\Clownfish/ 29 Gallon BioCube Tank

[Nor_Cal_Guy]

if you havent bought it yet I would recommend getting straight ammonia instead.

This way you can put in an exact amount of ammonia and not need to wait for the shrimp to break down. Plus when you want to increase the ammonia to test the completion of the cycle you can use a dropper and get right back tot he level you want to be at for testing.

This is a more scientific approach. Measurable ammonia would produce more accurate results?

 

[yangchi]

Excellent! nice start !

 

[\Clownfish/]

DAY #3

After adding the shrimp today at 1:00pm and measured ammonia at 11:40pm the ammonia is now at 0.25 ppm :bdaysmile: Once it reaches 2.0 ppm or 4.0 ppm I will be starting to test for both ammonia and nitrites

Parameters for the day

Ammonia 0.25 ppm
Salinity - 1.025

 

[\Clownfish/]

This is the tank yesterday, I always have the lights off. I just turn them on for the pic. I can also see the water is not as clear as it was before placing the shrimp.

 

[soulpatch]

Just to check but you dont have anything in the filters right? You dont want to be running carbon or anything right now.

If you have media racks or such throw them back there empty though so the bacteria can grow on them as well...

 

[\Clownfish/]

I am currently not running any carbon the only thing I have back there is SeaChem Matrix Bio Media in a Nylon bag like the shrimp and two Eshopps Sump Sponges. Skimmer is not running.

 

[Blitz99]

I have never done anything two my tanks except all a hunk of live rock and let it work it's magic.. I just set up a frag tank this way and had LPS/SPS/Softies in there within a week and a half.

it has now been going for a month and a half with no issues.

Ive waited 2 days this time... Thats my record.

Live rock, live sand - tank is ready. Never have i seen a cycle, ever.

 

[Azedenkae]

Sounds like your tank is cycled actually. I mean API will quite readily pick up ammonia and register 0.25ppm, but most people consider it safe.

The fact that even with a shrimp in there your parameters aren't spiking seems to indicate that the filtration system is robust enough to take on your nutrient addition now.

Take out the shrimp, and perhaps to be absolutely sure, grind up fish food and feed your tank as if you're feeding your livestock, and see how the tank responds. If parameters zero out quickly then you are all set!

 

[soulpatch]

Sounds like your tank is cycled actually. I mean API will quite readily pick up ammonia and register 0.25ppm, but most people consider it safe.

The fact that even with a shrimp in there your parameters aren't spiking seems to indicate that the filtration system is robust enough to take on your nutrient addition now.

Take out the shrimp, and perhaps to be absolutely sure, grind up fish food and feed your tank as if you're feeding your livestock, and see how the tank responds. If parameters zero out quickly then you are all set!

He just added a shrimp yesterday so it has yet to break down and really cause the ammonia spike.

If he had dosed with ammonia instead and had it zero out then I woudl agree but since he went with shrimp he has yet to even have a spike of ammonia to zero out.

 

[soulpatch]

Ive waited 2 days this time... Thats my record.

Live rock, live sand - tank is ready. Never have i seen a cycle, ever.

It is impossible to not have a cycle of any sort. There is no way your bacteria level would exactly match the needs of the tank. It also depends on what you are adding to the tank and how quickly as to whether the bacteria could build up. The cycle could be minute though and difficult to note unless you are testing daily.

Adding live rock and sand adds a good amount of bacteria and is typically stable for hardy fish but this is fish cycling where you are technically putting fish in a tank not fully ready for them so tht they add the ammonia and such to seed the bacteria and stabilize things.

Everyone makes a choice of the direction they want to go. I have done both and prefer the ammonia dosing. When coupled with live rock and sand I can have a tank set up in a about 2 weeks for a nano. But doing so I know the fish are in no harm going in from a non complete cycle.

 

[Azedenkae]

Oh, actually good point on the shrimp. Didn't realize that. This is why though, I'd always suggest breaking apart the food, rather than just shoving it in. More surface area for reactions.

Although it is actually possible to have no cycle - or at least one so short it'd basically be non-existent.

If one uses properly cured live rock, then the implication would be that they'd already have all the microbes necessary in the rock for filtrative purposes, along with no massive die-off to cause spikes.

Hence, if one does that then it'd be no different to say, moving rock from one established tank to another. Basically.

 

[\Clownfish/]

Day #4

Today my ammonia is up at 2.0 ppm (tested twice to make sure) and salinity at 1.025.
I Also noticed this little thing which was not there this morning, what could it be? it has tentacles with white dots, I think it may be aiptasia. How can I go about removing this. It is on the glass and sand and the size of it is smaller than a pinky finger nail.

Parameters for the day

Ammonia- 2.0 ppm
Salinity - 1.025





Tank Today (looks the same as yesterday)

 

[\Clownfish/]

Also I plan on taking the shrimp out once it reaches 5.0 ppm, would that be okay? :clown:

 

[soulpatch]

Need better shot of the organism to identify.


Yes you can take out shrimp but you will need to put something back in to spike ammonia again to test that cycle is complete

 

[\Clownfish/]

So once it zeros out, put it back in?

 

[soulpatch]

You need to spike the ammonia and ensure it goes away within 24 hours and that your nitrites zero out as well. The nitrates can be a bit higher as you willa ccount for those via the massive water change when this is all said and done.

Once you can zero out in 24 hours your cycle is complete...

 

[\Clownfish/]

Should I start testing nitrites now too?

 

[soulpatch]

yeah test nitritres as your ammonia falls. You want both to zero out then spike the ammonia again and see if they both fall within 24 hours.

 

[\Clownfish/]

Thank you soulpatch :dance:

 

[soulpatch]

I woudl still suggest you spend the $4 at Ace Hardware and get straight ammonia to do the final dose so you can put the exact amount in right away to get to roughly 3ppm of ammonia for the final spike. Otherwise you need to wait on the shrimp.

Eat the shrimp instead as you stare at your tank!!!