Cycled in 2 weeks?

[EricTheRed]

Well, I decided to try a new route with the cycle for my new 75G FO tank. Here's what I did:
50 lbs of DRY/DEAD rock
40 lbs of DRY/DEAD crushed coral substrate
15lbs of LIVE crushed coral
1 tbsp of MB-7 per day (I wanted to seed the bacteria faster.)
1 raw deli shrimp

So, it appears to have cycled in 15 days. I wasn't necessarily expecting a diatom or algae bloom but I was surprised there was no bacterial bloom. The tank looks as good as the day I filled it.

In the past I've used live rock/sand with a few damsels with the typical results. Has anyone else ever gone this route with similar results? I was expecting a long cycle but my assumtion is that the MB-7 really sped it up. Also, I'm perplexed at how clean the tank stayed throughout the cycle...

 

[PSU4ME]

did you see all your parameters spike and go down?

 

[mojoreef]

When you use a product like the one you mentioned all you are doing is adding obligated bacteria that will reduce ammonia to nitrite and then down to nitrate. The Brightwell product also has faculative bacteria which will as an anaerobic zones develop will take down the nitrates. BUT thier are things you must know. Bacteria will populate based on the available food they have. so in your new tank you added a shrimp and the products has some food in it also. SO your population is based on that. Once it is reduced the bacteria will die off, at this point your algae will consume the nutrients the bacteria release as they die.

So what you would want to do is to feed the bacteria you are dosing, if you dont you will start the swing and that will make it a little harder. So your on your way, but the tank is going to need to find the equalibrium between food in and bacteria reduction and that will continue as you add things and feed them. Just keep that in mind as you progress.

Mojo

 

[EricTheRed]

did you see all your parameters spike and go down?

Yep

 

[TylerHaworth]

Test results don't lie, as far as I'm concerned. I have used live seed sand and pure ammonia dosed to 5PPM for all of my tanks and no bacterial additives and they usually take between 12 and 20 days to go through that portion of the cycle.

 

[EricTheRed]

When you use a product like the one you mentioned all you are doing is adding obligated bacteria that will reduce ammonia to nitrite and then down to nitrate. The Brightwell product also has faculative bacteria which will as an anaerobic zones develop will take down the nitrates. BUT thier are things you must know. Bacteria will populate based on the available food they have. so in your new tank you added a shrimp and the products has some food in it also. SO your population is based on that. Once it is reduced the bacteria will die off, at this point your algae will consume the nutrients the bacteria release as they die.

So what you would want to do is to feed the bacteria you are dosing, if you dont you will start the swing and that will make it a little harder. So your on your way, but the tank is going to need to find the equalibrium between food in and bacteria reduction and that will continue as you add things and feed them. Just keep that in mind as you progress.

Mojo

Thanks for the info!
My plan is to stop dosing MB-7 because I don't want the tank to rely on it. I'd rather the bacteria naturally increase and decrease based on the tank's demand. I also took out the rotten shrimp and replaced it with 6 silversides. I want to keep the bacteria going until I get my first fish in there, which probably wont be for at least another month because I'll be QT'ing for 4 weeks (and I haven't bought my first fish yet!) I've never needed to keep bacteria going in an empty tank before so I'm assuming the silversides will be sufficient. I know some people "ghost feed", but this sounds simpler.

 

[EricTheRed]

Test results don't lie, as far as I'm concerned. I have used live seed sand and pure ammonia dosed to 5PPM for all of my tanks and no bacterial additives and they usually take between 12 and 20 days to go through that portion of the cycle.

I might try pure ammonia with my next tank. The rotten shrimp stinks to high-heaven when you pull it from the tank!! Did you dose 5ppm daily or just once?

 

[mojoreef]

Yea you can do that just make sure you use ammonium chloride and try to get regent grade. The shrimp addition just adds another step you dont really need when using these products.

good luck

 

[TylerHaworth]

I just use pure ammonia from the local grocery, it works just fine and $2 will get you enough to last a lifetime =) I feel as if the bacterial additives are complete garbage if you have existing live rock or sand to seed it with, the day or two it may shave off isnt really of consequence to me.

I dose to 5ppm on day one, and when it drops down to 2ppm or so I redose up to 5ppm (usually after about 8-10 days)... It prevents the wait time for the shrimp to break down, puts off zero stinky, and no "other crap" in the tank from a decaying critter.

 

[reefer gladness]

FWIW, I would stock slowly. My tank showed similar test results in the first 2 weeks with no algae bloom but the tank is going through a 'second cycle' now that I'm pretty much fully stocked (for fish anyway) and feeding a couple times a day.

 

[EricTheRed]

I just use pure ammonia from the local grocery, it works just fine and $2 will get you enough to last a lifetime =) I feel as if the bacterial additives are complete garbage if you have existing live rock or sand to seed it with, the day or two it may shave off isnt really of consequence to me.

I dose to 5ppm on day one, and when it drops down to 2ppm or so I redose up to 5ppm (usually after about 8-10 days)... It prevents the wait time for the shrimp to break down, puts off zero stinky, and no "other crap" in the tank from a decaying critter.

Great info, thanks.

 

[EricTheRed]

FWIW, I would stock slowly. My tank showed similar test results in the first 2 weeks with no algae bloom but the tank is going through a 'second cycle' now that I'm pretty much fully stocked (for fish anyway) and feeding a couple times a day.

That's my plan. I only have 1 QT tank, so it will be 1 fish every 4 weeks. I'll keep an eye out for the 2nd cycle, thanks for the tip.

 

[TylerHaworth]

Agreed as well, always stock an immature tank slowly.