Cycle Process Help

[ryanpierce2]

Hey all, first timer here. I have all my equipment purchased but nothing but rock is in the tank yet.

My current confusion is around the nitrogen cycle process. I have been following the BRS 5 minute guide closely, and they say to cycle the tank WITH a pair of clowns and using Dr Tims.

I also see a lot of content about how I should do a fishless cycle as its more humane (confused by this but part of why Im asking), and would be easier, quicker.

Does anyone have any thoughts on how I should approach this with the stuff I have already purchased?

• Sand: (in bag, not in tank) Caribsea Special Grade sand.
• Marco's shelf rock (dry rock, not live rock).
• My saltwater is prepped and mixed, but I haven’t added it to the tank yet.
• Dr. Tim’s One and Only bacterial booster ready to go.

Thanks in advance for any insights!

 

[shanepike]

What size is the tank?

 

[ryanpierce2]

What size is the tank?

Redsea Reefer 170. ~43 total gal

 

[shanepike]

With a tank that size, you would probably be okay cycling with two clowns (especially if they're small). Damselfishes have a much higher tolerance for ammonia, which is what you're concerned about in a new tank.

My primary concern is the Dr. Tim's. I've heard a lot of stories of the Dr. Tim's not actually being effective because the bacteria had died off in the bottle. If you cycled with fish, and the Dr. Tim's didn't contain enough live bacteria, you'd be scrambling to lower the ammonia before it killed the fish (water changes, getting more bacteria, etc.).

I personally prefer to be sure the tank is cycled first. Add your bottled bacteria according to its instructions and add ammonia to until the tank reads 1 PPM to 2 PPM. Once ammonia is 0, add ammonia again to 2 PPM and make sure it goes to 0 within 24 hours. If it does, you're ready to start slowly adding fish. That's how I cycled the last tank I that started from scratch (I used MicroBacter7) , and I was cycled in less than two weeks. With the other tanks I started recently, I started with enough live rock and sand that I didn't need to add any bacteria, and those tanks were ready to go right away.

I've had fish die on me (it's actually how I got into reefing), and I hate it. So I like to be careful.

 

[ryanpierce2]

With a tank that size, you would probably be okay cycling with two clowns (especially if they're small). Damselfishes have a much higher tolerance for ammonia, which is what you're concerned about in a new tank.

My primary concern is the Dr. Tim's. I've heard a lot of stories of the Dr. Tim's not actually being effective because the bacteria had died off in the bottle. If you cycled with fish, and the Dr. Tim's didn't contain enough live bacteria, you'd be scrambling to lower the ammonia before it killed the fish (water changes, getting more bacteria, etc.).

I personally prefer to be sure the tank is cycled first. Add your bottled bacteria according to its instructions and add ammonia to until the tank reads 1 PPM to 2 PPM. Once ammonia is 0, add ammonia again to 2 PPM and make sure it goes to 0 within 24 hours. If it does, you're ready to start slowly adding fish. That's how I cycled the last tank I that started from scratch (I used MicroBacter7) , and I was cycled in less than two weeks. With the other tanks I started recently, I started with enough live rock and sand that I didn't need to add any bacteria, and those tanks were ready to go right away.

I've had fish die on me (it's actually how I got into reefing), and I hate it. So I like to be careful.

This is incredibly helpful. Thank you.

 

[project1004]

I went with no fish cycle method and here is some detail to how it went. This was on a 15Gal aio tank. Bigger the tank, longer it will take as well.

The method I’ve took is going to be the longest seeding method.

Nitrogen cycle steps and logs:

1. Used half chunk of raw shrimp cut into two pieces from Publix (-$0.50) and let it rot in the tank to seed ammonia

2. took out the shrimp knowing Ammonia test resulting above 2.0ppm

3. Took 12 days to get the ammonia from +2.0ppm to 0.0ppm

4. Nitrite started at 0.5ppm and took extra 9 days to go from 0.5ppm > +1.0ppm > 0.0ppm

5. Nitrate: started at 2.0ppm and took 24 days to go from 2.0ppm > +20.0ppm > 5.0ppm as of yesterday (It was above 20.0 but never above 50.0ppm)

So I’m summary:
3 days of seeding
12 days of ammonia cycle
9 days of nitrite cycle

Finished: ammonia: 0.0ppm nitrite: 0.0ppm nitrate: 5.0ppm pH:8.4 alkalinity:8.5

Fastest way will be for you to seed the tank with enough matured live rocks. You can basically have established biomes which allows you to enjoy faster but is much more expensive route with pros and cons as well like any other method.

I forgot how I seed my 2nd tank. I know I took the live rocks from the established one so it was way faster and less uglies.