Just exactly what is a 'cycled' tank - Page 2

Woodstock · 07-30-2007, 10:31 AM

Congratulations! Your tank is now cycled and has been colonized by ammonia and nitrite consuming bacteria. You can begin to slowly add livestock.

SLOWLY

Now you need to keep the nitrAtes at 0-10ppm

Keep the nitrAtes under control via one or more of the following--- water changes, an aged deep sand bed, live rock (1.5lbs per gal water), a refugium with macro algae, and aggressive skimming.

lcstorc · 08-01-2007, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodstock

Congratulations! Your tank is now cycled and has been colonized by ammonia and nitrite consuming bacteria. You can begin to slowly add livestock.

SLOWLY

Now you need to keep the nitrAtes at 0-10ppm

Keep the nitrAtes under control via one or more of the following--- water changes, an aged deep sand bed, live rock (1.5lbs per gal water), a refugium with macro algae, and aggressive skimming.

What she said.

southjerseyan · 08-21-2007, 10:46 PM

hey john
The quick and easy way to tell if your tank is cycled...if you test daily, which is a good idea at 5 weeks, and you have a sign of nitrates and you ammonia is below 10ppm and your nitrates are below 0.25ppm or non-existant, your tank is pretty much cycled.

Give it a few more days to clear out that ammonia and make sure your nitrates don't climb too high and add a few fish. Do you have damsels or chromis or anything cycling? And im assuming its 20# of live sand not 204#. Do you have a protien skimmer running? If you have it running before the tank is fully cycled you may be delaying the process. Don't worry about damsels, they can take the spikes in ammonia and nitrites. Any more questions just hit me back

Good Luck
Cody

BigAl07 · 08-21-2007, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southjerseyan

hey john
...Don't worry about damsels, they can take the spikes in ammonia and nitrites. Any more questions just hit me back

Good Luck
Cody

I agree except that. Yes sometimes they can "Take" it but that's cruel to subject them to it and RISK them NOT taking it. You can skip torturing damsel fish (clown, blue damsels, chromis etc) but dropping some clean fresh grocery store shrimp into a sock or stocking and allow the decaying meat to trigger and sustain your "cycle" rather than live critters.

Ammonia is VERY hard on fish ( it hampers breathing and attacks/irritates gills) and Nitrites are VERY hard on inverts. So why waste/risk you hard earned money on a live critter when it's NOT needed. Many LFS will suggest this but keep in mind they make $$$ off of sales and if your fist batch of critters do NOT make it guess what.. you have to buy more... see a pattern here?

Good luck and take it slow. Above all enjoy the WHOLE experience. It's not a case of simply going from point "A" to point "B" and being done.. Reefing is a journey in itself and it only gets BETTER!!

Allen

Intranick · 09-28-2007, 01:41 AM

So -- let me get this straight. its ok to put a pre-killed creature in the tank ,but not risk killing one by putting it in?

LOL I dont know where i stand on it, but it makes me laugh.

Anyways, I have had my tank setup for probobly a week and a half now. It was pre-cured rock, but shipped to me overnight.

my ammonia is between 0 and .25, closer to 0.

nitrate is about 20ppm

nitrite is .5 ppm.

I never really saw much of a spike, but i didn't have the test kits till tuesday. at which point my nitrate was about 40 ppm and my nitrite was between 3.0 and 5.0

i should point out, that when i say between i mean the color is between the charts, not that the charts show a range like that -- for clarification

so I guess my question is, did i go through the cycle already, or is it just a really latent cycle?

Melanie · 09-28-2007, 06:03 AM

I think the difference is that you are not torturing the deli shimp. They are presumably killed quickly. (and not by me, I might add)

lcstorc · 09-28-2007, 07:10 AM

Your tank is still cycling. The cycle is not over until amonia and nitrite are both at 0 and stay there and nitrates are dropping. If you want to add fish you can add a hardy fish with the nitrates still at 10-20 though the lower they are the better. Amonia and nitrite are highly toxic to fish even in low levels. Fish can handle a small amount of nitrates though the corals and many of the other sea creatures we add to our tanks cannot.
And yes Melanie is right. Either way an animal is dead it is simply that the shrimp is alread dead and hopefully died quickly and painlessly. Putting a live fish in a uncycled tank subjects it to major stress and often damage to internal organs even if it does manage to live through it.

Intranick · 09-28-2007, 12:28 PM

yeah I'm actually.. not in a rush to put a fish in.. I was just curious because I was expecting at least one of those levels to be much higher..

prow · 09-28-2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Intranick

So -- let me get this straight. its ok to put a pre-killed creature in the tank ,but not risk killing one by putting it in?

LOL I dont know where i stand on it, but it makes me laugh.

lol, too funny i love your thinking.

i put fish in after about a month into it or after i see some brown stuff growing. to be honest i dont ever test at first. after you put the first fish in you will see a spike and a mini cycle anyway. now, thats when you have to watch the ammonia and do water changes if needed. usually i end up doing one or two and the tank is good to go. make sure you have good flow too.

jaysthename · 10-04-2007, 05:59 PM

Here's a cycling question for the group. I have an opportunity to buy live rock for fairly cheap from an individual currently using it in their tank (where it has been for quite some time). If I use about 35 or 40 lbs of their live rock in conjunction with 30 lbs of my new (still in the pack) Bio-Activ aragonite live sand in a never-used (and as yet empty) 24-gallon tank with a new batch of saltwater, could I consider the contents to already be cycled, or should I start the clock at zero and still go through the 4+ weeks process separately on my own?

prow · 10-04-2007, 07:29 PM

it will still cycle. might be a quick one, though. as soon as you expose the "old" rock to air some stuff will die off, not all. but that die off will cause a cycle. also the nutrients in the "live" new sand. the good thing, is not everything will die off so you will have bacteria to deal with what did and the nutrients from the sand too.

jaysthename · 10-04-2007, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prow

it will still cycle. might be a quick one, though. as soon as you expose the "old" rock to air some stuff will die off, not all. but that die off will cause a cycle. also the nutrients in the "live" new sand. the good thing, is not everything will die off so you will have bacteria to deal with what did and the nutrients from the sand too.

Thanks for the reply, prow. I forgot to add that I plan on transporting the live rock to my tank by means of a cooler filled with seawater from the original tank. I'm not sure if there would be any significant die off as a result, considering it will be submerged during the entire journey to my tank (approximately 2.5 hour car ride), but I suppose the quick cycle you mentioned might in fact just be even quicker as a result.

Thanks again!

les · 12-20-2007, 09:51 PM

Can I ask everybody a quick question on this topic. During the cycling period should you be adding any water if it is needed?

vdituri · 12-20-2007, 09:56 PM

Les, yes, you should still top off your tank with freshwater to replace the water loss to evaporation.

You can also do partial water changes. 10% weekly is fine.

JohnnyMidnight · 02-15-2008, 06:13 PM

Why? Bad bacteria will kill all your reef inhabitants. Don't think so. A petstore mgr. said it happened to a client or 2. So, stick with the pet stores like Petco or Mom and Pop and buy some $4.00 damsels to jump start that cycle.

55 gal Fowlr, 2- Compact flour. 40 lbs. LR & live sand

07-30-2007, 10:31 AM	#16 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 22,553 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank Congratulations! Your tank is now cycled and has been colonized by ammonia and nitrite consuming bacteria. You can begin to slowly add livestock. SLOWLY Now you need to keep the nitrAtes at 0-10ppm Keep the nitrAtes under control via one or more of the following--- water changes, an aged deep sand bed, live rock (1.5lbs per gal water), a refugium with macro algae, and aggressive skimming. __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* ~120 Reef Chronicle ~ *~Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 120 mixed reef, dual Reeflux 10k 250 MHs, dual Geiseman Actinic T5s,Neptune AC III, ASM g3, 2x Korallia #3, Mag 9.5 return

08-21-2007, 10:46 PM	#18 (permalink)
southjerseyan Tunicate Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mt Laurel, NJ Posts: 5 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank hey john The quick and easy way to tell if your tank is cycled...if you test daily, which is a good idea at 5 weeks, and you have a sign of nitrates and you ammonia is below 10ppm and your nitrates are below 0.25ppm or non-existant, your tank is pretty much cycled. Give it a few more days to clear out that ammonia and make sure your nitrates don't climb too high and add a few fish. Do you have damsels or chromis or anything cycling? And im assuming its 20# of live sand not 204#. Do you have a protien skimmer running? If you have it running before the tank is fully cycled you may be delaying the process. Don't worry about damsels, they can take the spikes in ammonia and nitrites. Any more questions just hit me back Good Luck Cody

09-28-2007, 01:41 AM	#20 (permalink)
Intranick Serpent Star Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 236 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank So -- let me get this straight. its ok to put a pre-killed creature in the tank ,but not risk killing one by putting it in? LOL I dont know where i stand on it, but it makes me laugh. Anyways, I have had my tank setup for probobly a week and a half now. It was pre-cured rock, but shipped to me overnight. my ammonia is between 0 and .25, closer to 0. nitrate is about 20ppm nitrite is .5 ppm. I never really saw much of a spike, but i didn't have the test kits till tuesday. at which point my nitrate was about 40 ppm and my nitrite was between 3.0 and 5.0 i should point out, that when i say between i mean the color is between the charts, not that the charts show a range like that -- for clarification so I guess my question is, did i go through the cycle already, or is it just a really latent cycle?

09-28-2007, 06:03 AM	#21 (permalink)
Melanie Golden Moray Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Naples, Florida Posts: 2,120 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank I think the difference is that you are not torturing the deli shimp. They are presumably killed quickly. (and not by me, I might add) __________________ My Reef Journey Latest Recap My Videos My Flickr Photos Pres. of Dork Club I love ScubaDrew and North East Coral! Read why HERE...

09-28-2007, 07:10 AM	#22 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 17,965 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank Your tank is still cycling. The cycle is not over until amonia and nitrite are both at 0 and stay there and nitrates are dropping. If you want to add fish you can add a hardy fish with the nitrates still at 10-20 though the lower they are the better. Amonia and nitrite are highly toxic to fish even in low levels. Fish can handle a small amount of nitrates though the corals and many of the other sea creatures we add to our tanks cannot. And yes Melanie is right. Either way an animal is dead it is simply that the shrimp is alread dead and hopefully died quickly and painlessly. Putting a live fish in a uncycled tank subjects it to major stress and often damage to internal organs even if it does manage to live through it. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

09-28-2007, 12:28 PM	#23 (permalink)
Intranick Serpent Star Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 236 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank yeah I'm actually.. not in a rush to put a fish in.. I was just curious because I was expecting at least one of those levels to be much higher..

10-04-2007, 05:59 PM	#25 (permalink)
jaysthename Bryozoan Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 44 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank Here's a cycling question for the group. I have an opportunity to buy live rock for fairly cheap from an individual currently using it in their tank (where it has been for quite some time). If I use about 35 or 40 lbs of their live rock in conjunction with 30 lbs of my new (still in the pack) Bio-Activ aragonite live sand in a never-used (and as yet empty) 24-gallon tank with a new batch of saltwater, could I consider the contents to already be cycled, or should I start the clock at zero and still go through the 4+ weeks process separately on my own?

10-04-2007, 07:29 PM	#26 (permalink)
prow Manta Ray Join Date: May 2005 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 3,854 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank it will still cycle. might be a quick one, though. as soon as you expose the "old" rock to air some stuff will die off, not all. but that die off will cause a cycle. also the nutrients in the "live" new sand. the good thing, is not everything will die off so you will have bacteria to deal with what did and the nutrients from the sand too. __________________ "He who sees things grow from their beginnings shall have the finest view of them" ........Aristotle........ "The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad." - Salvador Dali my chronicle........ http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...al-system.html

12-20-2007, 09:51 PM	#28 (permalink)
les Fire Coral Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 64 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank Can I ask everybody a quick question on this topic. During the cycling period should you be adding any water if it is needed?

12-20-2007, 09:56 PM	#29 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 5,641 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Just exactly what is a "cycled" tank Les, yes, you should still top off your tank with freshwater to replace the water loss to evaporation. You can also do partial water changes. 10% weekly is fine. __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

02-15-2008, 06:13 PM	#30 (permalink)
JohnnyMidnight Tunicate Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 6 View Gallery Karma Komment	Do not use store bought shrimp , clams or any other livestock! Why? Bad bacteria will kill all your reef inhabitants. Don't think so. A petstore mgr. said it happened to a client or 2. So, stick with the pet stores like Petco or Mom and Pop and buy some $4.00 damsels to jump start that cycle. 55 gal Fowlr, 2- Compact flour. 40 lbs. LR & live sand

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