MAX 250 in the works
- Thread starter JOHNY
- Start date
Johny - looking forward to some pics, once you finish your cycle & get to start adding stuff the fun really begins ! 
I would suggest... starting out with a good CUC they will give you something fun to watch
I would suggest... starting out with a good CUC they will give you something fun to watch
just fyi - I guess if your nitrates are zero, I guess 10% is fine, but normally for the 1st water change up to 50% is often recommended to bring down the nitrates towards the end of a normal cycle - if this does not apply to your tank, though I would post, maybe to help others...
Normal is... Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate - Once the nitrites are gone, then do water changes to reduce nitrates.
my rock was fully cured so i didn't really c a cycle happen.
never had an amonia spike or a spike in nitrite or nitrate thats whay i only did a 10%.
what do you recommend on a weekly basis? 10 to 15%?
If you used fully cured rock & never saw an Ammonia spike go way up, followed by a Nitrite spike & then high Nitrates that water changes have to bring down... are you sure it cycled?
What element was added to cause the cycle to start and the ammonia to soar?
Maybe I am missing something... ??? I am just describing how my cycle went...
but to answer your question... after my cycle completed I did a 50% water change to remove the Nitrates... followed by 5 gals a week now.
JOHNY - just curious, did you tank every progress through the algae stages?
like the pics shown here? http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/676382-post323.html
like the pics shown here? http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/676382-post323.html
No never had the algae bloom. The only thing is a bit of diatom on my sand beb and a bit of algae on my koralia 3.
my rock came with 2 snails that have reproduced in my tank since they have no predators and i have stomatella's that have been reproducing like little rabits i must have at least 40 of them now in my tank so they keep it all clean.
When i started my tank i had my fully cured rock. I put the full bottle of Nitro Bac that came with the kit and i also put 25l of water from my LFS's system in my tank wich surely help kick start everything.
Ok maybe you are good to go then... I am still learning...
but someone tell me... am I missing something ???
Does not all "cycled tanks" have to have had the Ammonia spike go way up, followed by a Nitrite spike & then high Nitrates that water changes have to bring down...
Can the reading of a new tank stay at ... Ammonia:0 Nitrite:0 Nitrate:0 & the tank be cycled?
This would be new to me, but I am new to swt too.
but someone tell me... am I missing something ???
Does not all "cycled tanks" have to have had the Ammonia spike go way up, followed by a Nitrite spike & then high Nitrates that water changes have to bring down...
Can the reading of a new tank stay at ... Ammonia:0 Nitrite:0 Nitrate:0 & the tank be cycled?
This would be new to me, but I am new to swt too.
I've never had a measurable cycle (ammonia spike) in either of my tanks. Fully cured rock and the addition of Bio-Spira (live bacteria innoculant). And that was with adding the Bio-Spira and a few fish within the first few days. I did have a diatom phase in the RSM but barely any green algae to suffer through. I'm a firm believer in Bio-Spira, but some don't think it works - for me it has, several times.
lcstorc
Well-Known Member
While I certainly wouldn't say an algae spike is necessary, IMO you do need to see the amonia/nitrite spike to call the tank "cycled".
It is possible to have a long low cycle and that may be what you have seen. If you are adding livestock slowly (such as stomatella snails reproducing) then the bio-load is increasing very slowly and the bacteria is able to keep up with the demand.
It is possible to have a long low cycle and that may be what you have seen. If you are adding livestock slowly (such as stomatella snails reproducing) then the bio-load is increasing very slowly and the bacteria is able to keep up with the demand.
Sorry - it wasn't a long, low cycle in my case. When I started both tanks and added Bio-Spira and fish within a few days, I was measuring the nitrogen cycle with 3 different test kits for weeks, to be sure (Red Sea, Salifert, and API), and never had a test result of even low levels of ammonia or nitrite - only some nitrates. If there was a cycle it was not measurable. I added twice the dosage of Bio-Spira as I had the same success with it in FW, with the FW version. A lot of genetic research (by Marineland at the time) went into isolating the correct bacteria, and the product delivers live bacteria that instantly start populating the tank. I'm a firm believer in Bio-Spira, with fully cured rock, because it works for me every time. It's not just an opinion of mine - it's based on fact. Many don't think the bacteria additives work, and most of them don't, but at least in my case the proof was in the results. I'll admit that I obviously couldn't be testing 24/7, but if there was a cycle it happened very quickly, and at very low levels, and was in balance quickly, with no negative effect on any livestock, fish or inverts. And I only added a few fish and inverts to start, to avoid too much bio-load at one time.
Terry do you think the RSM Nitro-bac is doing for RSM owners what the Bio-Spira did for you?
I added the stuff, along with the Bio-Spira, when I set up the RSM - maybe it helped, maybe it didn't. I've never had any faith, or seen good results, with any of the dry bacterial additives, or other liquids. I've tried a lot of them in FW and can't say they did much to shorten a cycle. I think at most the bacterial spores that survive drying may aid in getting the correct nitogen cycle bacteria multiplying. I hate to sound like an add for Bio-Spira, but it's the only one that ever gave me positive results. I think fully cured rock is also key - starting up with uncured rock IMO is guaranteed to cause a measurable cycle, and while something like Bio-Spira might help, I doubt very much it will eliminate a measurable cycle - maybe help shorten it though. I've set up a 9G SW tank three times (second time to get rid of a majano problem I let go too long, and once after removing all of the bio-media and having the tank crash overnight). In all cases I restarted the tank with new, fully cured rock, new substrate, and a couple fish and the Bio-Spira added after a few days. Tracking ammonia & nitrites with different test kits I never did measure any of either. I cannot guarantee anyone else would have the same results - all I can say is that it's worked for me several times. Bio-Spira used to be available only in a refrigerated liquid form, but IO now has the rights to the product, and has now encapsulated the live bacteria and doesn't require refrigeration. I was a bit leery of that change, and it's affect on efficiency of the product, but the last time I used it I got the same results.
By the way - I took down the 9G tank (NanoWave) last Sunday. With 5 watts/gallon the tank ran too hot, and had no way to skim the surface oils other than removing them with paper towels. The tank had great features in back - working protein skimmer, mechanical filter, lighted fuge - all in lift out sections. But it had some major flaws - heat and no way to surface skim. It ran very dirty. I set up a little 6G Nano-Cube now - at least it has lower wattage, doesn't overheat, and has a surface skimmer. And I DIY'd a lighted fuge in one back section and have some rubble & chaeto in it. I may just keep corals & inverts in it.
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I don't think so... they are jpeg's maybe someone else will have an idea...