Cycle complete

[JasonK84]

I do, and this is to me a very risky thing to be hollering out across the web and a few counties frivolously as you have money on the line and quarantine time and obvious care for your animals.

To begin full on is not an arbitrary action, it’s all in. love it.

To me the science of cycling is nothing if it’s not predictable. Cycling is one of the few aspects of chemistry we encounter in reefing with a recurring terminal date across tanks, independent of what test kits show for the critical parameter. Your sand alone should be enough with the additional filtration, the live components and the time+boosters. Then you’d add in decor which is more curvy surface area and skimming, in my opinion it’s ready. With your test and their 7 day test, we will have a heckuva visual on depositional microbiology.


Clouding is the number one key to watch if you go full fish, which I think is ok-better to mete out in increments though, and am still shocked those guys are so sure about 7 days.


It feels weird to me at 37 ishdays but surface area and duration rules the day, not feelings. Any untoward clouding is the harbinger. By all means on the day of setup only add two, then two the next day I’m not trying to put your fish on the line for my daily thread hashings. We’re rushing plenty good for my speed

Have a full brute can of prep water made and ready, what harm is insurance when we’re breaking thirty year tradition.

Should you dose Prime, or ammonia offsetting items, all testing on that body of water becomes null as it throws everything off. Visual clouding of the water above norms is the absolute best and fastest and most reliable indicator in my opinion, clouding was what signaled the complete water change for me as I fish-in cycled a brand new 55 tank with twenty neons that did not die, and plastic decor. Very similar cycle to yours but I did rip changes and used zero testers of any kind. I don’t own reef test kits, my reef drawer is a thermometer and a swing arm and a padi diving book. Surface vs suspension cycling confers the ability to forego testing and that’s handy.

My clouding broke / surfaces active after three weeks...then it ran with normal feeding thereafter without help. It met the rules pretty close for google cycling charts but I was indeed still boosting. One dose of B.B. was def not enough, twenty neons day one would’ve wiped the tank and overcame the initial dose. cpr water changes and redosing of bacteria, due to suspension cycling rules, is the only reason the cycle worked without loss.




The fish loading you are introducing is correct for the surface area for a mature tank, and it’s also a lot for the first entry, if any bad calls have been made the exact manifestation will be minor clouding initially. then fish breathing increases, gill action, and top clinging behavior or hiding behavior. Water change time. Make sure sandbed clouding isn’t misinterpreted as ammonia clouding.


I don’t think I’d feed for the first two days... feed em well wherever they’re at now right before the move. We are usually dealing with live rock in my threads, which is a surface area cheat but you have some and you have hidden surface area boosts as well. Fire thrusters at fifty percent ramp up is my reco

I've also thought of dumping in 8oz of Dr. tims the day before the move. I do have 3-44 Gallon Brute cans at the house now. Just bought 2 for my water mixing station that I'll be building in the next month or so. I am in no rush to proceed before the 120 is ready. The safety of my critters is most important. On a side note: pretty sure my Powder Blue is ready to stretch some fins since this build took longer than anticipated. Bought him with the plan of having it go to the 120 after QT but took longer and he has been in the 30 since the end of August. Not happy with myself for doing that to him. He is eating well and has bulked up even being cramped. Stressed I'm sure but a testament as well to the tank being parasite free.
I appreciate your insight and knowledge in tank cycling. Thanks. I'll post updates here as fish are introduced.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What about the nitrates showing lower now than they did earlier on in the cycle? I add ammonia but the nitrates are decreasing. Is denitrification possible this early on?

In many kits, a little nitrite shows as a lot of nitrate. Sometimes 100x (1 ppm nitrite reads as 100 ppm nitrate). That confounds interpretation of nitrate during cycling.

 

[JasonK84]

In many kits, a little nitrite shows as a lot of nitrate. Sometimes 100x (1 ppm nitrite reads as 100 ppm nitrate). That confounds interpretation of nitrate during cycling.

Ok, and when nitrites are reading "0" is it safe to believe the level of nitrates to be "0" or close to it as indicated several times on my API test kit? I'm understanding that the presence of nitrite will cause the nitrates to show higher than actual. Is it possible to have this level of denitrification this early on and without nutrient export?

 

[NY_Caveman]

It is possible you have denitrification happening. It is also possible the high Nitrate you saw earlier was due to Nitrite as Randy and you mentioned.

Honestly, I would not sweat the test kit. It is never going to be perfect. Nitrite testing 0 is close enough for me. Ammonia is what is most important and I trust that API test more than the other API tests by my experience.

 

[JasonK84]

Well, I took the plunge today. I added a blue spotted puffer from QT into the 120 on Sunday. Everything was going good and I got home today and moved the 6 fish from the old 30 gallon. Everyone seems to be stretching their fins.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Well, I took the plunge today. I added a blue spotted puffer from QT into the 120 on Sunday. Everything was going good and I got home today and moved the 6 fish from the old 30 gallon. Everyone seems to be stretching their fins.

Sweet! They all look happy to me!

 

[JasonK84]

I'll be sure and keep a close eye on the ammonia levels over the next week and feed very little. I'm sure they are liking the extra space.

 

[brandon429]

Linked to the last page of the cycling thread. It’s the fastest I could feel comfortable cycling your tank, whatever the time is under 30 days / with not all test kits complying in order/ we won’t find out in my thread anytime soon since tanks and life and $ are on the line, can’t guess. 30 plus is where I can sleep safely at night with others peoples biology investment on the line while advising to ignore 2/3 of common test params.


This is why we need Dr. Reef to do the suspension cycling test off his thread, nobody’s six fish die in his setups. He literally has ten aquariums all designed to test suspension cycling or instant cycling, with freakin digital ammonia meters (seneye) and quite seriously our known science of aquarium cycling can increase if he will simply change out some five day old tanks to see if the adhered bac had enough time to grab on, reproduce and begin work, the same among dosers. Though they certainly didn’t take the idea seriously at all in his thread about the sheer importance of suspension vs substrate cycling, we won’t know how fast your tank could have cycled until someone decides its worth a look. Our whole world is about speed of acquisition, how anyone wouldn’t be -racing- to uncover the true biology of cycle timing and write about it is beyond me. I tried

Well done, any reader truly interested in cycle biology will see and feel the ups and downs of this particular run, a non live rock run. A nitrite never agreed run.


Dedicated documented and detailed run/good for cyclers to study

you have a very sharp aquarium in that pic and have great command over your box of goodies.
Curious to know current nitrite levels though your current action set around ammonia is perfect.

 

[JasonK84]

Linked to the last page of the cycling thread. It’s the fastest I could feel comfortable cycling your tank, whatever the time is under 30 days / with not all test kits complying in order/ we won’t find out in my thread anytime soon since tanks and life and $ are on the line, can’t guess. 30 plus is where I can sleep safely at night with others peoples biology investment on the line while advising to ignore 2/3 of common test params.


This is why we need Dr. Reef to do the suspension cycling test off his thread, nobody’s six fish die in his setups. He literally has ten aquariums all designed to test suspension cycling or instant cycling, with freakin digital ammonia meters (seneye) and quite seriously our known science of aquarium cycling can increase if he will simply change out some five day old tanks to see if the adhered bac had enough time to grab on, reproduce and begin work, the same among dosers. Though they certainly didn’t take the idea seriously at all in his thread about the sheer importance of suspension vs substrate cycling, we won’t know how fast your tank could have cycled until someone decides its worth a look. Our whole world is about speed of acquisition, how anyone wouldn’t be -racing- to uncover the true biology of cycle timing and write about it is beyond me. I tried

Well done, any reader truly interested in cycle biology will see and feel the ups and downs of this particular run, a non live rock run. A nitrite never agreed run.


Dedicated documented and detailed run/good for cyclers to study

you have a very sharp aquarium in that pic and have great command over your box of goodies.
Curious to know current nitrite levels though your current action set around ammonia is perfect.

Ask and ye shall...

 

[JasonK84]

On Friday I also added 8oz of Dr. Tims just to make me feel a little better.

 

[brandon429]

Well good. That’s what I would have done too, to ensure safety. Nitrite compliance check

I agree with NYC about wc ready in case ammonia does anything surprising / should know overnite how that will go

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I would say you are good, but go slow and watch Ammonia closely after adding. Be ready for a water change with that many fish if doing all six.

Also get ammonia kit Seachem NH3, or similar. NH3 is the one will kill fish. Love setup

 

[JasonK84]

Also get ammonia kit Seachem NH3, or similar. NH3 is the one will kill fish. Love setup

Thanks

 

[JasonK84]

Well good. That’s what I would have done too, to ensure safety. Nitrite compliance check

I agree with NYC about wc ready in case ammonia does anything surprising / should know overnite how that will go

Ammonia badge still showing "0" ammonia.
I was also able to spot all fish except the humu. Couldn't figure out where he is hiding but I'm sure he is in there somewhere. All seem to be doing good and not stressing at all.

 

[JasonK84]

Found him!

 

[JasonK84]

Still looking good. Nitrates still undetected with the API test kit and the tank hasn't had a water change since the day it was filled!

 

[JasonK84]

Fish have been in the tank for 2 weeks now with daily feeding of 2 frozen cubes (mysis, spirulina brine, clam on half shell, or marine cuisine) and occasional pellet food (couple times a week). I was expecting to see some nitrate since a water change still hasn't been done (since tank start-up) but after waiting 5 minutes this is how the tests look.

Should I do a water change just because or do I leave it be since this is a fish only system? Should I do something like adding Kent Marine essential elements if I am not doing the water changes?

What is recommended here?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not know if the tests are accurate, but I don't see a reason to change anything you are doing.

There's unlikely a benefit from dosing any elements at the moment, but it likely also won't hurt.

 

[JasonK84]

I do not know if the tests are accurate, but I don't see a reason to change anything you are doing.

There's unlikely a benefit from dosing any elements at the moment, but it likely also won't hurt.

I'll wait another week and check nitrates again. Probably get a salifert test kit to check against the API test I have. Does Hanna have a checker for nitrates?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'll wait another week and check nitrates again. Probably get a salifert test kit to check against the API test I have. Does Hanna have a checker for nitrates?

No, there's no Hanna for nitrate, at least partly because chloride/salinity impacts the nitrate test.