Cycling...

[krafty2010]

I think I have been getting a little bit of mixed information (between forums, internet, and LFS) and not sure what really to listen to.

29g Biocube and 14g Biocube tank setups
Used RO/DI, mixed reef crystals in tank, measured and waited 2 days to added live rock.

Day 1: added 1/2 the intended LR. LFS said this is good idea to keep too much of the good stuff that you pay extra for from dieing.

Day 2: tested tanks (14g & 29g)
pH - 8.2 & 8
dKH - 9 & 10
nitrate - 2 & 2
nitrite - 0 & 0
ammonia - .2 & 0
temp - 78 & 78
sg - 1.025 & 1.026

Day 4: tested ammonia
Both tanks at 0

Day 5: Brown algae starting to grow over rock

Day 7: Added rest of LR. Bought sand, but LFS said to not add sand until there is algae growing on the glass. He said the bacteria that I am trying to build up in my rock, is fought by the bacteria that is in the sand so to give it enough time to build, then add sand. When I got home that night, sure enough, there was algae growing on the glass of the 29, but not the 14. I didnt add sand yet because I want to do both tanks at the same time, and the 14g just has algae growing on rock.

Day 8: Tests
pH - 8.2
dKH - 9
nitrate - 2
nitrite - 0
ammonia - .2
temp - 78
sg - 1.025
Both tanks had same readings.
Coralline algae starting to grow over rock in 29g.

Day 9: today

Here are my questions.
1. Is my LFS's way of setting up a tank good? Seemed to make sense not to overload all at one time. Although I know this doesnt seem to be how most people do it.
2. Which leads to my test numbers. Is this why I did not experience an ammonia spike? Or am I just not to that point yet?
3. I have seen people say you are not cycled until brown algae starts growing on the rock, but I had that in the first week and find it hard to believe I could possibly be cycled by now.
4. I havent even added sand yet? Should I add sand and see if that causes my ammonia to spike?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Happyschneider]

Sand should be fine. I waited but that is only because I did not finish the aquascape and expected lot of debrief to fall down when moving it around.

As you added all LR you might be fine. You could test by adding ammonia (make sure you get pure without any fragrance) or dead shrimp or just some flake food. Bring ammonia up and see if it gets reduced within 24 hrs. Then you are ready to continue. Be prepared to get a lot of algae though. In my case there was not much that the cuc could not handle but the cyanos were really pushing me. It seems as if they are slowly going away though.

Take all this with a pinch of salt as my experience is limited to one tank which also was not a nano. Some other people might have better input.

 

[tazdvl]

If the LFS said bacteria in rock would fight with bacteria in sand I would never trust that person on any advise they give. Because they sound like the kind of people who like giving out "authoritative" advise with no idea what they are talking about. To my knowledge the bacteria in the sand is the same as the bacteria in the rock. As to your other questions using "brown" algae growth as some kind of indicator for a cycle status is NOT the way to do it. You supply the tank with organic ammonia by ghost feeding or some other means. Supply it with inorganic ammonia chloride to get the ammonia level to around 2 ppm tested with a good test kit and see if your bacteria eat that ammonia turning it into nitrite, again testing this level with a test kit. Then the next type of bacteria will eat this nitrite and turn it into nitrate, this step should be tested as well. Once you see your system able to convert all ammonia into nitrate your system is cycled. I also would advise maybe holding off on starting a small sized tank at this time. The little tanks are much harder to manage due to possible relatively large swings in water chemistry.

 

[thegrun]

If the LFS said bacteria in rock would fight with bacteria in sand I would never trust that person on any advise they give. Because they sound like the kind of people who like giving out "authoritative" advise with no idea what they are talking about. To my knowledge the bacteria in the sand is the same as the bacteria in the rock. As to your other questions using "brown" algae growth as some kind of indicator for a cycle status is NOT the way to do it. You supply the tank with organic ammonia by ghost feeding or some other means. Supply it with inorganic ammonia chloride to get the ammonia level to around 2 ppm tested with a good test kit and see if your bacteria eat that ammonia turning it into nitrite, again testing this level with a test kit. Then the next type of bacteria will eat this nitrite and turn it into nitrate, this step should be tested as well. Once you see your system able to convert all ammonia into nitrate your system is cycled. I also would advise maybe holding off on starting a small sized tank at this time. The little tanks are much harder to manage due to possible relatively large swings in water chemistry.

+1, this. I would have also had you add all the rock at once, waiting only delays the cycle. Your current tests do not indicate a very strong cycle, I would add an ammonia source either in the form of pure ammonia without surfactants of a dead raw shrimp which will produce ammonia when it starts to decay.

 

[krafty2010]

So my next steps should be as follows:


1. finalized rock structure and add sand
2. add some source of ammonia (ammonia, shrimp, or flake)
3. test ammonia until down to 0
4. test nitrite until its down to 0
5. test nitrate until it starts to rise

I have been using Red Sea test kits.
And I really wish I could start with one single big tank, but I live in a third story apartment. I am patient and have lots of free time to be able to take care of this tank the right way. I have spent my time doing research (from books, to forums, to LFS). I hope my questions didn't come across as "am i cycled" rather than "is my information correct".

 

[thegrun]

Yes you are correct with #1-5, although there is no real need to be testing for nitrates until the cycle is complete. other than to familiarize yourself with the test.
FYI:
Use pure ammonia without surfactants (available at most hardware stores, I got mine at Ace Hardware). To be sure the ammonia does not contain surfactants shake the bottle and if it bubbles up like dish soap it has surfactants in it, pure ammonia will not have bubbles. To raise 100 gallons of true water volume from 0 to 2 ppm ammonia you would need to add 0.8 grams (8 ml) of standard 10% pure ammonia.

 

[krafty2010]

Yea, I don't plan to do too many nitrate tests until I see ammonia rise and fall. I have done the test a few times at the beginning out of curiosity.

So 8mL for 100gal? So 2.4mL for 29gal if my math is correct?