CYCLING??? ..... help-help-help

[liongirl]

I did the cycling the hard way ... with the damsels (give me a break, im new ) I have two more weeks befor my cycle finishes, and i started it about 5 weeks ago. Is each cycle going to take this long? What can i do to speed up the cycling process anytime i add new fish or change the water? Please help? I am getting too impatient THANKS!!!

 

[seapig]

Doing water changes during your cycle will only extend your cycle. Try putting a piece of uncured live rock in there. My tank cycled completely in about two weeks with uncured live rock. Where in Orlando are yuou from??? there are some good lfs with live rock north of the city in Longwood

 

[saltwater marauder]

Each cycle? There will be only one barring you dumping 50 lbs. of uncured rock into your tank at once. You should not be doing any water changes during the cycle. How do you know you have two more weeks until your tank is done cycling? Cycling is not based on time but water parameters. When your water reads 0 across the board for ammo, trites and trates (although this will climb) your tank is cycled. please do not base it on a time frame. The last line in your post "I am getting too impatient" is and will be your biggest problem. Patience is key with saltwater, if you rush it you will have to stock up on the excedrin cause you will have nothing but problems. To speed the process get some LS and LR if you dont have some already. Be very patient , dont throw five fish in it all at once when your tank has cycled. Best advice I can give you is to get a good SW book and read, read, read.

 

[jacrmill]

as stated above you should only have one cycle. if you add too many fish too soon, then you will get another minicycle, which is a very bad thing because it has the potential to wipe out all your fish, depending on what they are. also a cycle is not based on a time frame, you wait till your ammonia goes to 0 and your nitrites fall to 0. you nitrates will not be 0. you do a water change, wait about a week then you can add 1 small fish. then you wait a little while, and you can add a bigger fish, and so on, until you get your tank stocked. the point in going slow is so the necessary bacteria in your tank has time to keep up.

 

[liongirl]

My lfs told me it would be about 2 more weeks until all of my chemicals were at 0 (so i was nearing the end of my cycle).
What is was wondering is ...... are all of the little cycles that will happen each time i change something in my tank be this long?
I also wanted to know if i could add some LS to the bottom of the tank ....... would that interrupt my cycle, should i do it now or wait until the first cycle (the one going on now with the damsels) is over? Thanks!!!!
SeaPig, Where are the lfs north of longwood? I would love to know!

 

[saltwater marauder]

There should NOT be cycles every time you add something to your tank, like I said, barring you dont add uncured LR in large chunks or too many fish at once. Who told you that you would have a cycle every time you added something or changed the water? My bet is on your LFS. Also, not sure about the nitrates not being at 0, in my 37 gal. semi-reef I have carried undetectable trates since day one, not saying it is exactly at 0 but none of my test have ever picked up any nitrates. I think you are jumping the gun and moving a little too fast which will lead you to more problems. The best advice, IMO, has always come from reading and research, dont bet the lifes of your tank inhabitants on advice from your LFS. Nobody takes the DMV driving test and then go's home to study afterward. Gotta know what you want and what your getting into before you floor it and hit the freeway.