Fish cycle with microbacter7

[Guss]

so im about to cycle my tank for the 1st time. i have a 33 gallon max nano xl . i can only get my hand on microbacter7 and with no ammonia available . so im gonna do a fish cycle.
my questions are:
1) when i add the microbacter7 when do i add the fish?
2)how long do i keep the skimmer off, when i add the microbacter7.
3)if i add the fish is it ok to keep the skimmer off for couple days till the bacteria settles.
4) when i add the water before everything so i turn on the skimmer and everything for couple days .before adding the microbacter7 and fish ect.
5)if there is anything else i should know please let me know.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

MB7 will not help you cycle your tank. Just throw in a piece of shrimp (raw) for a few days. The decaying shrimp (ammonia ) will start your cycle. You do not need to put your skimmer on until after your tank is cycled and you have fish.
If you are using actual live rock you can add one fish right away if the rock is cured.

 

[Guss]

MB7 will not help you cycle your tank. Just throw in a piece of shrimp (raw) for a few days. The decaying shrimp (ammonia ) will start your cycle. You do not need to put your skimmer on until after your tank is cycled and you have fish.
If you are using actual live rock you can add one fish right away if the rock is cured.

dame iv been bamboozled with the bacter 7>.< what if im using live sand ?natures ocean it says instant cycle ,for sure if it says so on the bag then it must be true>.< hehe

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

dame iv been bamboozled with the bacter 7>.< what if im using live sand ?natures ocean it says instant cycle ,for sure if it says so on the bag then it must be true>.< hehe

...No

 

[Solo McReefer]

Nothing wrong with Microbacter7

Keep adding it to your tank

I don't turn off my skimmer

Don't add a dead shrimp, if you have already added live fish. Unless the shrimp is small enough for the fish to eat

Feed your fish as you normally would

I don't know if you have dead or live rock

Tim's One and Only works, and is a favorite of reef keepers
That old API bottled bacteria works fine
Most of them work fine

No such thing as an 'instant cycle'. What they mean is, that after you add the bacteria you can start adding livestock

Don't add anything right now that you would mind dying

When you start to get green or brown, add your CUC. Or add it now, expect attrition

 

[Guss]

Nothing wrong with Microbacter7

Keep adding it to your tank

I don't turn off my skimmer

Don't add a dead shrimp, if you have already added live fish. Unless the shrimp is small enough for the fish to eat

Feed your fish as you normally would

I don't know if you have dead or live rock

Tim's One and Only works, and is a favorite of reef keepers
That old API bottled bacteria works fine
Most of them work fine

No such thing as an 'instant cycle'. What they mean is, that after you add the bacteria you can start adding livestock

Don't add anything right now that you would mind dying

When you start to get green or brown, add your CUC. Or add it now, expect attrition

dead rock, i still didnt add anything fish or even water hehe ,today ill start the salt mix and ill add the sand and water tomorrow. should i put the whole bacter 7 inside and leave it or will they die (the bactirea with no ammonia ). i guess ill order the bacter xlm with the ammonia online gonna take a week to get to me thu . was thinking of adding the bacter 7 and adding a clown fish for ammonia ... if that works , dunno anymore. can i add the bacter 7 the hole bottle . and then wait for the bacter xlm with the ammonia to arrive in a. week and do fishless cycle. (like this this the bacter 7 bacteria will have time to settle by the time i get the xlm . lol

 

[Solo McReefer]

It won't die

It's in a bottle right now that doesn't have ammonia

Just seems silly to add the whole bottle now, tho. Follow the instructions on the bottle as a beginner

Wait for the XLM and Ammonia to arrive

You are using RODI water, correct?

Anyway, get used to mixing up your new salt water until your stuff arrives(don't mix it up in the tank even tho you want to)

And slowly fill your tank. Test your parameters now on the fresh saltwater, so you know baseline

Read everything you can here on setting up a tank. Watch all the videos on starting up a reef tank now that you can

 

[Guss]

It won't die

It's in a bottle right now that doesn't have ammonia

Just seems silly to add the whole bottle now, tho. Follow the instructions on the bottle as a beginner

Wait for the XLM and Ammonia to arrive

You are using RODI water, correct?

Anyway, get used to mixing up your new salt water until your stuff arrives(don't mix it up in the tank even tho you want to)

And slowly fill your tank. Test your parameters now on the fresh saltwater, so you know baseline

Read everything you can here on setting up a tank. Watch all the videos on starting up a reef tank now that you can

Installed the ro/di yesterday but my tds reading but my reading is 4 now . When in1st installed in yesterday was in the 20is tured out I had the flush on . Yah I’ll mix the salt in a different t container

 

[twentyleagues]

I used the xlm and ammonia on my current reef to start, all marco dry rock and same sand. It worked great. Hold off on getting fish until your tank can process ammonia. I waited for the complete cycle in my tank I know they say its not needed but I was not in a hurry. Add a pinch of fish food something like flake or reef roids, powder the flake before adding it will give the bacteria a carbon source that is needed to help the process. You dont need a lot. I added a small bit of food every couple days and tested the entire time. I saw changes in readings then next day after adding the food every time after adding. I think my "cycle" took 17 days. MB7 also works have used it for years still needs an ammonia source and a source for carbon. Worry about fish disease not so much the cycle.

Installed the ro/di yesterday but my tds reading but my reading is 4 now . When in1st installed in yesterday was in the 20is tured out I had the flush on . Yah I’ll mix the salt in a different t container

What is your input tds? 4 seems high where is the reading taken, before or after the di? Is it a handheld tds or on the rodi unit?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Just add a pinch of flake food every few days and wait a couple of weeks. There's no excuse to cycle with a fish except for impatience.

 

[Doctorgori]

adding to all the above, you might have less issues in the future if you have a complete microbial biome …
I don’t think MB7 will hurt anything but it’s not complete…
…if you can get a piece of pest free ocean rock or something close to it from a disease free tank it will definitely help ..
….not exactly a “instant fix” but more like preventative maintenance

 

[Guss]

I used the xlm and ammonia on my current reef to start, all marco dry rock and same sand. It worked great. Hold off on getting fish until your tank can process ammonia. I waited for the complete cycle in my tank I know they say its not needed but I was not in a hurry. Add a pinch of fish food something like flake or reef roids, powder the flake before adding it will give the bacteria a carbon source that is needed to help the process. You dont need a lot. I added a small bit of food every couple days and tested the entire time. I saw changes in readings then next day after adding the food every time after adding. I think my "cycle" took 17 days. MB7 also works have used it for years still needs an ammonia source and a source for carbon. Worry about fish disease not so much the cycle.


What is your input tds? 4 seems high where is the reading taken, before or after the di? Is it a handheld tds or on the rodi unit?

Now the tds is 1 . But I’m worried about the water being hot because I live in Abu Dhabi (U.A.E)(it’s 48.5 degrees) out side today . So the water from the tanker is hot , not boiling but hot the tds was in the 100s before the ro/di

 

[twentyleagues]

Now the tds is 1 . But I’m worried about the water being hot because I live in Abu Dhabi (U.A.E)(it’s 48.5 degrees) out side today . So the water from the tanker is hot , not boiling but hot the tds was in the 100s before the ro/di

Yikes yes the temp is an issue do you have air conditioning in the room where the tank is?

 

[Guss]

Yikes yes the temp is an issue do you have air conditioning in the room where the tank is?

Yah the room is cool and nice just the water from the tap to the ro/di comes out a bit hot .81.8 F

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yah the room is cool and nice just the water from the tap to the ro/di comes out a bit hot .81.8 F

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Tamberav]

You can just use fish food to produce ammonia.

MB7 kind of sucks for cycling in my experience. I would not trust it for a fish.

 

[vetteguy53081]

so im about to cycle my tank for the 1st time. i have a 33 gallon max nano xl . i can only get my hand on microbacter7 and with no ammonia available . so im gonna do a fish cycle.
my questions are:
1) when i add the microbacter7 when do i add the fish?
2)how long do i keep the skimmer off, when i add the microbacter7.
3)if i add the fish is it ok to keep the skimmer off for couple days till the bacteria settles.
4) when i add the water before everything so i turn on the skimmer and everything for couple days .before adding the microbacter7 and fish ect.
5)if there is anything else i should know please let me know.

You want to start with ammonia Chloride which will elevate the ammonia level, and then add the bacteria. Don worry about bacterial and the skimmer together but you wont need skimmer running yet until addition of fish and bioload is increased. When the ammonia rises then falls and holds a steady reading of Zero for at least 5 days and also nitrate rises and falls and holds at 20 or below- you are cycled.
Adding 1.5ml of microBacter per ten gallons daily for next 2 weeks will assure bacteria is sufficient and supported.

 

[twentyleagues]

Yah the room is cool and nice just the water from the tap to the ro/di comes out a bit hot .81.8 F

81.8f isnt bad, guess my math was off with the 48c lol. For some reason I originally got 100+F. I am in America so that probably explains it....lol.

It wouldnt hurt the tank at that temp but it also wouldnt hurt to get it a little lower or at least keep the tank a little lower. I keep mine 76-78f. If it gets much hotter some time in the room before use would be a good idea.

 

[Guss]

You can just use fish food to produce ammonia.

MB7 kind of sucks for cycling in my experience. I would not trust it for a fish.

I bought bacter xlm and ammonia I’ll get it in the 17th hopefully