Cycle

[lsu_fishfan]

So my tank has been running for about 4 weeks or more now. In the past week or 2 algea has started to form on the rock and a small coat of diatoms has formed on the sanded. Last week I brought in a sample to pure reef for testing; ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate all showed up 0. I used live rock and dry sand. I also dosed a full bottle of bio spira and micro bactr 7 of a 2 week period. Is my cycle already complete?

 

[redstang]

If you used all LR, and especially dosing bacteria, you might not have a complete "real" cycle. True LR pretty much precludes any cycle. If you REALLY want to find out, dose exactly 3ppm of ammonia and test your water immediately, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after. You should see ammonia, maybe nitrites, and should see nitrates. Important thing at the end is you not have ammonia.

FWIW, I've never had measurable nitrates in my current system. Like you I used some LR, a bacteria cycle product, and an 8x4x4 Cermedia block. If it were me, I'd dose the ammonia, make sure it's the pure kind, and make sure it gets processed.

 

[crew]

RedStang;1019295 wrote: If you used all LR, and especially dosing bacteria, you might not have a complete "real" cycle. True LR pretty much precludes any cycle. If you REALLY want to find out, dose exactly 3ppm of ammonia and test your water immediately, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after. You should see ammonia, maybe nitrites, and should see nitrates. Important thing at the end is you not have ammonia.

FWIW, I've never had measurable nitrates in my current system. Like you I used some LR, a bacteria cycle product, and an 8x4x4 Cermedia block. If it were me, I'd dose the ammonia, make sure it's the pure kind, and make sure it gets processed.

Agreed - if your tank handles the ammonia in 24 hours, you are good to go.

 

[drjett]

where can get you pure ammonia?

 

[crew]

DRJETT;1019359 wrote: where can get you pure ammonia?

Most hardware stores in the industrial cleaners aisle.

 

[ghbrewer]

Just bought 2 bottles of this and some Dr. Tim's One and Only for cycling my tank:

http://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Ammonium-chloride-bottle/dp/B006MP4QG6/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1425665083&sr=1-2&keywords=ammonium+chloride">Amazon.com : DrTim's Aquatics Ammonium chloride - 2 oz bottle : Pet Health Care Supplies : Pet Supplies@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41i1VkwkT4L.@@AMEPARAM@@41i1VkwkT4L</a>

Works like a charm, and is easy to measure out and calculate how much you will need.

 

[drjett]

Thanks for the suggestion @ghbrewer


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[jennm]

You don't need to foul perfectly good water.

At the point where you are, you can add a small clean-up crew, they'll handle the diatoms, then a week or so later you can add a fish - keeping an eye on the water quality as you go.

I've cycled dozens of tanks with just live rock, using the 'go slow' method and never had a spike.

If you really want to foul it with ammonia, go for it. I just never saw the sense in it. Why deliberately take 3 steps backward?

If you go slowly, the beneficial bacteria will compensate for the waste that a fish produces, without any degradation in water quality.

Jenn