Post Cycle

Nick30G

New member
I have been cycling my first tank here for a little over two weeks, its a 37g with a 10 gallon sump. I have some questions about plans moving forward here from the cycle. I have determined that my cycle as completed based on my API test kits, Day one i setup the tank with 30 pounds of live sand, 35 pounds of Marco Dry Rock and some Pond Matrix in the sump, I then dosed exactly 2ppm of Ammonia and dumped in a whole bottle of Bio-Spira (fishless cycle) to get the cycle going. Below are my testing results:
Day 1: Ammonia - 2.0 ppm
2: Ammonia - 1-1.5 ppm, Nitrite 1 ppm
3: Ammonia - 0.5 ppm, Nitrite 2 ppm
4: Ammonia - 0.25 ppm, Nitrite 2 ppm, Nitrate - 20-40 ppm
5: Ammonia - 0 ppm, Nitrite - 2 ppm, Nitrate 20-40 ppm
6-8: Ammonia- 0, Nitrite 2 ppm, Nitrate 20-40 ppm
9: Ammonia- 0, Nitrite 0.5 ppm, Nitrate 40ppm
10: Ammonia- 0, Nitrite- 0 ppm, Nitrate 40 ppm (I again dosed 2ppm Ammonia to see how fast it converts the ammonia to Nitrate)
11: Ammonia- 0.25-0.50 ppm, Nitrite 1-1.5 ppm
12: Ammonia- 0 ppm, Nitrite-1ppm
13: Ammonia- 0 ppm, Nitrite- 0 ppm, Nitrate 50-60ppm (converted Ammonia to nitrite to nitrate in about 2 days)
14: Ammonia- 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 60-80ppm
15: Ammonia- 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 60-80ppm
Current Parameters: PH: 8.0, Salinity 1.026, Temp: 78-79F
So as you can see I have completed my cycle at just 2 weeks. I have pretty much no algae in the tank other then a little bit on the glass as i have been keeping my Ocean Revive T247's off during the cycle. I plan on getting 2 Clownfish and maybe a small CUC this weekend. My question is how big of a water change should i do today to get those high nitrates down as they are at 60-80ppm. I was thinking 50%? and then a few days down the road before i add my first fish maybe a 20% change to get them down to around 20ppm? Second do you think adding 2 clownfish and a small CUC (some snails, maybe some crabs) would be good? My Bubble Magus Curve 5 is still breaking in but slowly, so i think im going to run it in some Vingear and RODI to cut down the break in time today. What ratio of vinegar to water would you recommend for a skimmer break in? What do you guys think? :bounce3:
 
Hello!

Congratulations - Your Cycle is over!

I would do a 50% Water change as you suggested and then start doing my normal weekly water changes after that.

There should be no problem adding the 2 Clownfish and CUC after your water change. However, allow the clownfish to settle in for a month or so to let the Bio-Load in your tank to stabilize before adding any additional fish.

I am sorry i can not comment on your Vinegar dosage. I have never dosed vinegar for any reason before. Someone else can chime in on that. However, You can take out your skimmer and soak it in a white vinegar solutions to help break down the oils on it. A quick rinse in RODI and back to Service. (This is how i broke mine in before starting my tank).
 
Tank is fairly small. Not a whole lot of need for dosing vinegar. Id suggest stick with WC's and you should be fine.

ALSO! CONGRATS!!!
 
Hello!

Congratulations - Your Cycle is over!

I would do a 50% Water change as you suggested and then start doing my normal weekly water changes after that.

There should be no problem adding the 2 Clownfish and CUC after your water change. However, allow the clownfish to settle in for a month or so to let the Bio-Load in your tank to stabilize before adding any additional fish.

I am sorry i can not comment on your Vinegar dosage. I have never dosed vinegar for any reason before. Someone else can chime in on that. However, You can take out your skimmer and soak it in a white vinegar solutions to help break down the oils on it. A quick rinse in RODI and back to Service. (This is how i broke mine in before starting my tank).
Oh I'm not dosing vinegar. I was asking what vinegar to water ratio in a bucket to put my New skimmer in to help the break in period.

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I'd just do a 50/50 mix. IDK if there is a more specified ratio, and that is probably more vinegar than needed, but its what I've used.
 
Why not just let the skimmer break in the new tank naturally? After your initial 50% water change, and small bio-load to start...you won't need it running efficiently right off the bat anyways.
 
Why not just let the skimmer break in the new tank naturally? After your initial 50% water change, and small bio-load to start...you won't need it running efficiently right off the bat anyways.
Because right now it's just constantly overflowing the cup. Maybe that will change after the water change? Also will the beneficial bacteria be fine without ammonia (food source) for about 5 days? I think I will do a 50% water change today or tomorrow then get fish on Saturday or Sunday.

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Because right now it's just constantly overflowing the cup. Maybe that will change after the water change? Also will the beneficial bacteria be fine without ammonia (food source) for about 5 days?

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They'll be fine for a year or more.
 
Water change done yesterday. Nearly 50%. Nitrates now somewhere between 20-40ppm and everything else 0. Plan on getting 2 clowns (maybe black oceleris) and a CUC. Would you guys recommend mixing snails and crabs? Or should I just get snails? If so what kind? And would getting a cleaner shrimp or two be a good idea?

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Keep up the water changes to get nitrates down, I have both snails and Crabs...havenā€™t had an issue with hermits eating snails but my hermits are small. Turbo, astrea, and nassarius are a good mixture to have in your tank, I would wait until your snails have been in for a week or two and if none of them die a cleaner shrimp couple be a good addition!
 
Does anyone else recommend doing anymore water changes? I'm somewhere between 20-40 ppm Nitrate and plan on getting fish tomorrow. I did a 50% change on Wednesday. Will I be good with that nitrate level?

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That is a really wide range for Nitrates. Though as it is starting off fish only, you're more than fine. If you want corals eventually I would consider getting that number down over time. No reason to do massive water changes now, as the tank stabilizes and you do your normal water changes, it should start to go down.
 
Glad someone using a bacteria supplement saw results from it. I'm at 5.5 weeks on a 20 gal qt and have only seen my ammonia decline to about .5 ppm (and I dosed some Dr. Tim's at the start). :\ Really want a pair of clowns too.
 
Don't forget about a quarantine tank. You should quarantine the fish first before introducing them into your tank. Ich is just a pain to deal with and once it is in your tank, you have to leave the tank fallow (fishless) for months (about 3mo or so) to ensure the Ich is gone from your system. So I would suggest being proactive and quarantine first. Ich has made many reefers give up on their tanks, much easier to quarantine the fish first.
 
So far I have had my Pair of Gladiator Davinci Clowns for exactly one week now and they are doing good. Currently Nitrates are around 40 ppm right now. Should I do a 10g Water change tomorrow? (which is around 20-25% WC).
 
Plan on doing a 10g water change tomorrow. Starting to see algae grow on my rocks, sand, and glass now. I think it's diatoms, its brownish/orangeish looking. Plan on siphoning some of it out but mainly looking to get nitrates down from 40ppm. Gonna let my salt mix for 24 hours to mix thoroughly and reach room temp. Also going to work on getting my bubble magus curve 5 working as it has been a pain breaking in. Going to let it run in a vinegar bath and if that doesn't work i will raise it a few inches as a last ditch effort.

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Diatoms are a natural part of the establishment/maturing of a new tank. I wouldn't worry about siphoning it off, it's ugly, I know but, it should go away after a while. Your clean up crew may take care of it as well. Just my humble opinion.
 
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