What Are Steps To Begin The Nitrogen Cycle?

[AverageSnowPair10]

Hey everyone,

Starter question that I have never done before and will also help beginners understand the nitrogen cycle.

I find it very confusing because there are many different steps about the Nitrogen Cycle in many people's reef tanks.

Such as dosing Dr.tims beneficial bacteria, or adding a piece of shrimp to decompose in the fish tank so you can begin the nitrogen cycle.

However, the steps get confusing afterwards.
For Instance, In some videos, there was no info about removing the piece of shrimp or the next step to Dr Tim's beneficial bacteria that has been poured into the new cycling tank.
Although, I do know that we have to test ammonia and nitrites. Afterwards, you do 10% water changes after you get a sign of nitrites and ammonia.

I have had experience with reef tanks for about 2 years now however, I have never done the nitrogen cycle in my reef tanks. I had many problems with disturbing bacteria in my sand which caused bacteria blooms and algae outbreaks that caused my water quality to become foggy and brownish.

That's why I am here to ask for every specific steps to successfully finish the nitrogen cycle for my new upcoming Innovative Marine 25 gallon lagoon.

My new goal for this year is getting past the 5 month mark with a stable reef tank.
Every advice/help anyone else has for me is appreciated, thanks!

 

[GatorGreg]

New reefers are usually very impatient and because of this tend to WAY overcomplicate it.

For Dr. Tim’s method all you literally have to do is follow the directions. It’s methodically laid out and very easy to comprehend. Also have patience.

I’d just forget about the “dead shrimp” method. The Dr. Tim’s method is probably a safe bet because of the fool proof instructions and the nice packaged kit with everything you need. If someone can’t figure that method out. They’re in for a rough ride in this hobby.

I’m ocean rock proponent so in my tanks I buy wet ocean rock throw it in and wait a week or two and start adding fish. That’s it. Nothing more nothing less. But it is VERY expensive.

 

[ScottJ]

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/a-beginner’s-guide-to-reef-aquariums.993/

Try this.

 

[AverageSnowPair10]

New reefers are usually very impatient and because of this tend to WAY overcomplicate it.

For Dr. Tim’s method all you literally have to do is follow the directions. It’s methodically laid out and very easy to comprehend. Also have patience.

I’d just forget about the “dead shrimp” method. The Dr. Tim’s method is probably a safe bet because of the fool proof instructions and the nice packaged kit with everything you need. If someone can’t figure that method out. They’re in for a rough ride in this hobby.

I’m ocean rock proponent so in my tanks I buy wet ocean rock throw it in and wait a week or two and start adding fish. That’s it. Nothing more nothing less. But it is VERY expensive.

Mm got it! I just wanted to make sure if there was other steps to do the nitrogen cycle or if there was a better way to do the nitrogen cycle

 

[AverageSnowPair10]

Thank you guys for responding, and happy reefing!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I have never done the nitrogen cycle in my reef tanks. I had many problems with disturbing bacteria in my sand which caused bacteria blooms and algae outbreaks that caused my water quality to become foggy and brownish.

That's why I am here to ask for every specific steps to successfully finish the nitrogen cycle for my new upcoming Innovative Marine 25 gallon lagoon.

If you've had tanks running for two years, then they've been cycled, and the bacteria blooms would be unrelated to that.

Technically speaking, the nitrogen cycle never really finishes, since the bacteria in a tank continues converting ammonia to nitrate indefinitely, but:

If you have Nitrates, then the tank is cycled (the cycle being the Nitrogen Cycle: Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate).

the Nitrogen Cycle goes:

Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate ( and then to Nitrogen Gas)

"This conversion from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate to nitrogen gas is known as the nitrogen cycle."*

*Source:

Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

www.fdacs.gov

Edit: To hopefully answer a couple more of your questions, OP: the nitrogen cycle depends on nitrifying bacteria (i.e. bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate).

With bottle bacteria like Dr. Tim's, they provide the bacteria, so you just have to provide an environment where they can start nitrifying - to do that, you really just need some ammonia, and the bacteria does the rest.

The shrimp method works by having the piece of shrimp degrade in a tank (thus supplying ammonia) and by having the bacteria make their way in some how (nitrifying bacteria is pretty much everywhere, so unless the tank is hermetically sealed and no life is ever added, the bacteria will find a way in eventually).

Bottle bacteria like Dr. Tim's, Fritz Turbostart 900, and Biospira are going to quickly provide a lot of nitrifying bacteria while with the shrimp method it takes a while to build up a large nitrifying bacteria population.

 

[Formulator]

steps to do the nitrogen cycle

I think there is a misunderstanding of semantics here. And perhaps a small language barrier.

The nitrogen cycle is not something you do like steps in a cycle with start and finish. The nitrogen cycle describes what bacteria in our tank do to organic nitrogen molecules, converting them from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. All we do when we “cycle” a tank is introduce those bacteria, feed them with ammonia, and give them time to colonize our rock before adding livestock.

This is the nitrogen cycle. It is not a physical cycle that we execute ourselves in some kind of stepwise fashion.