Starting/Cycling a new tank - Newbie

[Ollie67]

Wait on the CUC. There is nothing to eat. They will die.

Yep, probably after I add my first fish - looking at a clown fish.

 

[Ollie67]

Welcome to R2R!

You have started well. Suggestions... during the cycle keep a chart and everyday test or every other day. Write down the numbers.

You can add more bacteria. I like Bio-Spira but there are sooooo many different bacteria just make sure the one you get is live bacteria and the bacteria is in date and make sure it is bought front somewhere that isn't storing it above room temperature. They bacteria can die in temperatures above a normal tank temp. I've bought some before that was obviously stored wrong and was definitely dead.

Second don't worry about Nitrates until your nitrites drop. You'll see a spike in Ammonia and then nitrites will spike and they will both stay pretty high for a few days usually up to a week or so. If you add more bacteria you can probably make it drop quicker but not always guaranteed. I have always said you can't have too much bacteria and sometimes it takes two bottles of two different types to make the nitrites go down.

If you want to wait it out that is fine. I wouldn't test for nitrates until your nitrites go down. Really there is no reason unless you just want to get good a testing it. I do find that extra bacteria sometimes helps to get my ammonia to go down quicker. But not always. The nitrates will almost always show they are there and high as long as you have the nitrite spike happening.

You're off to a great start the diatoms are probably what is on your tank it is part of the ugly stage. You can leave the lights on a little less and that will help. Truthfully you don't need the lights on at all right now. I would just keep them off until the tank has cycled. You'll probably thank me later.

If you have any other concerns I'm more than happy to help.

Thank you! I will most likely hold off on bacteria until it's been a couple more days and ammonia/nitrite are still super high. Thank you for more information on the cycle - nitrates. And after looking more into diatoms, looks like it is most likely diatoms forming on the small rock pictured. I will also keep the lights off/to a minimum for now as well!

 

[Mikeltee]

Yep, probably after I add my first fish - looking at a clown fish.

You can add your Clown at anytime now. Post a pic in a couple weeks. Someone with experience will let you know if you are ready for a couple of snails and a few small Hermits. Don't worry about ammonia or nitrites if you are not ghost feeding. Your tank was cycled the second you put that live rock in there. You need to determine if your rock is Phosphate bound. If it is, you might have to wait on coral. If you pull anything over 1ppm Phosphates it will take some time to get it down. My guess is that you are good to go and it's roughly .1ppm. If you are serious about this hobby, get Hanna 782 and 774 and throw out whatever you are using. It's giving you bad readings right now.

 

[CrimsonTide]

Thank you! I will most likely hold off on bacteria until it's been a couple more days and ammonia/nitrite are still super high. Thank you for more information on the cycle - nitrates. And after looking more into diatoms, looks like it is most likely diatoms forming on the small rock pictured. I will also keep the lights off/to a minimum for now as well!

Haha. The lights are for you and you only at this point so I would definitely keep them off if you can. I know when you set up a new tank you just want to look at it. I add new coral and sleep on the couch in my man cave and watch the tank. I get it.

Dr. Tim's is another really good bacteria. I like it too. I forgot about it. Your Ammonia may drop before the nitrites if the Ammonia eating bacteria that turn it into nitrites are faster than the nitrite converting bacteria. If that happens you can always add a little more Ammonia. Not a full doss but enough to get it back to 1ppm or something like that.

At this point in my opinion you're just waiting on your nitrites to bottom out. When that happens you are done. Everything else in the system can handle itself. It takes the nitrite bacteria longer to work than Ammonia though usually. They are two different types and one breeds slower than the other. Some people say if you add live rock that is all you need but I really don't trust LFS. Even if they're nice people I just don't trust them. You've already added a sh%t load of Ammonia to your tank so wait it out.

When it is cycled do as close to a 100% water change as you can though. Obviously they'll still be some in the sand and that is fine. Just get all that high nitrate water out that you can.

 

[Ollie67]

You can add your Clown at anytime now. Post a pic in a couple weeks. Someone with experience will let you know if you are ready for a couple of snails and a few small Hermits. Don't worry about ammonia or nitrites if you are not ghost feeding. Your tank was cycled the second you put that live rock in there. You need to determine if your rock is Phosphate bound. If it is, you might have to wait on coral. If you pull anything over 1ppm Phosphates it will take some time to get it down. My guess is that you are good to go and it's roughly .1ppm. If you are serious about this hobby, get Hanna 782 and 774 and throw out whatever you are using. It's giving you bad readings right now.

I will definitely post an update in the upcoming weeks. Currently I just have a cheap API saltwater test kit for pH, ammonia, and nitrite. As you said, its not the most accurate and sometimes hard to read. I actually have seen and bookmarked the Hanna readers/checkers to my wishlist lol. Are those the only two you recommend? They are pricey, so I'm sure I can just test pH and other things with a different test.

I also use a refractometer for my salinity, which is reliable so far. I calibrated it with 35ppt / 1.0264 SG reagent calibration standard.

 

[Ollie67]

Haha. The lights are for you and you only at this point so I would definitely keep them off if you can. I know when you set up a new tank you just want to look at it. I add new coral and sleep on the couch in my man cave and watch the tank. I get it.

Dr. Tim's is another really good bacteria. I like it too. I forgot about it. Your Ammonia may drop before the nitrites if the Ammonia eating bacteria that turn it into nitrites are faster than the nitrite converting bacteria. If that happens you can always add a little more Ammonia. Not a full doss but enough to get it back to 1ppm or something like that.

At this point in my opinion you're just waiting on your nitrites to bottom out. When that happens you are done. Everything else in the system can handle itself. It takes the nitrite bacteria longer to work than Ammonia though usually. They are two different types and one breeds slower than the other. Some people say if you add live rock that is all you need but I really don't trust LFS. Even if they're nice people I just don't trust them. You've already added a sh%t load of Ammonia to your tank so wait it out.

When it is cycled do as close to a 100% water change as you can though. Obviously they'll still be some in the sand and that is fine. Just get all that high nitrate water out that you can.

LOL, I wasn't too sure about how I should have the light for my new tank, so I have been leaving it on for a few hours sometimes. But I shall keep it off for now as there is no coral or livestock.

And yes, I may have put in a mL or two too much of the QuickCycl, which may be why my ammonia is coming out so high. I feel like 4+ppm for a 13.5 is a bit much. But I have been actually questioning my API test kit, as I have a SeaChem Ammonia Alert sensor floating in my tank - it only shows 0.05ppm of ammonia (alert level). I have considered the RedSea test kit, but are there any better ones for a decent price?

 

[Roatan Reef]

Thank you for the advice! I actually saw your reply on another thread and I am glad to see another 13.5! I will take a look now! And I will keep the CUC in mind. I was also thinking of adding a Fire Shrimp down the road, they have a wonderful look.

CUCs are your friends here...my friend. At the 1 month and a week time frame...my 13.5 is doing business.

Also...what filter media are you running???

 

[Ollie67]

CUCs are your friends here...my friend. At the 1 month and a week time frame...my 13.5 is doing business.

Also...what filter media are you running???

Any fish in you and your nephew's 13.5 yet?

Currently since the tank is being cycled, I just have the stock filter sponge with the included (ceramic?) media on the bottom of chamber 2. Chamber 1 has a heater, and 3 has the pump. Since there's nothing, I haven't really messed with it. It's picked up the sand/small rocks that have flowed around when pouring the initial water.

Once more established, I already have a inTank chamber 1 media basket purchased, so I will have filter floss, activated carbon, and liverock in chamber 1. I will move the heater to chamber 2 with the included filter media still there. Chamber 3 will have the pump and ATO sensor still.

I might add filter floss to chamber 1 soon and swap out the stock sponge in the next week or two.

 

[CrimsonTide]

LOL, I wasn't too sure about how I should have the light for my new tank, so I have been leaving it on for a few hours sometimes. But I shall keep it off for now as there is no coral or livestock.

And yes, I may have put in a mL or two too much of the QuickCycl, which may be why my ammonia is coming out so high. I feel like 4+ppm for a 13.5 is a bit much. But I have been actually questioning my API test kit, as I have a SeaChem Ammonia Alert sensor floating in my tank - it only shows 0.05ppm of ammonia (alert level). I have considered the RedSea test kit, but are there any better ones for a decent price?

Truthfully I have never tested ammonia or nitrite after my tanks have cycled. If you have ammonia in your tank you are screwed pretty much and if your tank is cycled the ammonia won't be there. I did show someone how to test it once and it was zero but I personally don't test them after the tank has cycled. Once the tank has cycled I add in a little more ammonia and test it the next day and if it's gone I call it good and add fish and never test it again. So I would use the scrappy tests you have and not waste your money on anything else.

Now for measuring Calcium and nitrates and other things I like hanna testers. You can sometimes find people selling them on here for cheap. They are not cheap to buy. I however swear by them. I think my magnesium tests may be redsea. But alkalinity calcium nitrate are all hanna. Those are the best and might as well spend the money if you want it to be right. However depending on if you want soft corals or not..... if you just have soft corals in the beginning you can just buy maybe a nitrate tester and do regular water changes at first or buy a calcium and do regular water changes. Soft corals don't have calcium skeletons so they don't take up a while of of nutrients and most van be replenished by regular water changes. Eventually if you do hard corals you will definitely need more testers and supplements for calcium alkalinity and magnesium to add back into your tank.

 

[Roatan Reef]

Any fish in you and your nephew's 13.5 yet?

Currently since the tank is being cycled, I just have the stock filter sponge with the included (ceramic?) media on the bottom of chamber 2. Chamber 1 has a heater, and 3 has the pump. Since there's nothing, I haven't really messed with it. It's picked up the sand/small rocks that have flowed around when pouring the initial water.

Once more established, I already have a inTank chamber 1 media basket purchased, so I will have filter floss, activated carbon, and liverock in chamber 1. I will move the heater to chamber 2 with the included filter media still there. Chamber 3 will have the pump and ATO sensor still.

I might add filter floss to chamber 1 soon and swap out the stock sponge in the next week or two.

Yes, 1 black Ice Clown, fire fish, and 1 Neon Goby.

1st Chamber has original black sponge cut into a quarter of original size, bio balls, Filter Floss, 2nd chamber (has this..)photo below it is filled with Chemi Pure Elite, Red Sea Carbon and Phosguard plus additional bio media filtration.

3rd chamber has original bio media and Carbon that came with setup along with filter Floss, this is the chamber for the heater and return pump, which we upgraded.

3 hammers and 3zoas, plus 3 pieces of Anacropora and 10 Cucs.

 

[Stevorino]

Thank you for the reply! I just realized that I meant to type nitrite, not nitrate, but nitrite is also part of the cycle and hopefully, it will take care of the ammonia. Then once I read no ammonia, I can measure nitrates. And sounds good, I was worried but I know that rocks will eventually turn gross.

Is there anything you recommend to do after cycling to help clean up some of the algae and stuff? I was thinking of starting a small clean-up crew and maybe using a product like the MicroBacter Clean once established.

Also, are there sources/information available that can help set up with lighting? I may try and find something once I get an AI Prime, where I will actually be able to adjust the brightness and settings. I am assuming that you would want to keep lighting low for the first 1-3 months? Probably 20-40%?

I definitely would get some clean up crew one ammonia is at 0 and algae kicks in. Reef Cleaners has been my go-to for a decade. I’d also get some pods as they will help combat some of the ugly stage

Keeping lights low is super important IMO…. I truly believe that light power coordinates directly with tank difficulty. The more you blast the tank, the more problems you have to deal with.

I personally keep my lights off or dim with new tanks for 3-6 months.

 

[Ollie67]

I definitely would get some clean up crew one ammonia is at 0 and algae kicks in. Reef Cleaners has been my go-to for a decade. I’d also get some pods as they will help combat some of the ugly stage

Keeping lights low is super important IMO…. I truly believe that light power coordinates directly with tank difficulty. The more you blast the tank, the more problems you have to deal with.

I personally keep my lights off or dim with new tanks for 3-6 months.

For sure. As in pods, do you mean copepods? I was thinking about adding some later down the road to help out.

And I'll be sure to keep the lights off/minimal. Definitely don't want anything above 30% or else it could promote the growth of algae and other uglies.

 

[Ollie67]

Yes, 1 black Ice Clown, fire fish, and 1 Neon Goby.

1st Chamber has original black sponge cut into a quarter of original size, bio balls, Filter Floss, 2nd chamber (has this..)photo below it is filled with Chemi Pure Elite, Red Sea Carbon and Phosguard plus additional bio media filtration.

3rd chamber has original bio media and Carbon that came with setup along with filter Floss, this is the chamber for the heater and return pump, which we upgraded.

3 hammers and 3zoas, plus 3 pieces of Anacropora and 10 Cucs.

That looks great! You've got a wonderful selection in there. I have a similar media basket which I plan on putting in chamber 1, like I mentioned. Hopefully it continues to go well! How have you been doing water changes (if any so far) once established? I've heard on these it's good to do 10-20% weekly.

 

[Mikeltee]

I will definitely post an update in the upcoming weeks. Currently I just have a cheap API saltwater test kit for pH, ammonia, and nitrite. As you said, its not the most accurate and sometimes hard to read. I actually have seen and bookmarked the Hanna readers/checkers to my wishlist lol. Are those the only two you recommend? They are pricey, so I'm sure I can just test pH and other things with a different test.

I also use a refractometer for my salinity, which is reliable so far. I calibrated it with 35ppt / 1.0264 SG reagent calibration standard.

This is what I use. I also have the Milwaukee digital Salinity meter.
Testing
Nitrate HI782 Hanna Checker
Phoshate HI774 Hanna Checker
Alk HI772 Hanna Checker
Calcium HI758 Hanna Checker
Copper HI702 Hanna Checker
Silicates HI705 Hanna Checker
Magnesium Salifert

 

[Roatan Reef]

That looks great! You've got a wonderful selection in there. I have a similar media basket which I plan on putting in chamber 1, like I mentioned. Hopefully it continues to go well! How have you been doing water changes (if any so far) once established? I've heard on these it's good to do 10-20% weekly.

2 Water Changes so far, but mostly topping off AIO return pumps..but I usually use saltwater from my 40B to top off with.