cycling a tank?

[probe dms]

what does this mean? What tests need to be done to check if the cycle is complete??

 

[azgard1]

This link will direct you to answers you seek. It contains lots of information from our RF library. Welcome to a wonderful and exciting hobby.


http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72

 

[probe dms]

thanks feels good to be here!

 

[Katchupoy]

you can test ammonia and then nitrate. you need it to be 0 or undetectable. buy a good tester. I use salifert. Hope this works.

 

[Krish]

what does this mean? What tests need to be done to check if the cycle is complete??

In a nut shell all cycling really is, is allowing the necessary beneficial bacteria to multiply and colonize your system to where all traces of ammonia and nitrite drop off to zero. So when you add in your live rock and start your initial cycle, all you'd really need to test for is ammonia and nitrite. Once you get a zero reading on both and they remain stable that way for a few days atleast, then your tank has completed the initial cycle.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Agree with all written and can add that the colonies of various bacterias will only grow to meet their food sourse. As more wildlife is added resulting in more nutrients added to the water, the colonies will again grow and start the cycle anew.

 

[probe dms]

ahh i see. well i just started of with a 12 gallon nano, about 2.5 inches of live sand and a live rock that weighs about 4 pounds. when i was youonger i had a few salt tanks. thats over 10 years ago. all i used back then was sand from the beach, i lived right down the block, bio beeds and chemi pure. i had no funds for live rock or live sand. but my tanks seemed to run pretty good. i never tested anything but the salinity. right now ive been going for a bit over 2 weeks. i have a sally light foot, one snail, one hermet and 2 damsels. my goni is going back to the store. yeah i may have over did it. im affraid the crabs wont let thereddish purple algae grow cause they keep eating it all day. well see how it goes. ill post a vid i took soon.

 

[Krish]

The only problem with adding livestock so early is if infact the tank isn't fully cycled and you are reading ammonia and nitrite, could harm the livestock or even kill them depending on how sensitive they are. Cycling time varies though depending on the condition of your rock and how much die-off you experience which is why they say to test regularily so that you can keep an eye on things

 

[probe dms]

The only problem with adding livestock so early is if infact the tank isn't fully cycled and you are reading ammonia and nitrite, could harm the livestock or even kill them depending on how sensitive they are. Cycling time varies though depending on the condition of your rock and how much die-off you experience which is why they say to test regularily so that you can keep an eye on things

whats die off?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Die off is the little critters that came in on your live rock dieing off, or decomposing because they died in transit. Not all critters will die, depending on your ammonia levels, but many will depending on how long the rock was out of water.

Test and watch your ammonia and nitrite levels. My guess is you have some amount of both as you're probably cycling your tank right now.

 

[probe dms]

ahh. well i had the rock in a bag of water and i dropped it right in the tank when i got home
30 min later.

 

[Krish]

ahh. well i had the rock in a bag of water and i dropped it right in the tank when i got home
30 min later.

You can still have die-off as all sorts of stuff live in the rock. Testing your water though is the only way to know for sure and be safe

 

[mfinn]

You are also going to need a few more pounds of live rock, not much but a few.
Like everybody has said you need to test. Get some test kits and you won't have to guess.
ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate kits.
The "thereddish purple algae" substance you are reffering to might not be coraline.
And the fish, snails and crab, might end up being part of the ammonia build up.