Cycling an Aquarium
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OP
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Brew12
Electrical Gru
I love the learning curve of this hobby. Just when you think you understand something another layer gets peeled back and you find more to learn!
Thanks!
I've had a 30 gallon reef tank for a year now. I cycled it over about a month or so and now have beautiful corals, 3 clowns, small yellow tang and a bangaii. I set up an 80 gallon with 80kg of live rock a couple of weeks ago. No sand as yet (not using live sand) as I'm going to do my scaping first then just place a shallow sand bed around my rock work when I've finished. I did a bit of scaping 3 days after the rock went into the tank but haven't finished yet, thought I'd give the tank chance to cycle first. Ive been checking my parameters every day and haven't seen any rise in ammonia/nitrite or nitrate....how long does it take before I notice any changes? I do have a brown algae bloom that suddenly started a week ago. Is this normal? The rock I have was cured from my lfs. Any advice gratefully appreciated!
OP
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Brew12
Electrical Gru
In theory, with that much live rock, your tank should already be cycled. What have you added as an ammonia/food source? I expect that you will not see ammonia or nitrite and you will know you are good when you start seeing nitrate. The algae is a good sign and may be why you aren't seeing nitrate.
Oh great thank you!
Now I need to do my scaping. As I'm using putty I'll need to take out bits of rock and secure them out of the tank. Was thinking of doing that bit by bit in buckets full of the tank water. Once it's set putting the rock and water back in. It'll take a couple of days I'm guessing-would that be the right way to go about it? Also how would you recommend I transfer over my precious livestock? In stages ? Fish or corals first? Thanks so much for your help!
OP
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Brew12
Electrical Gru
How you go about the scaping depends on the type of live rock you have. If it is covered in sponges and other life then you should keep it covered as much as possible. If it was just sitting in salt water so the only life is bacteria, you can work with it out of the water for hours at a time. The bacteria will be just fine.
I would shift over the fish first and do it in stages. Start by moving the most peaceful fish first and then work your way to the more aggressive ones. I would do the coral last to prevent them from going through the instabilities from adding fish to a new tank.
You really should add a source of ammonia when cycling or checking the cycle of a tank. The bacteria need the food source to reproduce and build up in adequate numbers. Or, in this case, to verify the live rock is actually live. It can be flake, pellets, uncooked shrimp from the store, or pure ammonia/ammonia chloride.
Brent Turner
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It amazed me to read this to help process the process lol thanks and love r2r!
Daniel@R2R
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My Tank Thread
I generally just feed a little bit of whatever I'm planning to feed the fish. It gets the process started.
Is it too late to start feeding now? I generally feed frozen mysis
OP
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Brew12
Electrical Gru
Nope, it would be a great idea to start feeding now.
I am new to the hobby i started my tank last Saturday and added the api quick start to the tank because it mentioned about the bacteria in it.i had put 25lbs live rock and 20lb live sand in it initially. I purchased 5lb more live rock yesterday with starfish and a snail. Idid a 10gallon water change on a 75g tank and have a spike of .5 ammonia ph 7.8 nitrite. 25 and nitrate 20 today. Please help as to what i should do next and if my tank is cycled or still cycling
OP
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Brew12
Electrical Gru
If you have ammonia, your tank is still cycling. Odds are the starfish won't make it as my experience shows they are more sensitive to poor water quality. I've never used API quick start, but I would add another bottle of it or Biospira (or something else similar).I am new to the hobby i started my tank last Saturday and added the api quick start to the tank because it mentioned about the bacteria in it.i had put 25lbs live rock and 20lb live sand in it initially. I purchased 5lb more live rock yesterday with starfish and a snail. Idid a 10gallon water change on a 75g tank and have a spike of .5 ammonia ph 7.8 nitrite. 25 and nitrate 20 today. Please help as to what i should do next and if my tank is cycled or still cycling
Hugo Garcia
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Hello guys, I've just started a cycling a slatwater tank this weekend for the first time, and added live rock today. And I noticed this coral had come with the live rock.
Can someone tell what it is, should I keep it and will it survive the cycling of the tank?
Thanks
Can someone tell what it is, should I keep it and will it survive the cycling of the tank?
Thanks
OP
OP
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I'm pretty sure that is a Majano anemone, but maybe someone else from #reefsquad can confirm. If it is, you want to get rid of it, carefully!Hello guys, I've just started a cycling a slatwater tank this weekend for the first time, and added live rock today. And I noticed this coral had come with the live rock.
Can someone tell what it is, should I keep it and will it survive the cycling of the tank?
Thanks
Hugo Garcia
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How would I get rid of it? What should I do?
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