CYCLING WITH RED SEA REEF MATURE

[DevC]

Hi everyone, I'm new to RS and to saltwater aquariums...

I have recently set up a new Red Sea Max Nano aquarium with non live reef base and a few kilo's of apparently cured base rock that I purchased from a LFS. got the heater, circulation pump, skimmer, lights, activated carbon and seachem matrix running from day one.

I am using the Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit and currently on day 9 of the programme...


My 2 concerns regarding the cycle are as follows:

1 - Bacterial bloom in the water since the start of the programme which is not getting any clearer, no algae bloom or diatoms as yet and nothing seems to be happening really??

2 - I have not seen a spike in the ammonia readings, peak was at 0.8ppm on day 2 and as at day 8 it was at 0.2?? Nitrites have risen slightly but not at a peak as expected?

So I'm not sure if I need to kickstart the ammonia up a bit to get the process going as I am not using live rock or if something else is wrong? I am dosing all other required additives as per the instructions of the reff mature programme.

Any assistance or advice will be appreciated

 

[Crowther]

Disclaimer: I never used the Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit; I used the shrimp method.

That being said: if you are worried that your cycle never kicked off, add some more ammonia source and see what happens. Your first fish are going to be an ammonia source and rely on the bacteria you are attempting to grow now to survive.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

Start a tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics

Cycling tank:

Watch for the ammonia to soar then fall to zero, then the nitrites soar & then fall to zero, then the nitrates soar, once this happens, do water changes to get rid of the nitrates - tank cycled

Depending on the state of your LR (how cured it was & how much die off it had), in general it will look something like this...

 

[Blue Space]

No matter how many times you post that graph, it never gets old. Probably the best way to explain it that I've ever seen.

If you only had a nickel...

 

[Crowther]

Just remember that while fish won't mind high nitrates, your invertebrates and hard coral generally will. The cycle isn't truly complete until you get denitrifying bacterial growth that turns the nitrate into nitrogen.