cycling a tank

[OldFishMan]

Hello;

Diatoms --- good. You will have to wait until your nitrogen cycle is complete --- ammonia and nitrite less than 0.25 ppm and nitrate climbing. Don't change the water --- lava rock is usually okay and usually supplies some needed iron and silicates.

Ammonia and nitrite may stay at 0.25 ppm for months --- okay, no harm at that level.

Nitrate will climb and a great way to start a reef tank is with a lot of micro algae from an established tank. Just place it all in your main tank for now and let it grow and eat the nitrate. All the little criters in the algae get your substrate ready for the breakdown of all the nutrients you will be using --- food, etc.

Now, when all is good with the water and now it has a lot of plankton and algae in it --- get some good live rock if you are reefing and let it cycle --- now that your tank is cycled it contains the necessary bacteria to cycle your rock without a large spike in the nitrogen cycle and should help die off on your rock. Snails and hermits are good for any substrate and rock as they help keep it all clean.

A sump with the algae in it you just grew would be great as a nitrate filter as your tank load increases.

Start slow and read a lot. This is just my opinion and may not agree with others.

Enjoy!

 

[OldFishMan]

Tank Cycling

Hello;

A good link in my opinion for further reading on cycling a tank and bacteria, etc,. This link also has some good advice about filter material and nitrate removal.

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.html

I personally agree with all information on this link as these methods are practical and proven. What I like about this article the most are statements like don't put all your eggs in one basket, and links for clarification and proven research.

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On one question that keeps popping up concerning low levels of Ammonia, or Nitrite long after the tank has been setup I offer my opinion.

If your biological filter is adequate (large enough area) and no long power outage, filter breakdown, large filter media replacement, large change in load or import of food, etc, then your biological filter should adapt quickly within 24-hours to these increases. Your test readings should not fluctuate or read above 0.

If your readings do indicate a reading above zero after 24-hours your biological filter media (filter, live rock, etc,.) may not be large enough to adapt to these loads. I would recommend increasing your tanks biological filter in one of the many ways mentioned.

My readings do not change even when I increase my food or load for more than 24-hours and I fully agree with the reports that bacteria will double in 24-hours to adapt to a change in load.

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Definition of Bored : "To be without options or variables!"

"OFM"
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Enjoy!

OFM