Cycle

[Webos]

I know the last tank I jumped the gun and only waited two weeks before adding fish on my last night. I finished the setup on my new 55g in the middle of January and I just tested my water again and I still have some Amn but no rite or rate. I've added some fish food a couple times a week in the begining to help the start the cycle but nothing seems to change. No water changes have been done yet, and my light cycle is 12 hours of blue and 10 hours of white. The fuge goes on after the blues for 12 hours. I'm wondering if there is anything else I can do to get things moving a little bit besides putting in some fish and hoping for the best.

 

[Krish]

Wow! That's crazy you are reading ammonia still . Maybe the fish food isn't enough and you maybe need to try the raw shrimp method. That should kick start things. Which test kits are you using and was this setup using any liverock or was it base rock? Let us know.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Webos]

It was base rock and the basic test kit at petco and it was just replaced yesterday to be on the safe side. I can add some frozen food that I have.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[Krish]

It was base rock and the basic test kit at petco and it was just replaced yesterday to be on the safe side. I can add some frozen food that I have.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

Yea, you need some decaying matter in there. You could do the frozen food. The idea is to provide a food source for the necessary bacteria to grow and populate the tank. It needs to be continually fed because the bacteria will just start to die off if there is no food source. This is why people use the raw shrimp method. Toss it in, let it rott and let the bacteria do it's thing. Also, you can always buy some bacteria in a bottle to add some beneficial bacteria to the tank to kick start things, but it will still need to be fed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Webos]

K i'll throw some frozen food in there and wait another month or so

 

[senji]

jump start is better and will cycle your system faster it is round $20 for 75 gal treatment i cycled one tank on it in 3 weeks it is good stuff but the best way to cycle a tank is live rock.

 

[pitkat]

If it was base rock I would definatly throw in some bacteria. They have to come from somewhere. Do you have a friend who could lend you a piece of live rock to seed the tank?
If not follow Krish's idea and add some bacteria in a bottle. Then keep it fed
I set my tank up about 7 weeks ago and never got any raise in Ammonia, Nitrites or nitrate for some strange reason. Even today all tests show 0.0 ?

 

[Derbird]

+1 on the shrimp method. Just a couple shrimp from the grocery store and some time. Plus it is much more friendly them putting a little fish through the cycle, not the way to introduce yourself to your new finned friends. If you are using API test kits be cautious of the ammonia test. Mine will read 0.25 no matter what, kinda messed with me at first until I borrowed a friends test kit.

If you used dry rock a piece of live should also help speed thing up and jump start the bioload.

Don't get frustrated. Waiting is the hard part but the fun is right around the courner

Edit, Sorry I just saw the 2009 on your profile. You know all this good stuff I'm sure