Step by step cycling guide
- Thread starter ibrat82
- Start date
I am in the process of cycling my tank and all I did was throw in a deli shrimp to produce the ammonia as it rots and a bottle of bio spira.
Give that about 3-4 weeks before you test for ammonia and nitrites/nitrates. Once you have an ammonia of 0 and a nitrite of 0, you should be ready for your first fish or a small CUC. This is advice I have been given by long time reefers, so I have confidence in it's success.
Give that about 3-4 weeks before you test for ammonia and nitrites/nitrates. Once you have an ammonia of 0 and a nitrite of 0, you should be ready for your first fish or a small CUC. This is advice I have been given by long time reefers, so I have confidence in it's success.
Im using the ammonia method. I read when ammonia dies down to 1ppm to keep feeding the bacteria until the ammonia is reading 0ppm in less than 12 hours. Then when the nitrates spike do a large water change. I hope this is correct. That's why I was hoping to see a step by step guide.
The issue with wanting a "step by step" guide is that everyone does it differently. Sure, there are a handful of methods that might be similar, but each person has a slightly different method. I would find someone who you trust and have proven to have a successful tank and do what they did. That's what I'm doing being new to the hobby.
Irishman360
New member
I used raw shrimp to do the ammonia cycle as well as pure ammonia. Keep the raw shrimp in your tank until you read 2PPM on ammonia test kit, or dose with pure ammonia to 2PPM. Once you hit that, you play the waiting game. I would test every week to see where your parameters are for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Once everything reaches zero, your tank is fully cycled and you can add fish. If you want to be sure on that your tank is cycled and can handle the bio-load you can spike the ammonia up again with pure ammonia or raw shrimp to 2PPM and if your parameters drop down to zero in 24 hrs then you are good to go.
I would start to quarantine some fish and think about what you want in your tank. You want the less aggressive fish in your tank first. Semi aggressive and aggressive will end up claiming everything theirs and it will be hard to add additional fish.
I would start to quarantine some fish and think about what you want in your tank. You want the less aggressive fish in your tank first. Semi aggressive and aggressive will end up claiming everything theirs and it will be hard to add additional fish.
BrokenSpoke
New member
This is about as step by step as your going to get and the guys at Bulk Reef used Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit for cycling the tank they're using for their 52 weeks of reefing series. The user manual that comes with the kit basically tells you what to do from day 1 through day 21 of the cycle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5QUjCbYBTM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5QUjCbYBTM
So today my ammonia levels have dropped to .50ppm from 2-3 ppm. I cycled the tank with 2-3ppm. So I added half the amount of ammonia I added when I started and my ammonia is now back at roughly 2-3 ppm. How often long do I have to keep feeding the tank ammonia when it drops? Until I see nitrates? or until when the ammonia i'm feeding gets to 0ppm over a 12 hour period?
Irishman360
New member
Did you test for Nitrate & Nitrite as well? When you first cycle the tank you are establishing bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. You should let all the parameters go to zero. That way you know the each bacteria is established to convert one to the other. That would technically mean you are cycled and ready for fish if all read zero.
Other reefers do the additional spike to make sure their tank can handle the bio-load.
Other reefers do the additional spike to make sure their tank can handle the bio-load.
Most useful is a timetable. If you are using all non-live rock and just dropping in a little fishfood, it can take 8-12 weeks. I've done this, using one cup of discard water from the lfs coral tank. (No exposure to fish.)
With all live rock straight from another tank, no dieoff, as little as five days with new sand, but very, very weak cycle: don't trust it too much too fast.
With live rock shipped in, with dieoff, about 4 weeks.
With part live, part not---something between 4 and 8 weeks, depending on proportion.
The ONLY real way to hasten a cycle to its max speed (by how much bacterial presence it starts with) is by warming the tank to 78-80 degrees and keeping it there, no more, no less.
With all live rock straight from another tank, no dieoff, as little as five days with new sand, but very, very weak cycle: don't trust it too much too fast.
With live rock shipped in, with dieoff, about 4 weeks.
With part live, part not---something between 4 and 8 weeks, depending on proportion.
The ONLY real way to hasten a cycle to its max speed (by how much bacterial presence it starts with) is by warming the tank to 78-80 degrees and keeping it there, no more, no less.
laga77
New member
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2545310&highlight=12+day+cycle
Running good , no problems
Running good , no problems
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