The microbiology of reef tank cycling.
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Kennya
Valuable Member
Hi there from the UK, new to the forum and getting back into reefing after an 8ish year hiatus. Had to stop as the upkeep of a 35litre tank became impossible with a new job that meant prolonged periods away. Now self-employed and work from home 
Wish I’d found this article 3 weeks ago. Two points really, the fact that you don’t need to consistently feed bacteria and coral first.
So my new tank has a 128litre net volume, including sump.
I’m on day 17 of cycling.
It was set up with live sand (no I didn’t wash it) and real reef rock.
Lights off (some natural daylight) skimmer off
I added Dr Tim’s and 2.0ppm of ammonia. Day 1 01 Aug
I monitored and by 9Aug ammonia had dropped to 0.2ppm (Red Sea test kit) I added 2.0ppm ammonia.
I was also monitoring nitrite but will leave this out so not to offend. stopped monitoring now.
11Aug ammonia was at 0.1ppm and 0ppm on 12Aug.
I redosed ammonia to 2.0ppm on the 13Aug and by 15Aug it was 0
Dosing again on 15Aug to 2.0ppm and following day ammonia at 0.1ppm
Would seem that it’s close to cycled but not quite yet?
So do I just leave it alone now for a few days or a week and dose again at 2.0ppm to see if it can process in 24hrs or just wait for the 30days immersion and try. I’m in no rush. Carrying on dosing 2.0ppm every couple of days like I have just been doing seems a bit pointless from the info in this thread and is only building up nitrates?
Once cycled I’m going to do as big a water change as possible, at least 50% but will try and do more. How long can the rock stay out of water for, seems like 45min from what I’ve seen here. Reason for asking is that I could probably change the entire tank volume but may take 24hrs due to ability to store water. So considering emptying tank then refilling to about half full (this would see at least 80% or so of the rock covered) and then finish filling day after?
As I didn’t wash the sand, when emptying the tank I was going to stir up the sand and suck out as much cloudiness that appears as possible. Assume that bacteria will be ok as it should be attached to the gravel?
Corals first and a few CUC, absolutely the way I want to go. 1. Not quite sure if I’ll keep fish yet and 2. it seems to me that creating the complete aquascape first, position the corals, repositioning the corals, altering the flow etc is better done without fish in and if/when introduced they have a more natural environment than just some bare rock.
Hope above is of interest no doubt I’ll have more questions as I go. Feel free to fire back Q’s or if there’s any more info you want.
Wish I’d found this article 3 weeks ago. Two points really, the fact that you don’t need to consistently feed bacteria and coral first.
So my new tank has a 128litre net volume, including sump.
I’m on day 17 of cycling.
It was set up with live sand (no I didn’t wash it) and real reef rock.
Lights off (some natural daylight) skimmer off
I added Dr Tim’s and 2.0ppm of ammonia. Day 1 01 Aug
I monitored and by 9Aug ammonia had dropped to 0.2ppm (Red Sea test kit) I added 2.0ppm ammonia.
I was also monitoring nitrite but will leave this out so not to offend
. stopped monitoring now.11Aug ammonia was at 0.1ppm and 0ppm on 12Aug.
I redosed ammonia to 2.0ppm on the 13Aug and by 15Aug it was 0
Dosing again on 15Aug to 2.0ppm and following day ammonia at 0.1ppm
Would seem that it’s close to cycled but not quite yet?
So do I just leave it alone now for a few days or a week and dose again at 2.0ppm to see if it can process in 24hrs or just wait for the 30days immersion and try. I’m in no rush. Carrying on dosing 2.0ppm every couple of days like I have just been doing seems a bit pointless from the info in this thread and is only building up nitrates?
Once cycled I’m going to do as big a water change as possible, at least 50% but will try and do more. How long can the rock stay out of water for, seems like 45min from what I’ve seen here. Reason for asking is that I could probably change the entire tank volume but may take 24hrs due to ability to store water. So considering emptying tank then refilling to about half full (this would see at least 80% or so of the rock covered) and then finish filling day after?
As I didn’t wash the sand, when emptying the tank I was going to stir up the sand and suck out as much cloudiness that appears as possible. Assume that bacteria will be ok as it should be attached to the gravel?
Corals first and a few CUC, absolutely the way I want to go. 1. Not quite sure if I’ll keep fish yet and 2. it seems to me that creating the complete aquascape first, position the corals, repositioning the corals, altering the flow etc is better done without fish in and if/when introduced they have a more natural environment than just some bare rock.
Hope above is of interest no doubt I’ll have more questions as I go. Feel free to fire back Q’s or if there’s any more info you want.
OP
OP
Thank you for posting! Those painted nitrifier rocks / liferocks cycle after two weeks underwater, handy trick. What the wastewater reads after dosing ammonia won’t matter, I’m 100% certain your tank is cycled but the test has to be arranged differently for proof.
However long you leave it further stewing with the ammonia metabolites in the system, regardless of their levels, won’t impact the surfaces which have basic bioslicks by now since all seeding was painted into place. It’s not harmful to continue nor is it harmful to change out all the water and put in some basic corals it’s ready.
This way below is predicted to show full cycling, any other mode is wastewater testing which is subject to cross reading, adulteration shift etc. and then many readings are correct... it’s that they’re intermixed with incorrect reading/technique so we needed a way to calibrate a cheap ammonia test for proofing for everyone. Only works on smaller tanks, requires massive water change
Anyone owning a seneye could run this in the waste water and it would pass.
Two options exist specifically for your tank:
1. Wait till metabolite mix stabilizes. Given time any amount will stabilize. We’re trying to build bioslicks here, fast, and overloaded wastewater above bioslicks is no measure of what they can do with a clean water table + controlled initial dose. They will however eventually scrub all things into order given time and tester luck.
or
2. Empty the tank and refill with new water. Wait 24 hours, test water ammonia and that color indication (take pics pls we want the progression logged) means zero. The reason for the full wc is for the keeper to attain what they believe is a guaranteed zero ammonia state, then whatever reading or slight the test kit throws out, we know calibrates to zero. Next step is dose 1/8th the normal amount of ammonia dr Tim’s AC you’d normally dose. Under do
Test and see if that raises free ammonia one detectable hue of change. You aren’t driving to 2 ppm bc these testers can’t consistently handle the readouts from that, not that 2 ppm true isn’t easily fixed by bioslicks it’s just too much starting ammonia for today’s titration quality assurance. You dose an increment for this calibrated test that brings your true zero color up one hint of green, tiniest change, and stop.
Take pic
In another 24 hours that ammonia will be back to calibrated zero, and then .25-.5 on anyone else’s test of the wastewater. From the rest of the biology we know the nitrites and nitrates follow in the order google cycling charts show, and whatever our testers happens to read may or may not coincide
Lastly, the final biological proof that time underwater is all we need to know to cycle a reef, and cycle boosters used (yours were painted) is that instead of adding re-test ammonia on step two, you could substitute with a fish and it would live.
The control proof is any dry box of rocks that sat two weeks unassisted couldn’t support a fish it would go cloudy overnite if it was a smaller reef with no cheat dilution. Yours can develop bioslicks that fast due to engineered painted bac that didn’t even require ammonia but relished it when they got some. And quadrupled
However long you leave it further stewing with the ammonia metabolites in the system, regardless of their levels, won’t impact the surfaces which have basic bioslicks by now since all seeding was painted into place. It’s not harmful to continue nor is it harmful to change out all the water and put in some basic corals it’s ready.
This way below is predicted to show full cycling, any other mode is wastewater testing which is subject to cross reading, adulteration shift etc. and then many readings are correct... it’s that they’re intermixed with incorrect reading/technique so we needed a way to calibrate a cheap ammonia test for proofing for everyone. Only works on smaller tanks, requires massive water change
Anyone owning a seneye could run this in the waste water and it would pass.
Two options exist specifically for your tank:
1. Wait till metabolite mix stabilizes. Given time any amount will stabilize. We’re trying to build bioslicks here, fast, and overloaded wastewater above bioslicks is no measure of what they can do with a clean water table + controlled initial dose. They will however eventually scrub all things into order given time and tester luck.
or
2. Empty the tank and refill with new water. Wait 24 hours, test water ammonia and that color indication (take pics pls
we want the progression logged) means zero. The reason for the full wc is for the keeper to attain what they believe is a guaranteed zero ammonia state, then whatever reading or slight the test kit throws out, we know calibrates to zero. Next step is dose 1/8th the normal amount of ammonia dr Tim’s AC you’d normally dose. Under doTest and see if that raises free ammonia one detectable hue of change. You aren’t driving to 2 ppm bc these testers can’t consistently handle the readouts from that, not that 2 ppm true isn’t easily fixed by bioslicks it’s just too much starting ammonia for today’s titration quality assurance. You dose an increment for this calibrated test that brings your true zero color up one hint of green, tiniest change, and stop.
Take pic
In another 24 hours that ammonia will be back to calibrated zero, and then .25-.5 on anyone else’s test of the wastewater. From the rest of the biology we know the nitrites and nitrates follow in the order google cycling charts show, and whatever our testers happens to read may or may not coincide
Lastly, the final biological proof that time underwater is all we need to know to cycle a reef, and cycle boosters used (yours were painted) is that instead of adding re-test ammonia on step two, you could substitute with a fish and it would live.
The control proof is any dry box of rocks that sat two weeks unassisted couldn’t support a fish it would go cloudy overnite if it was a smaller reef with no cheat dilution. Yours can develop bioslicks that fast due to engineered painted bac that didn’t even require ammonia but relished it when they got some. And quadrupled
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Kennya
Valuable Member
Thank you for posting! Those painted nitrifier rocks / liferocks cycle after two weeks underwater, handy trick. What the wastewater reads after dosing ammonia won’t matter, I’m 100% certain your tank is cycled but the test has to be arranged differently for proof.
However long you leave it further stewing with the ammonia metabolites in the system, regardless of their levels, won’t impact the surfaces which have basic bioslicks by now since all seeding was painted into place. It’s not harmful to continue nor is it harmful to change out all the water and put in some basic corals it’s ready.
This way below is predicted to show full cycling, any other mode is wastewater testing which is subject to cross reading, adulteration shift etc. and then many readings are correct... it’s that they’re intermixed with incorrect reading/technique so we needed a way to calibrate a cheap ammonia test for proofing for everyone. Only works on smaller tanks, requires massive water change
Anyone owning a seneye could run this in the waste water and it would pass.
Two options exist specifically for your tank:
1. Wait till metabolite mix stabilizes. Given time any amount will stabilize. We’re trying to build bioslicks here, fast, and overloaded wastewater above bioslicks is no measure of what they can do with a clean water table + controlled initial dose. They will however eventually scrub all things into order given time and tester luck.
or
2. Empty the tank and refill with new water. Wait 24 hours, test water ammonia and that color indication (take pics pls
Test and see if that raises free ammonia one detectable hue of change. You aren’t driving to 2 ppm bc these testers can’t consistently handle the readouts from that, not that 2 ppm true isn’t easily fixed by bioslicks it’s just too much starting ammonia for today’s titration quality assurance. You dose an increment for this calibrated test that brings your true zero color up one hint of green, tiniest change, and stop.
Take pic
In another 24 hours that ammonia will be back to calibrated zero, and then .25-.5 on anyone else’s test of the wastewater. From the rest of the biology we know the nitrites and nitrates follow in the order google cycling charts show, and whatever our testers happens to read may or may not coincide
Lastly, the final biological proof that time underwater is all we need to know to cycle a reef, and cycle boosters used (yours were painted) is that instead of adding re-test ammonia on step two, you could substitute with a fish and it would live.
The control proof is any dry box of rocks that sat two weeks unassisted couldn’t support a fish it would go cloudy overnite if it was a smaller reef with no cheat dilution. Yours can develop bioslicks that fast due to engineered painted bac that didn’t even require ammonia but relished it when they got some. And quadrupled
Thanks for the fast response. I’ll start prepping for a full water change and post back with pics when done the tests
OP
OP
Nice
The sand bacteria are incidental, they do not factor. What you do to sand is for aesthetics and however you like the silt component
It only seems they would matter to the biofilter, but they don’t. The microbiology behind that fact is that in any running reef here, we can go in and remove their whole sandbed instantly even after years running, and the surface area of the live rock is still in excess of what the fish require to have zero continual ammonia. In any reef, remove 1/2 current surface area, keep same bioload, system still runs zero ammonia. The exact opposite of what the masses think about reef filtration bacteria is the truth regarding sandbed bac
There is no ramp down time needed, that’s false microbiology. Sandbed bacteria don’t matter bc we all use excess surface area compounded live rock... that’s how we successfully run instant bed removals washes and rinses in the sand rinse thread. We know their live rock is always going to be enough
A failed option #2 prediction above is specifically no color change on the barely green way under 1 ppm redose test within 24 hours after 17 days submerged with boosted bac. Calibrated ammonia behavior is the sole indicator of bac presence and it’s reliable, I’ll believe calibrated api.
The sand bacteria are incidental, they do not factor. What you do to sand is for aesthetics and however you like the silt component
It only seems they would matter to the biofilter, but they don’t. The microbiology behind that fact is that in any running reef here, we can go in and remove their whole sandbed instantly even after years running, and the surface area of the live rock is still in excess of what the fish require to have zero continual ammonia. In any reef, remove 1/2 current surface area, keep same bioload, system still runs zero ammonia. The exact opposite of what the masses think about reef filtration bacteria is the truth regarding sandbed bac
There is no ramp down time needed, that’s false microbiology. Sandbed bacteria don’t matter bc we all use excess surface area compounded live rock... that’s how we successfully run instant bed removals washes and rinses in the sand rinse thread. We know their live rock is always going to be enough
A failed option #2 prediction above is specifically no color change on the barely green way under 1 ppm redose test within 24 hours after 17 days submerged with boosted bac. Calibrated ammonia behavior is the sole indicator of bac presence and it’s reliable, I’ll believe calibrated api.
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Set this up yesterday. 80lbs of live sand, 40lbs dry base rock, and 50lbs of fresh live rock out fish guys display tank. Seen some worms, snails, small star fish, etc... assuming I’m good to go and start adding live stock?
OP
OP
Yes agreed, that’s the worlds fastest no cycle call. Based on description and pigmentation seen in the pics, fifty pounds of clean live rock moved over runs any bioload an aquarium will ever see. The status of the dry rock portion doesn’t matter, as long as it’s not curing jerky and leaking ammonia in addition to a planned bioload
Any fish should be added after choices are made regarding quarantine, fallow period for the main tank before fish etc
Since I follow humblefishs protocol, I’d be decking that out with five hundred bucks of coral frags and neat clean up crews long before fish, beginning the interactions of the matured reef since you moved over matured filtration substrate / rocks
I would stock where it's not boring, then complete the 76 day fallow and only introduce qt guaranteed fish. If you had another tank of fish to xfer over for some reason, already ready, yes the 50# can handle that. Excellent post thank you. Pls post us some follow up pics so we can chart maturation there
The wet sand also provided enough bac to handle a bioload on its own
Any fish should be added after choices are made regarding quarantine, fallow period for the main tank before fish etc
Since I follow humblefishs protocol, I’d be decking that out with five hundred bucks of coral frags and neat clean up crews long before fish, beginning the interactions of the matured reef since you moved over matured filtration substrate / rocks
I would stock where it's not boring, then complete the 76 day fallow and only introduce qt guaranteed fish. If you had another tank of fish to xfer over for some reason, already ready, yes the 50# can handle that. Excellent post thank you. Pls post us some follow up pics so we can chart maturation there
The wet sand also provided enough bac to handle a bioload on its own
waiting for my lighting and additional power heads to arrive tomorrow and then will be adding another 20-40lbs of live rock with coral colonies already attached. Probably throw in just clown fish for the kids or do you think that would be bad idea? All of this is coming out of the same established tank at the fish guys house.
OP
OP
It’s fine it will transfer. The number one thing to ensure a safe substrate transfer in any setting is to clean the rock of detritus before putting it into your tank
As long as no rock is able to be shaken mid water and cast off a waste cloud, they can be moved and even air emersed a long time without harm. I have a vid of me draining my whole reef for half an hour, 13 yr corals included.
There are ways to mess up a substrate transfer but I struggle to think of any beyond detritus non transfer. Upwelling a bunch of half rotten proteins can sometimes stress new setups. We are working with pretty well established procedure for substrate transfer, here’s 25 pages and the sole thing we do is avoid transferring detritus. We could rip the sandbed out of anyone’s 20 yr reef instantly in that thread, leaving only the rock with no ramp down time and no detritus upon re setup, and pull off sandbed or substrate transfer in any combination we like, no bottle bac required.
www.reef2reef.com
We never boost bac where we know they already exist, no retail purchases here
free science is occurring
we just move clean old reef stuff over and it works every single time always
both threads we don’t use reef testers. In every single case ammonia is predicted beforehand and it complies. It is not needed to own nitrite or ammonia tests in reefing, but people still do. I think they misread for the low level persistent reading too much to be great for mass study of what bacteria really do. Seneye owners know what’s really going on with nitrifiers. Nitrifiers scrub every bit of tenths and hundredths-level ppm ammonia and they never, ever leave .25 behind. Barring medication events, sustained .25 ammonia does not occur in reefing though stated readouts for it are routinely accepted as some form of lack of bacteria proof. It doesn’t occur. A seneye user will post when it does and there are thousands of seneye setups running now. Old school bac claims about to get reinforced
As long as no rock is able to be shaken mid water and cast off a waste cloud, they can be moved and even air emersed a long time without harm. I have a vid of me draining my whole reef for half an hour, 13 yr corals included.
There are ways to mess up a substrate transfer but I struggle to think of any beyond detritus non transfer. Upwelling a bunch of half rotten proteins can sometimes stress new setups. We are working with pretty well established procedure for substrate transfer, here’s 25 pages and the sole thing we do is avoid transferring detritus. We could rip the sandbed out of anyone’s 20 yr reef instantly in that thread, leaving only the rock with no ramp down time and no detritus upon re setup, and pull off sandbed or substrate transfer in any combination we like, no bottle bac required.
Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread
If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...
www.reef2reef.com
free science is occurring
we just move clean old reef stuff over and it works every single time always
both threads we don’t use reef testers. In every single case ammonia is predicted beforehand and it complies. It is not needed to own nitrite or ammonia tests in reefing, but people still do. I think they misread for the low level persistent reading too much to be great for mass study of what bacteria really do. Seneye owners know what’s really going on with nitrifiers. Nitrifiers scrub every bit of tenths and hundredths-level ppm ammonia and they never, ever leave .25 behind. Barring medication events, sustained .25 ammonia does not occur in reefing though stated readouts for it are routinely accepted as some form of lack of bacteria proof. It doesn’t occur. A seneye user will post when it does and there are thousands of seneye setups running now. Old school bac claims about to get reinforced
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Kennya
Valuable Member
Thank you for posting! Those painted nitrifier rocks / liferocks cycle after two weeks underwater, handy trick. What the wastewater reads after dosing ammonia won’t matter, I’m 100% certain your tank is cycled but the test has to be arranged differently for proof.
However long you leave it further stewing with the ammonia metabolites in the system, regardless of their levels, won’t impact the surfaces which have basic bioslicks by now since all seeding was painted into place. It’s not harmful to continue nor is it harmful to change out all the water and put in some basic corals it’s ready.
This way below is predicted to show full cycling, any other mode is wastewater testing which is subject to cross reading, adulteration shift etc. and then many readings are correct... it’s that they’re intermixed with incorrect reading/technique so we needed a way to calibrate a cheap ammonia test for proofing for everyone. Only works on smaller tanks, requires massive water change
Anyone owning a seneye could run this in the waste water and it would pass.
Two options exist specifically for your tank:
1. Wait till metabolite mix stabilizes. Given time any amount will stabilize. We’re trying to build bioslicks here, fast, and overloaded wastewater above bioslicks is no measure of what they can do with a clean water table + controlled initial dose. They will however eventually scrub all things into order given time and tester luck.
or
2. Empty the tank and refill with new water. Wait 24 hours, test water ammonia and that color indication (take pics pls
Test and see if that raises free ammonia one detectable hue of change. You aren’t driving to 2 ppm bc these testers can’t consistently handle the readouts from that, not that 2 ppm true isn’t easily fixed by bioslicks it’s just too much starting ammonia for today’s titration quality assurance. You dose an increment for this calibrated test that brings your true zero color up one hint of green, tiniest change, and stop.
Take pic
In another 24 hours that ammonia will be back to calibrated zero, and then .25-.5 on anyone else’s test of the wastewater. From the rest of the biology we know the nitrites and nitrates follow in the order google cycling charts show, and whatever our testers happens to read may or may not coincide
Lastly, the final biological proof that time underwater is all we need to know to cycle a reef, and cycle boosters used (yours were painted) is that instead of adding re-test ammonia on step two, you could substitute with a fish and it would live.
The control proof is any dry box of rocks that sat two weeks unassisted couldn’t support a fish it would go cloudy overnite if it was a smaller reef with no cheat dilution. Yours can develop bioslicks that fast due to engineered painted bac that didn’t even require ammonia but relished it when they got some. And quadrupled
Ok so full water change done - (well 98% water changed). Ammonia tested and showed zero, 10 drops ammonia added (around 1/13th of full dose) and retested, very slight colour change hardly perceptible but there - pictures below.
So in 24 hrs time I re-dose to 1ppm and test 24hrs later and record drop, or have i missed something?
OP
OP
although its very hard to tell the up dose change I can see it, you did the bare increment. now we wait to see if that right hand color goes back down to the left side reference by end of day. 12 hours should be enough, its really tricky to tell the color differences but you've done it right so far.
if its hard to discern any changes then we can redo again and dose just a little more ammonia for slightly pronounced color, but I think this looks good.
we want to test 12 or 24 hours later to see if right side color reverts back to left. any movement at all shows bac present
Thank you so much for those calibration test pics K!
if its hard to discern any changes then we can redo again and dose just a little more ammonia for slightly pronounced color, but I think this looks good.
we want to test 12 or 24 hours later to see if right side color reverts back to left. any movement at all shows bac present
Thank you so much for those calibration test pics K!
Kennya
Valuable Member
Got it cheers
OP
OP
Yes!! Happy animals corals open
and if the water smells or goes cloudy for ammonia reasons, the fish will immediately let you know its unmistakable. Mine canaries. They won't be able to breathe correctly if the slightest bit of real, sustained ammonia couldn't be processed by surfaces.
I think if you'll feed easily, make em anticipate and work a bit this coming week, everything seats in nicely. If we go easy on feeding just about a week I like the artistic feel of that final time under heavy feed for the white surfaces to catch up and they're prob fine now but that's my predicted safe mode
You made perfect documentation of a skip cycle aquarium
and if the water smells or goes cloudy for ammonia reasons, the fish will immediately let you know its unmistakable. Mine canaries. They won't be able to breathe correctly if the slightest bit of real, sustained ammonia couldn't be processed by surfaces.
I think if you'll feed easily, make em anticipate and work a bit this coming week, everything seats in nicely. If we go easy on feeding just about a week I like the artistic feel of that final time under heavy feed for the white surfaces to catch up and they're prob fine now but that's my predicted safe mode
You made perfect documentation of a skip cycle aquarium
Kennya
Valuable Member
So here we go, around 15hrs later and I believe its 0 ammonia. Slight difference in background hue due to different time of day but I feel a definite change. Pics below:-
OP
OP
That may be our first clear, excellent pics n follow up calibrated test I can’t thank you enough for posting and following up it’s so helpful
with everything this thread is about I feel ok about your cycle due to oxidation demo and time underwater for those performing substrates, well done
B
with everything this thread is about I feel ok about your cycle due to oxidation demo and time underwater for those performing substrates, well done
B
Kennya
Valuable Member
Thanks for the feedback Brandon, glad to contribute - least I could do.
On trying to absorb the information in all of this thread it would seem the overlying message/s are :-
To take control of and guide your setup, don’t let it control you.
Utilise assertive water changes as an export mechanism and also the opportunity to clean gravel at the same time.
Remove nuisance algae at the first signs.
Plan going forward will be to add a couple of corals, feed a couple of times a week sparingly with pellets and roe eggs (if I can get these). If all going well then slowly increase number of corals over several months and probably add a few CUC (guess if I add these too soon I’ll end up having to feed them?).
Once I’ve got number of corals to pretty much where I want them then observe humblefish’s fallow protocol and slowly start to add fish.
Of course keeping up with tank husbandry throughout
Sounds a reasonable plan?
Thanks, Ken
On trying to absorb the information in all of this thread it would seem the overlying message/s are :-
To take control of and guide your setup, don’t let it control you.
Utilise assertive water changes as an export mechanism and also the opportunity to clean gravel at the same time.
Remove nuisance algae at the first signs.
Plan going forward will be to add a couple of corals, feed a couple of times a week sparingly with pellets and roe eggs (if I can get these). If all going well then slowly increase number of corals over several months and probably add a few CUC (guess if I add these too soon I’ll end up having to feed them?).
Once I’ve got number of corals to pretty much where I want them then observe humblefish’s fallow protocol and slowly start to add fish.
Of course keeping up with tank husbandry throughout
Sounds a reasonable plan?
Thanks, Ken
OP
OP
Yes that truly is my personal take. For any readers who own, or know of a very successful reef ran totally opposite--those are acknowledged ways too.
I think after yapping online these years I've moved away from any claim of a certain way being best and purely into quality control. If I were tasked to produce two hundred reef widgets, I claim that prior summary details how all 200 can turn out to work low to no variation. Uninvaded. Grows coral you have to dremel out vs disease and bleach. Convergent outcome bc we repeat the same steps collectively
This is darn good for coral growth bc we feed these clean systems. It's not OCD cleaning at all, nutrient stripping then bare feeding to avoid re building waste. It's cleaning then purposeful feeding all over again...I'm into cleaning or changing the sandbed occasionally so I can blast feed in high quality feed. I clean deep bc I want to feed thoroughly in a cycle. I find hands on to have a predictable outcome but it's at the cost of innovation, calories burned to cause a compliant reef, and water change money.
Breaking the rules is advised for those who want to forward things
This is in the least a fine way to start. Nobody says we have to be hands on forever, but my way emerged from the prior generation who said you better not hand guide at all or you'll recycle the whole system. We broke their rules.
I like how corals naturally exclude algae with their flesh. Who's bubble coral plerogyra has algae on the flesh part? None.
Skeletal or basal attachment if ever, or a barren septal ridge after injury, but never on the flesh
Same for ricordea. Who has ever seen bryopsis in the mouth of a healthy strong ricordea? Nobody. It attaches where the soft coral flesh is not. So, I like to build up massive healthy corals by feeding, and labor, so my $ has low likelihood of failing. Learn how your lighting intensity, color balance, and tendency to store detritus or not selects for growths in your particular place. Add fish much later is just my opinion since they're algae fertilizers. Like a yard of healthy grass excludes weeds physcially, so does a rock covered in coral flesh. I like to build that early and fast in a new reef
Starting with cured group B rock makes quick corals easier, white dry rock just brought up isn't much of a feed source * but it is an equivalent filter* post 30 days with boosters, so they're useful in moving the group A tanks along nicely after cycling because they'll filter ammonia as you buy Algen charging packs and all sorts of refugium micro critters for the barren group A type tanks. By adding the bagged, wiggling equivalent of group B rocks to group A tanks, you begin to age it quickly with feed diversity. So key in preventing early algae and Dino issues
Key in feeding early corals. In addition to your daily fare, we can drive group A systems into pretty quick maturity by buying the right animals vs waiting for them. Gammarid shrimp packs, micro stars
That method will certainly grow corals in a post cycle group A tank. Group B setups already have feed pumps, but that rock is getting harder to find and shipping it costs too. It's fun to document people who guide group A rocks into group B systems here
I think after yapping online these years I've moved away from any claim of a certain way being best and purely into quality control. If I were tasked to produce two hundred reef widgets, I claim that prior summary details how all 200 can turn out to work low to no variation. Uninvaded. Grows coral you have to dremel out vs disease and bleach. Convergent outcome bc we repeat the same steps collectively
This is darn good for coral growth bc we feed these clean systems. It's not OCD cleaning at all, nutrient stripping then bare feeding to avoid re building waste. It's cleaning then purposeful feeding all over again...I'm into cleaning or changing the sandbed occasionally so I can blast feed in high quality feed. I clean deep bc I want to feed thoroughly in a cycle. I find hands on to have a predictable outcome but it's at the cost of innovation, calories burned to cause a compliant reef, and water change money.
Breaking the rules is advised for those who want to forward things
This is in the least a fine way to start. Nobody says we have to be hands on forever, but my way emerged from the prior generation who said you better not hand guide at all or you'll recycle the whole system. We broke their rules.
I like how corals naturally exclude algae with their flesh. Who's bubble coral plerogyra has algae on the flesh part? None.
Skeletal or basal attachment if ever, or a barren septal ridge after injury, but never on the flesh
Same for ricordea. Who has ever seen bryopsis in the mouth of a healthy strong ricordea? Nobody. It attaches where the soft coral flesh is not. So, I like to build up massive healthy corals by feeding, and labor, so my $ has low likelihood of failing. Learn how your lighting intensity, color balance, and tendency to store detritus or not selects for growths in your particular place. Add fish much later is just my opinion since they're algae fertilizers. Like a yard of healthy grass excludes weeds physcially, so does a rock covered in coral flesh. I like to build that early and fast in a new reef
Starting with cured group B rock makes quick corals easier, white dry rock just brought up isn't much of a feed source * but it is an equivalent filter* post 30 days with boosters, so they're useful in moving the group A tanks along nicely after cycling because they'll filter ammonia as you buy Algen charging packs and all sorts of refugium micro critters for the barren group A type tanks. By adding the bagged, wiggling equivalent of group B rocks to group A tanks, you begin to age it quickly with feed diversity. So key in preventing early algae and Dino issues
Key in feeding early corals. In addition to your daily fare, we can drive group A systems into pretty quick maturity by buying the right animals vs waiting for them. Gammarid shrimp packs, micro stars
That method will certainly grow corals in a post cycle group A tank. Group B setups already have feed pumps, but that rock is getting harder to find and shipping it costs too. It's fun to document people who guide group A rocks into group B systems here
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