John's Noob ?'s thread. . .PLZ Help if BOLD
- Thread starter ~JSG~
- Start date
lcs
It's Spring!!!!!!!
Congratulations! Now comes the difficult waiting period! You could use bottled ammonia (make sure it's unscented!) or just throw in a shrimp from the supermarket. After a few days start testing for ammonia (NH3) every few days (or every day if you have to do something with the tank; I know I did 
), when that starts to come down your cycle is well on it's way and you can then start testing for nitrites (NO2), and when that starts to come down you will look for a peak in nitrate (NO3). When that has happened you cycle is complete! Depending on your rock and a hundred other things, it could take two to eight weeks.
Keep your lighting to a minimum as well to help minimize nuisance algae.
Keep up posted!
), when that starts to come down your cycle is well on it's way and you can then start testing for nitrites (NO2), and when that starts to come down you will look for a peak in nitrate (NO3). When that has happened you cycle is complete! Depending on your rock and a hundred other things, it could take two to eight weeks.Keep your lighting to a minimum as well to help minimize nuisance algae.
Keep up posted!
Mavrk
New member
Do not add any ammonia. You have live rock that will take care of the cycling process. If you add ammonia, you risk killing off more of the stuff in your rock.
As to more tips, you want to do water changes during cycling. As I said, ammonia will kill off all the good stuff you want to keep from your live rock. Water changes are the best way to limit this.
Run your skimmer, powerheads, GFO, or anything else you are using as normal. Well, the lights could be on for less time for now.
Palting
New member
That's old, I mean REALLY old process of starting the cycling. That was before live rock, where there was nothing live in the tank at all in the begining. I started my first saltwater tank 20 years ago, and it was old even then.
Mavrk
New member
Yeah, and yet adding a shrimp still seems to be popular advise. I think my first tank was 20 years ago also. Back then the advise was to stick a damsel fish in there to start the cycling. Wow, have I learned a lot since then!
lcs
It's Spring!!!!!!!
It still holds today, depending on what rock a person uses upon set up. For example, I used about 40# of MarcoRocks and 15# of live rock. I added a shrimp and took it out when the ammonia reached 2ppm - enough to give the resident bacteria on the LR something to grow on, but hopefully not enough to kill everything on it.
It would have been interesting if I hadn't added anything and see what the ammonia level would have been with the die-off that more than likely occured from the purchase of the LR to getting it into the tank.
Scuba_Steve
Premium Member
I have always used mostly dry rock, and a little live. Never added a shrimp, or ammonia... And I never have a problem with stocking later on because I didnt have enough bacteria survive. I used that type of advise back when I had freshwater, and IMO thats where that advise should stay. A G4 should be a decent skimmer for your tank. Just look up the various mods you can do to it to push it a little further.
The idea is to kick start the nitrogen cycle in the tank by adding a small amount of straight ammonia. It will act as food for bacteria. You can do the same by adding some food, live rock or a hardy fish (damsel or what not). Personally I use live rock.
Ok I just completed my first 25% water change and my tank smells like when i go to the Aquarium lol. . .Good? Bad? anywho, my questions today are. . .in the first week of my tank i flipped over several pieces of "dead" rock that i got as a base starter for my live and before even adding the live i noticed purple algea? Corline? lol spelling? ok what does that mean? Also, I have an Oceanic Aqualight Pro Series 72", what type of corals or fish or whatever can this support, and what type of bulbs should i get if i plan on doing LPS/SPS tank if that light system will support it even? Thanks ahead of time and i look forward to hearing from all of you nice folks!
Hermes`
New member
There not required but either have their benefits. GFO for removing Phosphates from the water, and Kalkwasser to raise the concentration of calcium in the water, a good thing for animals and plants that use calcium for their skeletons. The hydroxide interacts with dissolved carbon dioxide to form bicarbonate, and together with any remaining hydroxide ions, this raises the alkalinity, thereby buffering pH and inhibiting acidification.
Thanks for your help Hermes', any insite on the above questions?
philosophile
New member
The purple stuff is probably not coralline, unless it was always there to begin with. I'm betting its cyanobacteria. Is it slimy and can you easily rub it off? Just part of the new cycling process.
Kingsville,TX
