Tank Cycling

[jimbosreef]

Its been quite a while since ive cycled a tank. Just looking for basic info and some reassurance maybe. ive got a 125 w/ a 35-40g sump. I started the cycle last night using Fritz Zyme (Live Nitifying Bacteria) Im doing the "old school" way of fishless w/raw shrimp. In a rough estimate, how long will i be looking at time wise before adding a fish?

TIA

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I would say 3 to 4 weeks. Just keep testing. Once the ammonia and nitrite are at zero and you start to see nitrATEs it's time.

 

[MnFish1]

Its been quite a while since ive cycled a tank. Just looking for basic info and some reassurance maybe. ive got a 125 w/ a 35-40g sump. I started the cycle last night using Fritz Zyme (Live Nitifying Bacteria) Im doing the "old school" way of fishless w/raw shrimp. In a rough estimate, how long will i be looking at time wise before adding a fish?

TIA

Probably 3-4 weeks. That said - I'm not sure which Fritz product you're using - but some of them just say add bacteria and fish on day 1. I'm not saying to add 10 tangs - but adding fish slowly over time may be better than the 'raw shrimp' method - especially with the tank volume you have. Additionally, if you are planning to quarantine your fish using our protocol, you could also start a QT tank and buy fish - that way when your tank is cycled, your tank will be ready for fish. Since you said you haven't done saltwater for a while, depending on your fish source the level of disease seems to be higher than it was in the past - making quarantine issues more important. (There are also come vendors that sell quarantined fish). Best of luck with your tank!