Tank cycle steps

chrisgold

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This is my third tank I have set up but only the second I have set up from scratch.

Added a bag of Carib sea live sand and a scape made from Carib sea rock to 35ppt mixed saltwater at 25..7 degrees added 4 green chromis and a bottle of seachem 2 days later bought a few bottles of bacteria and started adding is daily until ammonia was 0
Been testing nitrate daily and is at 10 and have added about 10 corals (acans, torches, mushrooms, scolys and gonis that’s all seem to be doing well over the last week.
I have a tank full of torches, chalices and blastos that a need to swap over to this new tank but don’t want to risk loosing anything
When should I start a weekly water change schedule on my new tank?

it’s been running with fish for 16 days
Alk 7.8
Nitrate 10
Haven’t tested anything else
Any tips or advice on next steps

new tank

15FED7FB-1961-4E68-BD30-ADA7DA6AB868.jpeg
 

blaxsun

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A 10% water change isn't terribly significant, so you can probably start that any time. Most try for a 10% change every 1-2 weeks. In terms of next steps, invest in a good calcium and magnesium kit (Salifert, Red Sea, Nyos, etc.) for the LPS and (future) SPS corals, keep up with water changes and maintenance (swapping filter socks or changing out filter floss), weekly testing, etc. You may also want to rent a PAR meter to find where your light levels are at some point down the road as well.
 
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chrisgold

chrisgold

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A 10% water change isn't terribly significant, so you can probably start that any time. Most try for a 10% change every 1-2 weeks. In terms of next steps, invest in a good calcium and magnesium kit (Salifert, Red Sea, Nyos, etc.) for the LPS and (future) SPS corals, keep up with water changes and maintenance (swapping filter socks or changing out filter floss), weekly testing, etc. You may also want to rent a PAR meter to find where your light levels are at some point down the road as well.
I have a par meter and I have the tests for ca and mg just not tested yet. So you think would be sound to start doing water changes now?
 

Dburr1014

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This is my third tank I have set up but only the second I have set up from scratch.

Added a bag of Carib sea live sand and a scape made from Carib sea rock to 35ppt mixed saltwater at 25..7 degrees added 4 green chromis and a bottle of seachem 2 days later bought a few bottles of bacteria and started adding is daily until ammonia was 0
Been testing nitrate daily and is at 10 and have added about 10 corals (acans, torches, mushrooms, scolys and gonis that’s all seem to be doing well over the last week.
I have a tank full of torches, chalices and blastos that a need to swap over to this new tank but don’t want to risk loosing anything
When should I start a weekly water change schedule on my new tank?

it’s been running with fish for 16 days
Alk 7.8
Nitrate 10
Haven’t tested anything else
Any tips or advice on next steps

new tank

15FED7FB-1961-4E68-BD30-ADA7DA6AB868.jpeg
Sounds like you have a mature 2nd tank and want to swap over?
Are there any pests in the mature tank? If not, you can add some biodiversity to the new tank by moving a rock or sand over.
I would start water changes.
Start testing everything.
 

Timfish

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Now's as good as any to start water changes. FWIW I'd add some maricultured or wild live rock. Bottled bacteria is fine but less than 2% of the mcicrobial stuff on reefs can be cultured and stuck in a bottle. See Aquabiomic's article on esptablishing healthy microbiomes:

 
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chrisgold

chrisgold

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Sounds like you have a mature 2nd tank and want to swap over?
Are there any pests in the mature tank? If not, you can add some biodiversity to the new tank by moving a rock or sand over.
I would start water changes.
Start testing everything.
Yes unfortunately I’m starting fresh I have verm snails in my mature tank
I’m going to do a WATERCHANGE now thanks for advice
 

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