stevedsona
Member
I have a tank that has been up for 10 weeks and has had LR and LS in it all along. Still no cycle what to do??????
Help please
Help please
10 weeks still no cycle??????
- Thread starter stevedsona
- Start date
pyro
Active Member
hmmmmmm, 10 weeks is a very long cycle.
If you are willing to wait another 2 weeks (I know, its hard to wait, but it is probably for the better), I'd goto the grocery store and buy a raw, peeled shrimp. Just toss it in and let it decompose, that will kick your ammonia and everythign will follow in turn. My tank didn't spike either with the LR, I had to add a shrimp.
If you are willing to wait another 2 weeks (I know, its hard to wait, but it is probably for the better), I'd goto the grocery store and buy a raw, peeled shrimp. Just toss it in and let it decompose, that will kick your ammonia and everythign will follow in turn. My tank didn't spike either with the LR, I had to add a shrimp.
stevedsona
Member
My amonia has been as high as .5 ppm and is back down to 0 and has done this like 3 times. I have all kinds of algea in the tank. Just no Nitrates or Rites.... ?????????
I have been feeding the tank for 5 weeks
I have been feeding the tank for 5 weeks
G
gobyboy06
Guest
Well here's my method. I dont use shrimp and i dont even need to let any of my tanks that i set up cycle. If you are wondering how i do this the answer is this "LIVEROCK". If you want to skip over the "cycle" of your tank place liverock into your tank as soon as possible. Having liverock in your tank when your cycle would normally be happening elimantates the need for your tank to cycle because there is bactieria on the rocks. The bactieria that is on the rocks for the most part is the same bactieria that your your tank takes weeks to generate! So if you are looking to skip over your tanks cycle please try my method. Good luck to you 
ctgretzky9
Member
Originally posted by GobyBoy06
Well here's my method. I dont use shrimp and i dont even need to let any of my tanks that i set up cycle. If you are wondering how i do this the answer is this "LIVEROCK". If you want to skip over the "cycle" of your tank place liverock into your tank as soon as possible. Having liverock in your tank when your cycle would normally be happening elimantates the need for your tank to cycle because there is bactieria on the rocks. The bactieria that is on the rocks for the most part is the same bactieria that your your tank takes weeks to generate! So if you are looking to skip over your tanks cycle please try my method. Good luck to you
okaaayyyy....disregard this post totally. Your tank MUST cycle. Adding live rock usually BEGINS the cycle, it doesn't eliminate it!
Do what was posted erlier, use live rock, add a peeled raw shrimp and let it go...your ammonia will spike then recede, your nitrites will spike then recede, then your nitrates will spike then come down to the level it is supposed to be at.
I know, 10 weeks is long, but not entirely out of the realm of it being within reason. Some tanks I have heard cycling for 2 months on these boards!
I had good success with adding some bottom feeders like hermits and snails once your trates start receding. Start slow, patience wil pay for itself with a healthy tank
shoogieboo
Member
awesome i just put 100+ lbs of live rock in my tank yesterday and filled with the water it was in..i bought it from a guy wanting to get rid of it...it has lots and lots of purple on it is this ok? also underneath it it has some things that look like worms they are white they dont' move and are hard is this bad? thanks
so you are saying that i wont get a cycle? so do i have to wait to put something in it? i have some snails and a little lobster that came with it...
so you are saying that i wont get a cycle? so do i have to wait to put something in it? i have some snails and a little lobster that came with it...
stevedsona
Member
THanks for the help....
rubberduck
Active Member
cool hitchickers
shoogieboo
Member
what about my situation? i have the rock with some snails a little crab and a little lobster? do i need to put dead shrimp will it kill the little life i have left?
woodymdt
Member
Originally posted by GobyBoy06
Well here's my method. I dont use shrimp and i dont even need to let any of my tanks that i set up cycle. If you are wondering how i do this the answer is this "LIVEROCK". If you want to skip over the "cycle" of your tank place liverock into your tank as soon as possible. Having liverock in your tank when your cycle would normally be happening elimantates the need for your tank to cycle because there is bactieria on the rocks. The bactieria that is on the rocks for the most part is the same bactieria that your your tank takes weeks to generate! So if you are looking to skip over your tanks cycle please try my method. Good luck to you
and people wonder why we don't listen to LFS workers..hehehe
:hilarious :hilarious :hilarious
funkyman
Member
I had made an earlier post that someone out there dissagrees with. Everyone has their own method of doing things and this just so happens to be mine. For all of you out there who read the article about discarding my post it is your choice but from expierience it works just fine.adding liverock as soon as possible dose elimanate the cycle because it puts bactieria in the water that then starts to multiply acording to the livestock present in the tank. . . . . chances are that the liverock you purchased had some livestock on it no matter how big or small it did so the bactieria would start to multiply (and since that is happening your ammonia dosent need to spike) and all your nitrate, nitrite ect. will regulate after about a day. Thus elimanating the cycle.and ya the puple stuff is called coraline and its great! the little worm things on the rock dont hurt anything either.How big is your tank?and im sure that since u have liverock in the tank you could have a small cleaning crew.
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visit this site and if you have any questions e-mail 'em. GOOD LUCK with your tank!
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G
gobyboy06
Guest
srry about that i forgot to sign off another name.
the last comment was made by me.
the last comment was made by me.
ophiura
Active Member
Well here's the deal....
That MAY be a correct statement, but not a rule to live by.
Many people when they add LR find that they get no signficant ammonia, even when they "push" the tank. But this is due to the LR purchased (eg cured with little die off in the new tank) or lack of any major ammonia source to jump start the cycle.
But a lot of LR is not cured, thus, putting it into the tank will result in ammonia production from die off and curing of the rock.
Both happen, but adding LR is not a guarantee that the tank doesn't need to cycle.
Basically the trick is to add an ammonia souce, a big one, IMO...a worst case scenario. Historically this was done by putting enough damsels in that it basically equaled the max stocking level of the tank from day one (1 damsel per 5 gal water). The fish were fed heavily, and this produced a lot of ammonia that then helped cycle the tank.
These days, it is cheaper and more humane (as well as less of a pain to get the fish out) to use dead shrimp from the store, or fish food. Lots of it. Push the tank - challenge it hard - to see if there is an ammonia response.
If no, then the tank, IMO, is "cycled" and ready for fish (which should never be added, IMO, more than one or two at a time).
If yes, well then the tank will cycle, and you didn't lose any fish from adding them and then realizing the tank didn't cycle yet.
But just because you added LR, IMO, does not mean that the tank will not or does not need to cycle. You can do that if you wish, but I prefer to know before investing in livestock if the tank is biologically stable.
That MAY be a correct statement, but not a rule to live by.
Many people when they add LR find that they get no signficant ammonia, even when they "push" the tank. But this is due to the LR purchased (eg cured with little die off in the new tank) or lack of any major ammonia source to jump start the cycle.
But a lot of LR is not cured, thus, putting it into the tank will result in ammonia production from die off and curing of the rock.
Both happen, but adding LR is not a guarantee that the tank doesn't need to cycle.
Basically the trick is to add an ammonia souce, a big one, IMO...a worst case scenario. Historically this was done by putting enough damsels in that it basically equaled the max stocking level of the tank from day one (1 damsel per 5 gal water). The fish were fed heavily, and this produced a lot of ammonia that then helped cycle the tank.
These days, it is cheaper and more humane (as well as less of a pain to get the fish out) to use dead shrimp from the store, or fish food. Lots of it. Push the tank - challenge it hard - to see if there is an ammonia response.
If no, then the tank, IMO, is "cycled" and ready for fish (which should never be added, IMO, more than one or two at a time).
If yes, well then the tank will cycle, and you didn't lose any fish from adding them and then realizing the tank didn't cycle yet.
But just because you added LR, IMO, does not mean that the tank will not or does not need to cycle. You can do that if you wish, but I prefer to know before investing in livestock if the tank is biologically stable.
shoogieboo
Member
thanks a bunch the tank is 100g and its about 150lbs of rock....and those little worm things, what are they? should i do a water change? how much...jut trying to do the right thing at the right time...yesterday when i set the tank up i couldn't even see my rock it was soooo cloudy no i can at least see my rock but its still a little milky...is there anything i should do? should i hook the sump and skimmer up? or just let the maxi jets circulate?