LFS and the cycle conflicting advice

[Wazzel]

I still don't understand why people after spending so much money in their aquarium would want to wait over a month for a cycle if there are other ways of doing it in just a couple of days with the same result.

Because it takes longer than a few day for the dead stuff on your rocks to decay. The longer you let your tank run fallow at the start, to a point, the better off you will be in the long run. Give the micro organisms a chance to get established so they can do their think when you start adding bigger things.

If you want to be successful in the hobby you need patients. Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.

 

[pilot.darren]

what a great video

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Mine was dry also which I believe does take longer to cycle than lice rock, but end result is pest free and stability.

How can it be pest free if it has lice? :lmao: :rollface: :thumbsup:

 

[g_langley]

He got Dry, good call. Stay well away from Lice Rock, only bad things happen.

 

[Caurimare]

Because it is only a month. I will never understand why people, after investing so much money, would want to rush any part of this. I could see if it took a year for the bacteria to establish. That one month( which even then I would consider rushing) allows time to fine tune equipment and let things settle. Even after that, what is the point in just dumping in all the livestock all at once? There is no fun in that....why not enjoy establishing the tank?

I am planning a large tank for the spring, and I have no plans to add bacteria with the intention of speeding up a relatively short process. I have been keeping aquariums for about 16 years, reef tanks about 13 years. Nothing good comes from rushing.

Because it takes longer than a few day for the dead stuff on your rocks to decay. The longer you let your tank run fallow at the start, to a point, the better off you will be in the long run. Give the micro organisms a chance to get established so they can do their think when you start adding bigger things.

If you want to be successful in the hobby you need patients. Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.

no body is saying to go ahead and add all your livestock at once you could just add the bacteria with two or four fish depending of your tank size , feed light and wait at least a month before adding more fish..... you will get the same results or maybe even better results as if you waited over a month with a fishless tank.
I do understand about being patient but there is no point of wasting a month with a fishless tank...... I would understand if it was a better way but the bottle bacteria is just as good.
I know there are some people that will never accept it and that will always argue that there is only one way of doing the cycle right and that is ok I am not trying to change the way you think but I am just informing the OP and whoever wants to take the advice that there is another way of doing the cycle with success that will let you enjoy having fish since day one.

 

[Wazzel]

no body is saying to go ahead and add all your livestock at once you could just add the bacteria with two or four fish depending of your tank size , feed light and wait at least a month before adding more fish..... you will get the same results or maybe even better results as if you waited over a month with a fishless tank.
I do understand about being patient but there is no point of wasting a month with a fishless tank...... I would understand if it was a better way but the bottle bacteria is just as good.
I know there are some people that will never accept it and that will always argue that there is only one way of doing the cycle right and that is ok I am not trying to change the way you think but I am just informing the OP and whoever wants to take the advice that there is another way of doing the cycle with success that will let you enjoy having fish since day one.

It takes time for the bacteria and micro fauna to populate. There is no bottle of magic juice that can replace time.

Remember, when something sounds to good to be true it usually is.

 

[lonbrat]

On my first tank I did a bit of both lol- I used bacteria in a bottle around the middle of my cycle, I kind of just wanted to speed it up, but not quite add fish yet.
In the long run I'm not sure if it worked or not lol the cycle did go by pretty fast though, still maybe a whole month in the end xD


I would say, go for it if you already messed up and put fish in your uncycled tank, but otherwise, just wait ^^

 

[Frostyfishman]

I appreciate everyone taking the time to give me advice on this subject. I am patient and willing to wait. I just wanted to make sure I am doing everything correctly and didn't want to mess up my cycle. I am very excited and badly want to add fish so I have ordered some new video games:fun2: to keep me from thinking about my empty tank. I have followed the recommendations of the community and will no longer introduce aMmonia. I am still on the fence about a WC. I think I will just give it a while and see how it goes and not mess with it. I am having a problem with api test kit and all these shades of purple. I feel like interpreting the colors is very hard. Does anyone have a suggestion on a better test kit. Oh yeah I'll probably go get more lfs mud too.

 

[James77]

I do understand about being patient but there is no point of wasting a month with a fishless tank...... I would understand if it was a better way but the bottle bacteria is just as good.
I know there are some people that will never accept it and that will always argue that there is only one way of doing the cycle

If you consider waiting one whole month wasting time, I am not sure you understand the patience part :rollface:

There is a lot more to a cycle and establishing the tank and rock than pouring in a bottle of liquid. While it may establish the nitrification bacteria immediately, it is about letting a tank "settle". Having rushed through the process several times before, even to add just a few fish and coral, I've learned giving the tank time always results in less problems. Pouring the bottle in and starting day one does not even allow the bacterial and algae blooms that always happen.

 

[James77]

I am having a problem with api test kit and all these shades of purple. I feel like interpreting the colors is very hard. Does anyone have a suggestion on a better test kit. Oh yeah I'll probably go get more lfs mud too.

I have no experience with the API test kits, but I have always struggled with most test kits being colorblind. You could try a different test manufacturer. I myself have a friend or family member there to interpret the colors when I do test. Can your fish stor test it as well to verify the results you see?

 

[Frostyfishman]

Nitrites dropped like a rock today. :bounce3:

 

[azcrazy]

Nitrites dropped like a rock today. :bounce3:

Nice 1 step closer, some will do a water change to get some nitrates out (if nitrites @0) :bounce3:

 

[outy]

Be patient lol

Step away from tank! Let it cook, and you will thank us later.

 

[Frostyfishman]

I've already fired up my water system.I'm going to get two clowns tomorrow after the fish store verifies my reaDing. Do I need to let the saltwater sit for a day after mixing it up?

 

[Frostyfishman]

Be patient lol

Step away from tank! Let it cook, and you will thank us later.

I should wait a bit longer?

 

[azcrazy]

I should wait a bit longer?

It wont hurt

 

[jrr98002]

Magic bottles don't necessarily work either because you're not giving the bacteria time to get into the deeper parts of the rock and establishing themselves there...your bacteria is mostly in the water, where you add the product. If you do a major water change immediately after adding the product, you'll regret it. I've seen it happen. So you're going to have to wait a bit regardless. If your ammonia and nitrite are SUPER high, you can do a small water change to make them somewhat lower, but they'll eventually fall no matter what, just maybe longer than you wish. Patience, as everyone else said. The last tank I did for a friend took six weeks.

 

[CStrickland]

Nitrites dropped like a rock today. :bounce3:

yayy! I think you just overdid the ammonia a little in the beginning is all. The Stability you were dosing prolly established the nitrifying bacteria pretty quick (processes ammonia), but the denitrifiers (process nitrite / nitrate) had to come along on their own. That happens sometimes with the bacteria in a bottle. Also, LOL @ all the fuss about whether you should add bacteria in a bottle when you said you already added it in the first post. That's just one of those things folks get riled over.

Once everything levels out, you might want to dose back up to 2ppm ammonia one more time. The "test" a lot of people use is if that is cleared in 24 hours youre gtg. Of course you will be quarantining the clowns for a few weeks anyway, so I would think you are close enough to get that started.