The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

[stefanm]

Wonderful details

Yes, ammonia toxicity must not be too bad due to the star~ no certain amount nor consistency of ammonia is required for your cycle, and any amount added just pumps up bacteria all the better. The new shrimp is hyper fueling bacteria stuck to every crevice of those rocks, moving fast yes.

the chaeto and the water and all these wonderful sources of filter bacteria seed, this is just perfect for a cycling thread. You have group b water, ha! Never made that call before.

I’m so glad to know you are in Goa this is wonderful to meet a new friend and gain new science contributions for our read, thanks much for your details and good work

Day 19 is just about complete, the water is more turbid, I've switched the skimmer on, to run over night.

The ball if chaeto has an expanding pod population, also a whole bunch of what appears to be stometella snails.

I'm also getting a lot of foam in the sump, will see any changes in the morning.

 

[brandon429]

I forgot to see how large/gallons this tank was Ill go back to try and see.

If its huge, where that final water changeout isn't practical, Id pull the shrimp out and prob not put it back, so that you can do less of a final wc right before the 40 days. If the tank was smaller or you had pumps setup where a water change was no big deal, then shrimping to the 39th day wont matter bc all its degraded intermediates will just be rip changed out before we start clean, leaving all the developed bio slicks still on the rocks. mere contact time is needed here, the shrimping we've already done was really boosting but I hate to lead your tank filthy right up to the last day if we can't really change and remove all the mess that's currently cookin'

 

[stefanm]

I forgot to see how large/gallons this tank was Ill go back to try and see.

If its huge, where that final water changeout isn't practical, Id pull the shrimp out and prob not put it back, so that you can do less of a final wc right before the 40 days. If the tank was smaller or you had pumps setup where a water change was no big deal, then shrimping to the 39th day wont matter bc all its degraded intermediates will just be rip changed out before we start clean, leaving all the developed bio slicks still on the rocks. mere contact time is needed here, the shrimping we've already done was really boosting but I hate to lead your tank filthy right up to the last day if we can't really change and remove all the mess that's currently cookin'

The tank is around 85 US gallons, the sump around 55 US gallons. I actually filled a total if 142 US gallons of seawater (540 litres)

Honestly I can clean and filter the water easily if I need, I've not even installed the lights for the turf scrubber yet. The high tides look good later this week for NSW collecting.

 

[stefanm]

On a side note, I just realised that Dr Tims one and only is readily available, the version that's made in France (comes in a different bottle), pricing not bad at all, wish I had known this earlier.

 

[brandon429]

That makes good discussion for us here for sure. the bacteria in a drop of water from the location you live is more diverse and better suited for cycling than any homogenous mix from a bottle, dr Tim’s is for the landlocked

When I googled Goa/beaches/waterfalls and reefs = wow

Shrimp stinky cycling was never required here, it was just a boosting option. there was a component of the dr Tim’s system that was a better exchange than shrimp, it was the ammonium chloride portion of the Tim’s system...that would have done the boost feeding job much cleaner. Same ends for you either way.


To cycle a group A dry rock system using actual tropical reef seawater, an aquarist needs only to fill the tank and wait 40 days (it’s less, but that’s safe for a zero test cycle) no other form of boost is required. The water is both the bacterial inoculate, and the feed all at the same time. Such a rare type of cycle we get to cover to the end! Using raw shrimp or liquid ammonia isn’t harmful, and in this case fully not required. The water was actually group B type in affect, so we can cycle your tank just like in earlier posts where we discuss how to cycle a mixed rock A/B system. Being in the same circulation system with any form of group B substrate, in this case water, automatically cycles the group A portions within 30-40 days as a rule of microbiology.
B

 

[stefanm]

That makes good discussion for us here for sure. the bacteria in a drop of water from the location you live is more diverse and better suited for cycling than any homogenous mix from a bottle, dr Tim’s is for the landlocked

When I googled Goa/beaches/waterfalls and reefs = wow

Shrimp stinky cycling was never required here, it was just a boosting option. there was a component of the dr Tim’s system that was a better exchange than shrimp, it was the ammonium chloride portion of the Tim’s system...that would have done the boost feeding job much cleaner. Same ends for you either way.


To cycle a group A dry rock system using actual tropical reef seawater, an aquarist needs only to fill the tank and wait 40 days (it’s less, but that’s safe for a zero test cycle) no other form of boost is required. The water is both the bacterial inoculate, and the feed all at the same time. Such a rare type of cycle we get to cover to the end! Using raw shrimp or liquid ammonia isn’t harmful, and in this case fully not required. The water was actually group B type in affect, so we can cycle your tank just like in earlier posts where we discuss how to cycle a mixed rock A/B system. Being in the same circulation system with any form of group B substrate, in this case water, automatically cycles the group A portions within 30-40 days as a rule of microbiology.
B

That makes good discussion for us here for sure. the bacteria in a drop of water from the location you live is more diverse and better suited for cycling than any homogenous mix from a bottle, dr Tim’s is for the landlocked

When I googled Goa/beaches/waterfalls and reefs = wow

Shrimp stinky cycling was never required here, it was just a boosting option. there was a component of the dr Tim’s system that was a better exchange than shrimp, it was the ammonium chloride portion of the Tim’s system...that would have done the boost feeding job much cleaner. Same ends for you either way.


To cycle a group A dry rock system using actual tropical reef seawater, an aquarist needs only to fill the tank and wait 40 days (it’s less, but that’s safe for a zero test cycle) no other form of boost is required. The water is both the bacterial inoculate, and the feed all at the same time. Such a rare type of cycle we get to cover to the end! Using raw shrimp or liquid ammonia isn’t harmful, and in this case fully not required. The water was actually group B type in affect, so we can cycle your tank just like in earlier posts where we discuss how to cycle a mixed rock A/B system. Being in the same circulation system with any form of group B substrate, in this case water, automatically cycles the group A portions within 30-40 days as a rule of microbiology.
B

I agree beneficial bacteria is definitely abundant in the water column, whether it's in the ocean or an established tank, I don't get why many claim otherwise, I have witnessed it when I had a Koi pond, I rebuilt my pond, the livestock was in a holding tank for a month and half, the only thing I transferred was the livestock and water, no filter media was transferred, I tested for ammonia and nitrite, nada. There was no cycle, no ammonia or nitrite detectable, the fish were happy!

Strangely the French version of Dr Tims doesn't seem to come with the ammonium chloride, I was tempted to buy some ammonium chloride today, but then by time it reaches I'll be almost done.

So today's update, I added the final third of Seachem Stability, after a few hours I restarted the skimmer, which had been on since the night before. This evening I changed the prawns out ( I got a freebie from my local fish monger, after a very long winded explanation, we don't speak the same language!) they were getting a bit funky, as is the water. So I also done a water change, just under 10% of the display volume, roughly 6% of the total water volume and topped off the evaporation from the past two days, approx 7 litres (it's still a bit funky). Anyway I'll keep swapping out the prawns and start some water changes for at least the next 10-12 days, maybe a week longer to take me to 40 days.

The tank water is sitting at 29.X Celsius, after a nice few days it's getting much hotter and more humid, the humidity reduces my top off requirement, though that will change once I get the chiller working.

The pods, snails, brittle star and new discovery some kind of sea slug/nudibranch are all doing well so far, the pods seem to increase by 25% daily.

 

[brandon429]

just great detail for sure, this is really fun. I would not be fulfilling my page one if I advised to add ammonia sourcing any further, you are adding to the list of hangers-on-in-tow which are the exact diversity that us landlocked wont get to see they're the moving eating and waste producing (like the prawns but far less ammonia, theirs is metabolic waste not rot) life that are now the early colonizers of your reef.

we should only have them in reef conditions, signified by their updated numbers and only more are certain to be seen especially when viewed at night.

based on that detail, life is finding a way in this tank with the recent updates, we'd switch simply to no fish bioloading until 40th day and everything else is go.

based on your use of group B water, and included microbenthics, and the best source of bacteria Ill never see its my friendly advice to begin only the series of partial water changes adding up to the 40th day and not even feeding another prawn... the goal of doing so is to add ammonia, and the goal of page one was to not add it when tons of neat benthics are around.

but if you do, only a great and neat tank is going to result heh, any way you wield water this powerful, good is going to become of it as long as you never seal it up in containers, it must must remain aerated if its ever stored that's for sure. as I read, you'll be pretty much pulling straight from the wonderful source. so nice to see this build thanks for the input

*your water is so potent, it has the inherent ability to nitrify itself to some degree...plankton is an uptaker of ammonia, while arthropods and other life cycles produce ammonia in tiny portions at the same time, it truly is to be seen as group B water

this could be how current ammonia rots are being rendered unharmful to these delicates. your water might likely be functioning as a filter to a sig degree.
b

 

[brandon429]

additionally, your koi pond experience is in line with mine as well, it was my grandmothers koi pond

anywhere water (salt or fresh) has sat exposed to the elements, and has floc bits suspended in it (any form of feed particles or plant materials mid-breakdown or waste suspended or bugs that live there and tons more micro life are considered substrate when in suspension) which 100% of koi ponds on earth have unless they have unreal filtration, will have nitrifying bacteria in the water suspended but typically attached to those items of waste.
that is why water definitely vectors nitrifying bacteria, and yes bacteria are on the rocks and walls and sands as well. if its wet, and older than 4o days, and hadn't been given meds, its got nitrifiers on this planet.




its funny how many findings line up when good science is on the line

 

[stefanm]

Today's update, I'm pretty sure the tank is cycled, the skimmer is pulling out a lot of gunk and foam. Water is slightly clearer, doesn't really stink now.

The pods, stometella snails and the brittle star all seem happy, I found another hitchhiker, a sea hare he's roaming around the glass bottom, sides and rocks, also seems to be doing well.

I added a filter sock to the main syphon line (bean animal drain) hopefully I'll have clear water in a day or two. I'm planning on collecting some NSW tomorrow evening, as it's a holiday weekend the jetty will have lots of tourists and their questions! I always tell them that I'm combating rising sea levels, doubt anyone buys into that...

 

[brandon429]

100% this is ready as that water clears up for the final time. Ive not personally cycled a tank with marine water before but by rule of microbes it is a darn fast process, and we're seeing just how fast. total fun, these benthic creatures now want the typical reefy waters full of natural feed, good lights and water etc.


*I want to predict some hand guiding due soon

with these powerful waters, and inherent light bioloading, comes a contribution to your tanks bioloading just like live rock is a minor contribution (and they don't always nitrify in opposition as stated commonly either)

this light contribution bioloading from the animals, suspended animals, rock systems, and upcoming lighting equals algae and nothing is wrong with your tank when that happens, we're predicting it right now



when we first see algae, that's a decision point. every algae invaded reef Ive ever collected in threads, about ten thousand, chose not to without hesitation kill that algae during that critical juncture, so lets choose opposite. im expecting you to have to hand guide, hand garden, lift our rocks even commonly to clean under them and spot kill algae off them using direct peroxide outside the tank when the algae comes in a few weeks or days after lighting begins.

this hand guiding lessens as we find balances in your tank over time and with refreshing water changes, if we are a bit busier, vs hands off, on these initial months you are doing whats required to build a 10+ year system because we're not storing up wastes, filth, since we're busy cleaning and changing initially and we aren't allowing early predicted invaders to take over, in a system where you cant install a parrotfish to eat all algae and the rocks too, HAHA

the algae isn't bad, its due to no turtles and fish biting it all off in force, that's why we make an accessible scape, so you can part it out and guide it. don't pack a rock wall first go, trick of the millennia./

*important theme: we've not began testing for much at all so far, ammonia, salt levels and temp for a very good reason: the tank is too early for coral command of ions, so all that's left to be testing and tinkering and learning hesitations over would be the dreaded nitrate and phosphate tests that rule this hobby unfairly

we've been discussing things you can clearly see here, dirt....silt...clouding things in a tank where no surface should cloud when disturbed (all sand pre rinsed before use for strategic reasons, ideally but not required)

by knowing that your system can't harbor waste, detritus, because you have the attribute of being busy vs hands off up front, and because you've created an accessible aquascape for reasons of strategy, we aren't going to need to be testing for the derivatives of detritus left in a tank to rot.


we haven't packed in fish for a reason, we're rock and water and little animal heavy for a reason

the reason is known hand guiding of algae, we need clear real estate for the intial guides. the time you begin adding more hefty/ $ coral investments is after a few weeks or even a couple months as your hand guiding lessens and you find the natural balances of light and things/feeding that makes you work less for algae control.


how polar opposite is that temper, compared to the common human nature of stock fast (we cycle fast here, but don't stock fast, a clear distinction) and be hands off, and allow algae, and claim its best to leave it alone, we're literally doing step by step opposite leading behaviors Ive collected in hundreds and hundreds of only algae tank corrections, only you get to lead with that. Im working in preemptive hindsight here with you how funny Stefan.

yes algae are normal and are explained here and will arise even in a clean tank, where you shine light on something oceanic

but since they're tank wreckers, we're reacting to the worst case scenario. if algae turns out to not be a big deal in your tank, allow it 3 years from now.


in the beginning, assume its not ok, and act accordingly. be the safe zone and the busy zone up front, preemptive guiding, its vitally important in large tanks vs tiny ones


I could pack my pico to the hilt and still take it all apart in ten mins....not so with a large tank, we plan carefully off the priors of our posted invaded friends. the more accessible your system is in parts, all the way down to the sand, the more you have the ability to guarantee yourself no form of predicted reef invader could take over.


your water provides dinoflagellates, cyano, all kinds of possible invasions since in the wild there's a grazer match for each one. your grazer match for ALL is a bottle of peroxide, a modular aquascape, and the back breaking regularity of lifting out rocks to treat around corals as required for the first few ____________, whatever is needed. try not to stock with a ton of rock too quickly, gets harder to guide with more area due.

ideally we work up to our ideal group B rock levels, in large tanks its best not to pack them in right up front, due to the rule of hand guiding and earning our cruise control option vs starting with it. every invaded aquarium ever posted on the internet came from a hands off method, we couldn't be more opposite if we tried.

every step listed in this post is the ordered way we manage and boost quality for group B rocks as they are hand guided into what we demand from them. The best way to sum up the old method of reefing was assemble a giant reef, sit back and see what happens, add some stuff to the water to guide and cross your fingers.

we can attain parts of that sequence in fair order without cost or risk; all the busier stuff lessens in time and rocks full of coralline and coral run themselves but it takes a while to get that way, and we must clear the natural algae that try to outcompete simply because they're as legit on a reef as any nudibranch.

I would absolutely love to know, however, the nitrate and phosphate readings of your natural reef water on a hobby test kit, that would be amazing for sure to log. that would be neat to see how your immediate environment regulates dissolved waste, because that environment for sure grows mass algae to feed millions of fish and grazers. I bet the water tests pretty clean, yet algae still grows to feed the tonnage of live animals, that's why it will grow for us predictably here.

 

[stefanm]

100% this is ready as that water clears up for the final time. Ive not personally cycled a tank with marine water before but by rule of microbes it is a darn fast process, and we're seeing just how fast. total fun, these benthic creatures now want the typical reefy waters full of natural feed, good lights and water etc.


*I want to predict some hand guiding due soon

with these powerful waters, and inherent light bioloading, comes a contribution to your tanks bioloading just like live rock is a minor contribution (and they don't always nitrify in opposition as stated commonly either)

this light contribution bioloading from the animals, suspended animals, rock systems, and upcoming lighting equals algae and nothing is wrong with your tank when that happens, we're predicting it right now



when we first see algae, that's a decision point. every algae invaded reef Ive ever collected in threads, about ten thousand, chose not to without hesitation kill that algae during that critical juncture, so lets choose opposite. im expecting you to have to hand guide, hand garden, lift our rocks even commonly to clean under them and spot kill algae off them using direct peroxide outside the tank when the algae comes in a few weeks or days after lighting begins.

this hand guiding lessens as we find balances in your tank over time and with refreshing water changes, if we are a bit busier, vs hands off, on these initial months you are doing whats required to build a 10+ year system because we're not storing up wastes, filth, since we're busy cleaning and changing initially and we aren't allowing early predicted invaders to take over, in a system where you cant install a parrotfish to eat all algae and the rocks too, HAHA

the algae isn't bad, its due to no turtles and fish biting it all off in force, that's why we make an accessible scape, so you can part it out and guide it. don't pack a rock wall first go, trick of the millennia./

*important theme: we've not began testing for much at all so far, ammonia, salt levels and temp for a very good reason: the tank is too early for coral command of ions, so all that's left to be testing and tinkering and learning hesitations over would be the dreaded nitrate and phosphate tests that rule this hobby unfairly

we've been discussing things you can clearly see here, dirt....silt...clouding things in a tank where no surface should cloud when disturbed (all sand pre rinsed before use for strategic reasons, ideally but not required)

by knowing that your system can't harbor waste, detritus, because you have the attribute of being busy vs hands off up front, and because you've created an accessible aquascape for reasons of strategy, we aren't going to need to be testing for the derivatives of detritus left in a tank to rot.


we haven't packed in fish for a reason, we're rock and water and little animal heavy for a reason

the reason is known hand guiding of algae, we need clear real estate for the intial guides. the time you begin adding more hefty/ $ coral investments is after a few weeks or even a couple months as your hand guiding lessens and you find the natural balances of light and things/feeding that makes you work less for algae control.


how polar opposite is that temper, compared to the common human nature of stock fast (we cycle fast here, but don't stock fast, a clear distinction) and be hands off, and allow algae, and claim its best to leave it alone, we're literally doing step by step opposite leading behaviors Ive collected in hundreds and hundreds of only algae tank corrections, only you get to lead with that. Im working in preemptive hindsight here with you how funny Stefan.

yes algae are normal and are explained here and will arise even in a clean tank, where you shine light on something oceanic

but since they're tank wreckers, we're reacting to the worst case scenario. if algae turns out to not be a big deal in your tank, allow it 3 years from now.


in the beginning, assume its not ok, and act accordingly. be the safe zone and the busy zone up front, preemptive guiding, its vitally important in large tanks vs tiny ones


I could pack my pico to the hilt and still take it all apart in ten mins....not so with a large tank, we plan carefully off the priors of our posted invaded friends. the more accessible your system is in parts, all the way down to the sand, the more you have the ability to guarantee yourself no form of predicted reef invader could take over.


your water provides dinoflagellates, cyano, all kinds of possible invasions since in the wild there's a grazer match for each one. your grazer match for ALL is a bottle of peroxide, a modular aquascape, and the back breaking regularity of lifting out rocks to treat around corals as required for the first few ____________, whatever is needed. try not to stock with a ton of rock too quickly, gets harder to guide with more area due.

ideally we work up to our ideal group B rock levels, in large tanks its best not to pack them in right up front, due to the rule of hand guiding and earning our cruise control option vs starting with it. every invaded aquarium ever posted on the internet came from a hands off method, we couldn't be more opposite if we tried.

every step listed in this post is the ordered way we manage and boost quality for group B rocks as they are hand guided into what we demand from them. The best way to sum up the old method of reefing was assemble a giant reef, sit back and see what happens, add some stuff to the water to guide and cross your fingers.

we can attain parts of that sequence in fair order without cost or risk; all the busier stuff lessens in time and rocks full of coralline and coral run themselves but it takes a while to get that way, and we must clear the natural algae that try to outcompete simply because they're as legit on a reef as any nudibranch.

I would absolutely love to know, however, the nitrate and phosphate readings of your natural reef water on a hobby test kit, that would be amazing for sure to log. that would be neat to see how your immediate environment regulates dissolved waste, because that environment for sure grows mass algae to feed millions of fish and grazers. I bet the water tests pretty clean, yet algae still grows to feed the tonnage of live animals, that's why it will grow for us predictably here.

Update, my light controller caught fire on Thursday, probable cause was a generic Chinese button battery, I replaced it earlier, so I'm still without lights until the morning.

Anyways I can installed a filter sock on Thursday morning, within 24 hours the water was crystal clear, the sea hare is doing a wonderful job of consuming algae, seems to have doubled in size.

Today I changed out the prawn, it actually disintegrated, half of it ended up in the sump, after that I refitted the filter sock, I'll remove that in the morning, I'm still running the skimmer. I did add 1 litre of matrix on Friday, that'll be used for quarantining the fishes. Hopefully I'll be getting some livestock shortly, just awaiting the chiller coil.

Finally I collected some more sea water, I just changed out 50 litres, I have another 50 litres which I'll change either tomorrow (actually today it's 2 a.m. Here) or on Monday.

I want to try and get one side of the turf scrubber illuminated this coming week, I'll be working from home mostly for the next two weeks, so hopefully can squeeze in the time to get the tank with inhabitants.

The cycle is definitely complete...

 

[prototypetank]

Hello everyone. This is my first tank, ever.
No prior experience.

29 biocube
100 watt heater
230gph return pump
20# tonga/bio rock
20# caribsea special grade arag-alive live reef sand

Approximately half of the water is from a friend's established tank and the rest is coral pro salt/rodi water mix from lfs, live rock and filter floss in middle chamber. It is now day 23, I have tested the water using an API ammonia kit only since I stumbled upon this thread for the last few days. I have intentions of purchasing a salifert test kit this week to reference and verify readings. The lights have been off, I haven't disturbed anything since setting it up. There is life in my tank, I spotted a worm in the tonga and small bugs in the sand bed. Am I on the right track? should I be concerned about cleaning the tank yet? Since this is my first tank should I just play it safe and wait at least 30-40 days before stocking? I apologize in advance if this is placed on the wrong thread.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Sounds like you are on track. If you wait a couple more weeks you can be certain without relying on possible test error.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Also, the longer you wait the more mature the system will be with those worms and pods. I do not know about you, but for me, the tiny critters we discover are as exciting as any other life we intentionally put in our tanks.

 

[prototypetank]

Sounds like you are on track. If you wait a couple more weeks you can be certain without relying on possible test error.

I really appreciate the feedback being brand new to the hobby and working through the learning curve. Thank you for the affirmation.

 

[prototypetank]

Also, the longer you wait the more mature the system will be with those worms and pods. I do not know about you, but for me, the tiny critters we discover are as exciting as any other life we intentionally put in our tanks.

I agree once again, I had to check twice the first time I spotted a worm in the rocks.

 

[infinite0180]

Hello, i am cycling my first reef tank with type A rock. It is the "life rock" by caribsea, i also used caribsea live sand (i did not rinse it because i had not see this thread and did not know). I added 2 ppm ammonia and a bottle of biospira booster a few days ago. Everything should be moving along nicely at this piont. My only question is this: my salinity is a bit on the low side, its a 1.020 and has been since i filled the tank. The plan was to bring it up to about 1.025 but i forgot to do it before adding the booster. At this piont should i slowly bring the salinity up on a dialy basis or is it safe to add enough salt in one shot to achieve 1.025? My tank has had water since saturday and had reached 78 degrees by sunday afternoon. Monday evening i added the ammonia then monday night i added the booster. I have been testing ammonia with API (which now i know does not mean much) and it appears that ammonia is slowly being digested. I plan to wait a full 2 weeks then confirm via ammonia digestion with a 2nd testing kit to verify... Thank you!

 

[brandon429]

thanks tons for posting and very nice to meet you! I happen to be cycling a new freshwater/all type A décor tank...oh the joys of this wait ~

my cycle is going horrible by the way, admitted, and yours will work out very smoothly (I rushed fish/sure fire way to get cycling A headaches) as no form of basic salinity adjustments will affect those bacteria.


I thought about our cycling thread here two weeks ago when in petsmart buying bottled bac... it said on the label for both fresh and saltwater and that's a direct tie into your salinity adjustments required. Even for the old school type of cycle where we simply fill with water and wait a long time (the 80's) the natural world still seeds the right bacteria where they need to be, and nowadays they've condensed that array into bottles conveniently and despite ending salinity differences the result is the same-where water + surface area is added / filtration system follows, your salinity adjustment could stand to be much worse and it still wouldn't kill them.

I found a new way to hassle any type of group A cycle which we've claimed to be bulletproof so far - run the cycle in an upright column tank atypical shape where circulation and oxygen are challenged at depth. then things get cloudy when they shouldn't lol and it all feels like starting from square one. I thought a huge column tank would look sick, it sure does look sick lol. having to buy better filters for better circulation/side challenge. within a week or two my clouding should lessen/stop but what a headache so far. Im doing large water change CPR to keep it alive, that's what I deserve for rush stocking a bunch of neons. a lot of neons heh.

 

[infinite0180]

Excellent! I was hoping to get a response from you! I will bring my salinity up to 1.025 tonight then without worry. I apologize if this has already been answered here, i just stumbled upon this thread this morning and have only been able to read the first page or two! I plan on reading through it as time permits though. I am very excited about my first tank! This has been a long time in the making and i finally made it happen! Now i must practice patients so i dont mess it up! Good luck with your new tank! I will also be reading up on as much of the other threads here about maintance and cleaning as well. From the little bit of reading i have done on this thread i like the ideaology of your approach to a clean healthy reef! Thank you! Please let me know if there are any threads you deem important for me to read about maintance and cleaning!

 

[brandon429]

Right now as we speak I have dual private messages going on full new tank setups to the tune of ten pages combined all fresh information for the aquarists and I to exchange...this is my current summary of those works just to add my opinion on ideal starts:

-For the first three to five months, do only this hand cleaned approach to reefing below then if someone feels ready to begin the customization adventure (and undertake the various challenges/benefits it brings) then start making changes to the approach only after a few months. These early months get you closer to your reef than ever, the rest of the time people drift away and into automations, and then algae invasion help threads.

We begin opposite that way we learn to fix algae issue tanks, not become them.


If you stay close to your rocks, accessing them and lifting them out for spot cleaning along the way, you learn about potentiation unique to your reef and imports, how algae grows for you and then is beaten, many more takeaways. Make an accessible aquascape #1 and model your own algae curing (peroxide cheat readup) during early phases then go all fancy later. You'll not be reliant on automations this way. I'm not. Algae is def coming, you'll have practice killing it by design. Before you spend big, youll have already won and fought mini battles in your tank

See how that's a stepped approach, to incrementally move up? Decent plan eh we built ten thousand pico reefs this way.

Once you have manual control and know how to effect it upon command, then buy gadgets and testers upgraded and stack in rocks in later months so your water change work lessens. We r a measured start, heavy on coral and rocks, heavy on water changes, accurate feeders of quality coral food, and zero on fish at the start. All for specific reasons... fallow included, algae controls included and factored, coral health factored, this is part of a highly repeatable way to reef.


3-5 months after known cycling completion, the only test kits I care about knowing are salinity and temp. We don't test for nor react to nutrients in the first few months. We overdo cleaning work during this time, prepping your tank for aging later steps.

Value the + work that is predicted, and comes with the first 3-5 months. Don't set cruise control, low work mode till you are practiced hand gardener. Nothing we do in early phases is test param reaction guided, it's visual guided and proactive, we clean out accumulations we can -see- in the tank, not an invisible param. This saves you from parameter chasing. For seventeen years now all I own is temp and salinity. I keep a clean reef.

We eliminate things that cause clouding as we work assertively to keep the tank clean early on, not hands off in the beginning. (sand bed pre rinse and rock curing rinses) this is so that if clouding occurs, we know it's biological in origin and can then locate/correct it. Nearly all clouding in a new reef tank is not biological, eliminate that possibility with clean prep.

You won't need nitrate and phosphate testing of the tank for our graduation period...it's a no fish time but a time of feeding, coral stocking and water changes... tank N and P will be managed by not storing up waste in the new tank. Test your topoff water to ensure zero ro/di outputs.


Lighting is 9 hour max photoperiod ramp it anyway you want, nine max

After tank cycles and meets submersion + booster timeframes, then add some starter corals up under some quality lighting


Don't add different feeds just yet, stay simple and this is my preferred order of feeding options first 3-5 months on a new setup: reef nutrition roti feast and Roe eggs are my top recommends, if those aren't available (I have international friends who can't get those) then soft Lps feeding pellets are ok, as we spot feed corals a few times a week and change water assertively weekly for as long as you can stand it.

We are keeping a known nutrient profile in the new tank by selecting feeds that aren't overpowered like some powdered forms can be (algae issues) and we have an open accessible scape where early predicted algae growths are simply raised up and killed off the rock. You choose what stays, the rock chooses what to offer. Key key key key key detail here. All my tank correction threads are attempts to impart that mentality to the invaded. Accept no invaders unless you are willing to risk the $ and time. Our way protects your dollars and time, its reliable such that we can grow sps in jars or cups so any normal sized tank is a breeze when under full manual control technique.

I know the temptation to add fish

Resist

Follow humblefishs thread on Fallow disease prevention It's in the fish forum here

By the time you use my method to bring your tank up to the beginning point of fallow, you'll have a nice looking, clean uninvaded reef that you can intuit/know how it's doing, and you'll have some nice behaving well fed and colored corals for you to stare at for 76 days as you await being able to get fish

To recap, it's cycle completion, hand gardening with corals and perhaps some clean up crew members that's fine, lots of lifting up rocks and killing off early algae, a sandbed that cannot cloud, then after the first couple months including corals and practice feeding and water changes you stop adding items and begin the 76 day wait (fallow period) for fish. At the end of 76 days, get some fish that have passed quarantine. It will make sense when you read the fallow threads. Yes you still change water and feed the tank and snails, but you don't add any more animals or hardscape items for 76 days as this starves off fish diseases. Your fish will be much stronger using this form of patience and your tank will too.

Using fish too early is massive fuel for invasion issues. I'm aware that not everyone agrees with my reversals here...I simply use this method for its repeatability. When asked to comment on someone's new tank I specifically list the items and actions that keep my tank alive and uninvaded, I trust no other method for my reefbowl. Never. The reefbowl is solid coral and coralline and zero algae work, it's on cruise control until a nerf takes it out but for the first few -years- I was really assertive with it during guiding. Algae was burned, scraped and just killed (my YouTube vids show) not coaxed waited out and now I do nothing but clip out corals to make room for other clips. Zero invasion possible, only good DNA is allowed. Work, not luck got me there and it's repeatable in person or transmitted by type here.

The number one thing I have to add is that 100% of algae invaded, about to lose a 5$K investment threads began and still run opposite of internal locus of control reefing.... Who's the crazy one? ~

Some aspect of our reef engrams/engrained training involves seeing algae begin but then sitting right there and watching it take over using only indirect means and a lot of finger crossing and hopes. Hopefully we come off as totally opposite in every way to that style of reefing. I for one do not have one single more dollar I'm willing to lose from my reef, it must all do as commanded from now on there aren't any other options biologically speaking because I can't afford the type of reefing where the tank dictates what it will grow or not. even if it was affordable, who wants to get fifty months into an awesome setup and lose it to cyano or gha invasions...everything we do leading up to month 50 and well beyond in some cases was designed to give you the final say, not the tank. I dont know how to attain that through automation, but we know darn sure how to attain it through work.

B