Starting cycle
- Thread starter Ab129
- Start date
thaitopher
New member
Throw some ammonia in there to jump start the process
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RobZilla04
Active member
Heater, return pump, power heads = YES
Skimmer = Not necessary.
You can look at adding a quick cycle product to add the bacteria to get things started.
Skimmer = Not necessary.
You can look at adding a quick cycle product to add the bacteria to get things started.
JTL
New member
I added the bacteria in a bottle, I used IO and Fritz, I think Red Sea has a product as well. I also dosed ammonia. Here is a tip if you use ammonia get the product at Ace Hardware it does not contain a surfactant like most of the household brands, it is also more concentrated. Red Sea also has a complete kit to get the tank started, I believe that claim it takes 3 or 4 weeks.
mcgyvr
New member
All one needs to cycle a tank is some dead organic matter..
Could be just some pinches of flake food.. Could be a simple table shrimp that you put in the water for a few days..
Could be a little bit of ammonia..
Could be a little bit of urine.. yep
You basically need to get something "decaying/breaking down" or replicating decaying (ammonia) and the bacteria magically comes and starts doing work..
It can be as simple as
Fill tank with sand/rock/saltwater.. Get all equipment up and running then for a few days/week or so put some pinches of flake fish food in there and wait..
This process can take a good 4 weeks or more..
During the process ammonia will start to rise.. Then nitrites as the bacteria is turning the ammonia into its lesser toxic forms.. Then nitrates..
Once ammonia and nitrites are down to zero then you do some water changes to get nitrate levels where you want and you are done with a cycle.
Now you can purchase all sorts of "bacteria in a bottle" products and all other sorts of "cycling" products.. NONE are needed.. But you can have a shorter cycle because of them.. aka dumping a bottle of bacteria into a tank speeds up the process of bacteria being established and growing to useful populations..
ssgss gogeta
Member
Starting cycle
In the old days guys just peed in their tank. Not joking and it worked.
Depending on size of the tank (1 for smaller tank, 2 for larger tank) shrimp/prawn from the local supermarket. That's all you need to start a cycle some kind of ammonia source. You can ghost feed frozen cubes or pellets or anything that will break down and cause ammonia.
As the initial cycle is getting close and nitrates are high and at least ammonia is zero and nitrites are pretty damn low I add my refugium macro algae to help seed life and good bacteria as well as help to lower nitrates. (Obviously if you don't have a refugium this part won't help you)
Once I'm at the end of the initial cycle and start to add some clean up crew I grab from an established tank a cup of sand and a piece of live rock to help bring in some different good bacteria and life.
The bacteria in a bottle is fine and some of them I have seen people use and cut the length of the cycle process down. But I like to let things go slow and as natural as possible
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In the old days guys just peed in their tank. Not joking and it worked.
Depending on size of the tank (1 for smaller tank, 2 for larger tank) shrimp/prawn from the local supermarket. That's all you need to start a cycle some kind of ammonia source. You can ghost feed frozen cubes or pellets or anything that will break down and cause ammonia.
As the initial cycle is getting close and nitrates are high and at least ammonia is zero and nitrites are pretty damn low I add my refugium macro algae to help seed life and good bacteria as well as help to lower nitrates. (Obviously if you don't have a refugium this part won't help you)
Once I'm at the end of the initial cycle and start to add some clean up crew I grab from an established tank a cup of sand and a piece of live rock to help bring in some different good bacteria and life.
The bacteria in a bottle is fine and some of them I have seen people use and cut the length of the cycle process down. But I like to let things go slow and as natural as possible
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
ssgss gogeta
Member
All one needs to cycle a tank is some dead organic matter..
Could be just some pinches of flake food.. Could be a simple table shrimp that you put in the water for a few days..
Could be a little bit of ammonia..
Could be a little bit of urine.. yep
You basically need to get something "decaying/breaking down" or replicating decaying (ammonia) and the bacteria magically comes and starts doing work..
It can be as simple as
Fill tank with sand/rock/saltwater.. Get all equipment up and running then for a few days/week or so put some pinches of flake fish food in there and wait..
This process can take a good 4 weeks or more..
During the process ammonia will start to rise.. Then nitrites as the bacteria is turning the ammonia into its lesser toxic forms.. Then nitrates..
Once ammonia and nitrites are down to zero then you do some water changes to get nitrate levels where you want and you are done with a cycle.
Now you can purchase all sorts of "bacteria in a bottle" products and all other sorts of "cycling" products.. NONE are needed.. But you can have a shorter cycle because of them.. aka dumping a bottle of bacteria into a tank speeds up the process of bacteria being established and growing to useful populations..
Haha I think I started writing before you posted or just didn't see it. Either way my post following wasn't needed as it pretty much repeated you lol
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mcgyvr
New member
Ab129
Member
Is there a rule of thumb as to how many drops or capfuls or whatever units of ammonia per gallon of water in the system?
I read someplace 3-5 drops per ten gallons but that looks like a very insignificant amount. Can that be right?
It says to add that amount daily until you get a reading for nitrites.
I read someplace 3-5 drops per ten gallons but that looks like a very insignificant amount. Can that be right?
It says to add that amount daily until you get a reading for nitrites.
Valentini89
New member
I plan on cycling my 150 with damsels, as I did my 26. The cycle was short and since I had live rock from LFS and live sand it worked out great.
mcgyvr
New member
Calculator right here..
https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/AmmoniaCycling.php
https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/AmmoniaCycling.php
Ab129
Member
So I started last Sunday adding about 4 ml of ammonia a day to my 75 gallon tank, (dry sand and Carib sea rock). I have been checking ammonia levels every day and I'm up to about 1 ppm now. Plan to keep adding ammonia till I get to 2ppm.
Am I doing this right or should I be adding more ammonia per day?
And at what point do I start checking for nitrites?
Am I doing this right or should I be adding more ammonia per day?
And at what point do I start checking for nitrites?
