HELP ! Tips for Cycling My New Aquarium (Fish Only Tank)

[fabyspanish]

Hola, Yo (I) started my first saltwater aquarium, For fish only (eighteen gallons). I have live sand and live rock, filter, powerhead 500, small protein skimmer and a small bag of carbon. I got my salt to 1.022/1.023
** What is Cycling ?
1. water changes while the tank is cycling:
Is it important to do regular small water changes to keep my tank in best condition.
2. Cycling with damsels ? (I bought 3 damsels to start cycle process).
I have heard from multiple sources, and done some online research that damselfish are good starter fish to help cycle of the tank, and may even help speed up the process. Have any of you used this method? Does it work?
I aslo went to the last LFS, where the owner told me that I should throw a damsel in right away because it was faster and then it would be enjoyable to watch. he kept telling me that the damsel way was the way to go because (in his words) "Hey, I sell those damsels for $3 and if they die, then who cares".
speed is not important to me, I want to do this right.
3. How do I know when my slatwater aquarium is finished cycling ? Do I need cleaning crew ?
I started my first saltwater tank about three weeks ago and im waiting for it to finish cycling.
If i put fish in it to help the cycle process with that hurt the cylce process because i read somewhere that the fish create ammoina which helps the process.

 

[flower]

Hello and welcome to the site.
It sounds like what you need is a good BEGINNERS book on keeping SW aquariums. They will explain what a cycle is, and give you some basics to understand what you are doing, and help you to know what questions to ask.
#1 rule: NEVER, EVER ask the LFS for any advice on ANYTHING. Not fish, equipment or additives. Go into the LFS already knowing what you want or need. This site and others like it, serves that purpose.
Now to answer your question, on what is a cycle. In the simplest beginner terms I can come up with.
Fish live in the tank water, they eat, sleep, mate and poop all in the same water. They have adapted, and here is how it works. The ammonia sea life critters release as waste is rotten, then tiny bacteria has developed that feeds on ammonia, and for lack of a better way to explain it...those little bacteria poops nitrites that swallow up the ammonia. Nitrites are still deadly to sea life, but not to worry another tiny bacteria develops and feeds on the nitrites and it "poops" nitrates which are harmless to fish within a certain number. In nature (the ocean) the nitrates become a gas that is released into the air and removed, this is all called the nitrogen cycle...but that takes time, and our little tank can't remove the nitrates fast enough, so water changes are done to remove them. The cycle continues throughout the life of your tank, but the little colonies of good bacteria is built up (living on the rocks, sand and whatever else is in the tank such as fake decorations) to take care of the ammonia and nitrites.
If you have water in your tank nothing will happen until you introduce some rot to create ammonia. Your tank is not ready for life because ammonia, which will become nitrites are deadly to sea life. So us normal thinking people who like to keep fish as pets, do not cycle the tank with a live fish, not even a $3.00 damsel.
Here is why the damsel is so cheap: It's a beautiful EVIL little devil fish, it will kill anything you add to the tank less timid then themselves. When they mature they have been known to bite you drawing blood whenever you put your hand in the tank. When it comes to saltwater critters, whatever you add first, dictates what you can be added later, and damsels are super hard to catch to remove.
So the way to begin your first cycle can be done with a chunk of raw shrimp, or pour 1/4 cup of pure ammonia (found in the laundry section in any supermarket), or ghost feed (feed an invisible fish, flake food for a while). You want the ammonia to spike at 1.0 to begin the cycle.
Putting in a live fish is not faster, in fact it slows it all down, because to keep the fish alive you have to do what is called a "soft" cycle...that means that you do an ammonia test 2xs a day, every time you see a spike in ammonia, you must do a water change to keep the fish alive. Removing the ammonia like that makes the whole process take longer. If you drop in a chunk of raw shrimp...just let it go, no water change until the cycle has reached 0 ammonia, and 0 nitrites...then do the small water change to remove the nitrates.
The way to know what the water is doing as far as the cycle, and keeping your critters alive...the LAB type water tests (stay away from the API brand) you need your own tests, not take a water sample to the LFS. Order your test kits on-line if you must. Multi or master kits are cheaper then purchasing the tests individually. It isn't hard at all to do, you take a little water sample from your tank, add the test chemicals and look at the color and match it to a chart to see the result. Each test also comes with instructions to tell you what it SHOULD be, to keep a healthy tank. That's where additives and such come in, but you never dose them unless the test results tell you that you need to. Most times a water change will reset all the parameters to proper conditions, so regular water changes of about 3% each month keeps the tank water healthy for your fish to live in.
What I wrote is a very simple version, get a good beginners book, it should be your first purchase. The conscientious Aquarist by Robert Fenner, is an excellent book, so is the Saltwater aquariums for dummies book.
P.S.
A CUC is a Clean Up Crew consisting of snails, crabs, shrimp and sea stars depending on what you like. They feed on the algae and keep your tank clean. You only add a few critters at a time depending on the build up of algae or they will starve with nothing to eat. The reason I personally find SW tanks easier to maintain is that the CUC, actually does what they should, and keep the tank clean. I do a 3% water change to remove nitrates and replenish the trace elements, and the CUC does the rest. When I kept freahwater fish, algae eaters didn't do their job well enough, and once a year my fish were put in buckets, the tank and decor was scrubbed, the gravel had to be vacuumed and all the water replaced...my poor back...and the poor stressed fish.

 

[grant778]

Yerp. Flower covered most of it.

 

[geridoc]

Flower covered it pretty well, except for one thing. I am a professional biologist and, as such, I hold all life (even damsel fish) to be precious. It annoys the h.ll out of me when someone says "Hey, I sell those damsels for $3 and if they die, then who cares". You can be sure the damsel cares! And as a tank keeper, you should care too. Use a piece of shrimp, or just add ammonium chloride to initiate the cycle - don't torture a fish to death, it just isn't necessary.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/396179/help-tips-for-cycling-my-new-aquarium-fish-only-tank#post_3529245
Hello and welcome to the site.
It sounds like what you need is a good BEGINNERS book on keeping SW aquariums. They will explain what a cycle is, and give you some basics to understand what you are doing, and help you to know what questions to ask.
#1 rule: NEVER, EVER ask the LFS for any advice on ANYTHING. Not fish, equipment or additives. Go into the LFS already knowing what you want or need. This site and others like it, serves that purpose.
Now to answer your question, on what is a cycle. In the simplest beginner terms I can come up with.
Fish live in the tank water, they eat, sleep, mate and poop all in the same water. They have adapted, and here is how it works. The ammonia sea life critters release as waste is rotten, then tiny bacteria has developed that feeds on ammonia, and for lack of a better way to explain it...those little bacteria poops nitrites that swallow up the ammonia. Nitrites are still deadly to sea life, but not to worry another tiny bacteria develops and feeds on the nitrites and it "poops" nitrates which are harmless to fish within a certain number. In nature (the ocean) the nitrates become a gas that is released into the air and removed, this is all called the nitrogen cycle...but that takes time, and our little tank can't remove the nitrates fast enough, so water changes are done to remove them. The cycle continues throughout the life of your tank, but the little colonies of good bacteria is built up (living on the rocks, sand and whatever else is in the tank such as fake decorations) to take care of the ammonia and nitrites.
If you have water in your tank nothing will happen until you introduce some rot to create ammonia. Your tank is not ready for life because ammonia, which will become nitrites are deadly to sea life. So us normal thinking people who like to keep fish as pets, do not cycle the tank with a live fish, not even a $3.00 damsel.
Here is why the damsel is so cheap: It's a beautiful EVIL little devil fish, it will kill anything you add to the tank less timid then themselves. When they mature they have been known to bite you drawing blood whenever you put your hand in the tank. When it comes to saltwater critters, whatever you add first, dictates what you can be added later, and damsels are super hard to catch to remove.
So the way to begin your first cycle can be done with a chunk of raw shrimp, or pour 1/4 cup of pure ammonia (found in the laundry section in any supermarket), or ghost feed (feed an invisible fish, flake food for a while). You want the ammonia to spike at 1.0 to begin the cycle.
Putting in a live fish is not faster, in fact it slows it all down, because to keep the fish alive you have to do what is called a "soft" cycle...that means that you do an ammonia test 2xs a day, every time you see a spike in ammonia, you must do a water change to keep the fish alive. Removing the ammonia like that makes the whole process take longer. If you drop in a chunk of raw shrimp...just let it go, no water change until the cycle has reached 0 ammonia, and 0 nitrites...then do the small water change to remove the nitrates.
The way to know what the water is doing as far as the cycle, and keeping your critters alive...the LAB type water tests (stay away from the API brand) you need your own tests, not take a water sample to the LFS. Order your test kits on-line if you must. Multi or master kits are cheaper then purchasing the tests individually. It isn't hard at all to do, you take a little water sample from your tank, add the test chemicals and look at the color and match it to a chart to see the result. Each test also comes with instructions to tell you what it SHOULD be, to keep a healthy tank. That's where additives and such come in, but you never dose them unless the test results tell you that you need to. Most times a water change will reset all the parameters to proper conditions, so regular water changes of about 3% each month keeps the tank water healthy for your fish to live in.
What I wrote is a very simple version, get a good beginners book, it should be your first purchase. The conscientious Aquarist by Robert Fenner, is an excellent book, so is the Saltwater aquariums for dummies book.
P.S.
A CUC is a Clean Up Crew consisting of snails, crabs, shrimp and sea stars depending on what you like. They feed on the algae and keep your tank clean. You only add a few critters at a time depending on the build up of algae or they will starve with nothing to eat. The reason I personally find SW tanks easier to maintain is that the CUC, actually does what they should, and keep the tank clean. I do a 3% water change to remove nitrates and replenish the trace elements, and the CUC does the rest. When I kept freahwater fish, algae eaters didn't do their job well enough, and once a year my fish were put in buckets, the tank and decor was scrubbed, the gravel had to be vacuumed and all the water replaced...my poor back...and the poor stressed fish.
LOL.... I did too cover it.....

 

[fabyspanish]

Here is the equipment I have for my aquarium. I don't know if I am doing the right thing. Any suggestion would be appreciate, Thanks. NO2 NO3 are normal Ammonia who knows.
The temperature of my tank is between 29~32 C


Powerhead 500

Is it normal ?

Mini Skimmer

Filter

 

[flower]

Blah...I get confused it seems way to easy lately.
You should look into getting yourself a Koralia type power head...the PH you have just shoots a straight stream. They look like a little fan and disperse the water wide instead of a jet stream.

 

[fabyspanish]

Thanks for replying, and I love this site. it's really helpful... It's 18 gallons (Length 62cm/24in width 32cm/13in height 38cm/15in), and one month. Most of the fishes that I've added usually will stay alive for a week or less, then it will died. what am I doing wrong ?

This is what I use to feed all of my fishes (Barrier Reef Clownfish, clark's clownfish, Ocellaris, Banded coral shrimp, damselfish )

 

[grant778]

Did you cycle the tank with a piece of table shrimp? Test ammonia, nitrites and nitrates to see if they might be what is killing your fish. If ammonia or nitrites are above 0 they could be the issue and would mean that you tank is still cycling or hasn't cycled.

 

[grant778]

As I read your earlier post, you said that you hadn't tested ammonia. That is one of the most important things to test because if ammonia is above 1 it usually equals dead fish.

 

[fabyspanish]

Test ammonia is expensive that's why I haven't checked ammonia, I have a small filter, some of the LFS told me that my filter is too small for my tank, that might be the reason why my fishes are dying, isn't it ?

 

[tthemadd1]

Testing for ammonia is easy when you buy a test kit. $40 for an API test kit. Not the best but accurate enough for your needs.
That looked like a clown fish in the tank. Do a search on here for cycling my tank. Nitrogen cycle. First tank. Etc.
Not saying plastic reef items is bad but they could leach toxins into the water. Also take a look at the fish photography forum. That will help you get an idea of the right amount of live rock.
It's all about balance. Take your time and research. When you do it right the firs time you will save hundreds of dollars on a small tank. Thousands on a large tank. The advise above is accurate and makes sense to those of us who have been doing this a long time.

 

[grant778]

You definitely need to purchase an ammonia test kit. As far as your filtration goes, with a protein skimmer and filter you are probably fine especially since your aquarium isn't all that big. In theory, one wouldn't need any filters if they did a lot of water changes but it is best to have mechanical filtration as well as the biological filtration.

 

[aquiman]

Faby, don't under estimate the importance of the proper test kit that includes ammonia. There is no getting around this hobby being expensive. Think of the test kit as an investment to take care of your bigger investment- your fish. Your water quality must be your top priority to keep a successful tank for you to enjoy. Take the advice given by the others who have responded.

 

[flower]

FabySpanish is not in America, the ammonia test is not available to him like it is here.

 

[grant778]

Too bad the test kit isn't available to him D: Well did you cycle the tank with a piece of raw shrimp earlier by letting it rot in the tank? If you let the shrimp rot in your tank for a bit then your tank is probably cycled.

 

[fabyspanish]

I did not cycle the tank in the right way(I didn't use a piece of raw shrimp, and I added fish after the first week of cycling). I did a lot of mistakes but hopefully I'll do it better for my next tank. I've got a lot of knowledge in this forum, you guys are really nice.

I want to get a 100 Gallons tank, but first I want to do everything right, I want to it right this time so I'll need your help and suggestion. Thanks.

1. Do I need to get a sump pump filter? Whats the purpose of a aquarium sump pump filter? How to set up this sump pump ?

2. I live near a beach. Can I just get "live sand" and stuff there? I was looking at "live sand" at my fish store and I'm assuming it's just sand with natural ocean bacteria and stuff in it. Could I just get a few buckets of sand from my local beach? Maybe near the tide pool area? What abot live rock?

Using actual ocean water - pros/cons ?

3. what Equipment do I need for my 100 Gallons tank. Skimmer, Filter, Powerhead, live sand and rocks, shrimp for the cycling(Do I need really do the cycling with the piece of raw shrimp), etc, what kinds, sizes, brands, etc. I'll be patient this time.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by FabySpanish http:///t/396179/help-tips-for-cycling-my-new-aquarium-fish-only-tank#post_3530435
I did not cycle the tank in the right way(I didn't use a piece of raw shrimp, and I added fish after the first week of cycling). I did a lot of mistakes but hopefully I'll do it better for my next tank. I've got a lot of knowledge in this forum, you guys are really nice.

I want to get a 100 Gallons tank, but first I want to do everything right, I want to it right this time so I'll need your help and suggestion. Thanks.

1. Do I need to get a sump pump filter? Whats the purpose of a aquarium sump pump filter? How to set up this sump pump ?

2. I live near a beach. Can I just get "live sand" and stuff there? I was looking at "live sand" at my fish store and I'm assuming it's just sand with natural ocean bacteria and stuff in it. Could I just get a few buckets of sand from my local beach? Maybe near the tide pool area? What abot live rock?

Using actual ocean water - pros/cons ?

3. what Equipment do I need for my 100 Gallons tank. Skimmer, Filter, Powerhead, live sand and rocks, shrimp for the cycling(Do I need really do the cycling with the piece of raw shrimp), etc, what kinds, sizes, brands, etc. I'll be patient this time.

Acrylic51, 2Quills and Al&Burke are the sump experts on the site, it's much easier then it sounds. LOL...I did it, so I know for certain anyone can. It gives extra water volume, a place to hide equipment like the heater, and keep your tank looking awesome. The skimmer is really your filter down there...the refugium chamber (Personally IMO a must have) with macroalgae in it, will take care of the rest of your filtering needs.

Pick your all time favorite sea critter (fish, coral or invert) and build your SW system around that. Having a plan will save you money on up-grades later.

I use an Octopus 1000 on my 90g in my sump, awesome skimmer
The MP20 is an expensive power head, but if you have the cash, it's worth it...
2 inches of sand
Rock with caves built up to about 1/2 way up the tank.
Have a refugium chamber in the sump...that way you can keep your parameters stable with little effort.

 

[grant778]

Ok. Use live sand from the fish store because the sand at the beach is very dirty. You would probably end up with a lot of junk in it that would be bad for your fish.
A sump would be good for a 100 gallon tank. I don't have one on my 29 gallon however the equipment hangs on the back and the tank doesn't look too nice when viewed from one side (I chose a peninsula location for my tank). A sump would allow you to hide all you equipment in a smaller tank under your display tank and it would also allow you to put a refugium there too so that you can get more beneficial organisms into your tank like copepods. (These organisms will breed under the right conditions in the refugium which is very good for tanks with fish that eat lots of copepods and what not). I'm not sure how setting up a sump goes because I don't have one unfortunately :/
I don't live near the ocean so I don't know whether or not you could collect sea water from it but If I lived near the ocean I would still stick with RO water just cus I don't know what is in the ocean water for sure.
I'm going to let someone else recommend equipment because I haven't been in the hobby long enough to have tried many different brands.
Flower mentioned how to cycle a tank so reread her post. I would recommend the table shrimp or pouring in some ammonia since you don't have an ammonia test kit. Pouring in the ammonia is probably the way to be most certain. After you pour in a 1/4 cup of it wait a day then test nitrites. Keep testing nitrites until nitrites go above 0 then go back to 0. This means your tank is cycling and then test for nitrates which will also spike. Then wait another day or so and test them both just to make sure nitrites are at 0. If nitrates are high do a water change. And I am assuming there are not fish in the tank when I told you to cycle the tank this way.

 

[tthemadd1]

My recommendation on sea water is that its bad. It is full of algaes and other critters you don't want in the tank. In addition the shoreline works like a skimmer which means the sand it dirty.
Does your hang on back filter have media in it?