell via a picture
Cincy_Reefer
Active Member
pH:
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
Looking forward to reading your approximate values. Thank you for the help!
pecan2phat
Valuable Member
To my eyes, it looks like 5ppm of Nitrate and .25ppm of Ammonia.
Could be the new dry rock and live sand that is causing the anomaly, I wouldn't worry about it. Don't know if you decided to cycle the tank with ammonia or fish but here's some interesting statements by Brightwell in regards to dry seeded rock. (Pitfalls #5)
Could be the new dry rock and live sand that is causing the anomaly, I wouldn't worry about it. Don't know if you decided to cycle the tank with ammonia or fish but here's some interesting statements by Brightwell in regards to dry seeded rock. (Pitfalls #5)
Cincy_Reefer
Active Member
Okay good looks, I did not give the bacteria any ammonia to feed on. Was thinking about getting some of that “fishless fuel” that Fritz makes… either that or ghost feeding.
Thanks for your response and for that link too!
Cincy_Reefer
Active Member
Hmm… I wonder if the same concept applies to Fritz Zyme 9? I definitely wish I knew that about “live sand” before I decided to go with it in my tank.
Not the end of the world but sounds like my cycle might take longer, and I might need to double my dosage of Zyme 9.
Cincy_Reefer
Active Member
My LFS stocks it in a refrigerator at the back of their store - you think I would have any issues adding some turbo start 900 in addition to the Zyme 9 I’ve already dumped in?
Cincy_Reefer
Active Member
Also when you had success with turbo start was it on an entirely new system (new sand / rock / etc) or was anything live already
pecan2phat
Valuable Member
The Fritz Zyme 9 was for a new tank with nothing live and that took close to a month.
The Turbo Start 900 was for a quarantine/hospital tank and also nothing live which took a little over a week. There is a lengthy thread where a member tested various bottled bacteria ( which seems to have disappeared) and if I remember correctly, he said there was only a few that worked as stated which was what steered me to Turbo Start.
If you are going the fishless route, I wouldn't go out of the way to add the Turbo Start. If your going to add those two orange storms then I would go and get the Turbo Start to be safe.
The Turbo Start 900 was for a quarantine/hospital tank and also nothing live which took a little over a week. There is a lengthy thread where a member tested various bottled bacteria ( which seems to have disappeared) and if I remember correctly, he said there was only a few that worked as stated which was what steered me to Turbo Start.
If you are going the fishless route, I wouldn't go out of the way to add the Turbo Start. If your going to add those two orange storms then I would go and get the Turbo Start to be safe.
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Hi, I'm back after a long day at work. I just want to emphasize that if you use a high quality nitrifying bacterial product (that's not expired and according to its directions), have a system with plenty of rock surface (for the bacteria to colonize), and have major parameters in acceptable ranges and that are relatively stable (temp, salinity, etc.), then you are instantly cycled. There's no need to wait days, weeks, or months. You are "cycled". API test kits are practically useless as most on R2R will tell you. The only thing the API ammonia test is good for is to tell you if you have a HUGE ammonia problem (as in a big dead fish under a rock somewhere).
The old practices of cycling work just fine if you want to go that route. However, with the bottled bacteria products, why use the old-fashioned methods? Add a couple of somewhat hardy, not-too-expensive, and pre-quarantined fish and/or a handful of cleanup crew and start having fun.
The old practices of cycling work just fine if you want to go that route. However, with the bottled bacteria products, why use the old-fashioned methods? Add a couple of somewhat hardy, not-too-expensive, and pre-quarantined fish and/or a handful of cleanup crew and start having fun.
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Also, P.S., I'm recently back on R2R after taking a break for a couple months and I am AMAZED that Brandon429 hasn't responded to this thread yet!!!
I'm using AlgaeBarn's Nitrocycle for fishless cycle, with Fritz Turbostart 900. The Nitrocycle is nice as it's one dose.
polyppal
2500 Club Member
Nice tank!I have reached the point of being ready to start the cycle in my newly set up Waterbox Marine X 90.3, and I will be using Fritz Zyme 9 to get the cycle started.
I have a 32oz bottle of Fritz Zyme 9 which recommends using:
4oz per 5 gallons for new systems and
2oz per 5 gallons for established systems.
My display is 59.3 gallons and my sump is 25.7 gallons.
In the display I have 60 pounds of caribsea arag-alive special grade sand, and a fair amount of carib sea liferock. (see attached pictures).
I'm going to put some more liferock in the sump before I start the cycle... but my question is this:
Should I run out and buy another 32oz bottle of zyme 9? Roughly 85 gallons of volume in my system, minus ~10(?) gallons from rock and sand displacement (maybe more?). Plus my sump isn't filled to the brim, so subtract another 10 gallons? Therefore, there is approximately 65 gallons of water in circulation.?
my maths....So if I follow the directions, I would need 52oz of fritz zyme 9, since this is a new system.
(85 - 10 -10 = 65g)
(4oz per 5 gal)
(65/5 = 13)
--> 13*4 = 52 oz
Should I go buy another bottle? Or would 32oz be fine?
Not sure if my rock/sand volume displacement estimations are even close, please see the attached images for reference.
Also, will be doing a full build thread! Excited to get started.
FZ9 is my preferred starting bacteria, I don’t really measure. I just pour it directly over the media, wait a week or two and pour the other half in…
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