how can i tell if my tank is already cycled???

trillyen

trillyen

Member
my tank has been up for about 3 weeks now!!!!
both of them
and everytime ive checked my params they have been perfect with the exception of once or twice
my nitrites were high in one and the nitrates were high in the other, but other than that it was pretty much perfect everytime!!
is there anytrhing i can do to make it cycle???
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
What did you do to start the cycle? LR? LS? Dead shrimp?
Have you tested ammonia and nitrite levels daily? Did you have an ammonia spike, then a nitrite spike, then both zero?
What do you currently have in the tank?
 
trillyen

trillyen

Member
all i have in my 125 gl is lr i did have a damsel but it died
the live rock i started with in my 125 was dead to start out with cause it had been stored for about 6 months!!
but i added about 10 pds of real lr in the last week or so
no i havent tested it daily but i may start or multiple times a day!!!
in my 75 gallon i have a chromis fish and its doing fine, and i feed him like every other day, and i also added about 10 lbs of live rock (real lr) to that tank as well in the last week or so
can i cycle my tank with dead shrimp from like a grocery store in my 125???
my chromis will cylce out my 75 gallon eventually correct???
 
myreef05

myreef05

Member
Best not to cycle with a fish. It is mean and cruel to say the least.
Use a raw shrimp to cycle both tanks.
 
trillyen

trillyen

Member
Originally Posted by trillyen
all i have in my 125 gl is lr i did have a damsel but it died
the live rock i started with in my 125 was dead to start out with cause it had been stored for about 6 months!!
but i added about 10 pds of real lr in the last week or so
no i havent tested it daily but i may start or multiple times a day!!!
in my 75 gallon i have a chromis fish and its doing fine, and i feed him like every other day, and i also added about 10 lbs of live rock (real lr) to that tank as well in the last week or so
can i cycle my tank with dead shrimp from like a grocery store in my 125???
my chromis will cylce out my 75 gallon eventually correct???
anything??
can i use a reg table shrimp!!!
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
Yes, you can buy cocktail shrimp from the grocery store and toss them in the tank.
Or, if that smell doesn't seem very appealing to you, you can buy a small bottle of pure household ammonia (with no additives, not the lemon crap) and drop a couple of capfuls in your tank. I cycled my 55 gallon tank that way, and my 30 gallon tank. It works the same way only you have an instant ammonia spike (you don't have to wait for the shrimp to decay in the water).
I'd take the fish out of the tank while it is cycling. Even if they survive the cycle, it shortens their lifespan. Kind of like smoking 2 packs a day...you may not get cancer tomorrow, but you won't live as long as you could have if you weren't pumping the toxins into your throat and lungs. :thinking:
 
trillyen

trillyen

Member
ok sounds good i think i will go get some ---- tail shrimp to night!!
great advice thank you
but if i take out my chromis his life span will shorten drastically cause i dont have any where for him to go but in a fresh water tank!!
will the ammonia spike lead to a nitrite and nitrate spike???
which i havent had yet??
does a tank always have to have a nitrite and nitrate spike, cause i dont believe my first ones ever did???
 
trillyen

trillyen

Member
hey going poor im glad you gave me some advice i was looking for that post you put up where i sent you a message and gave you advice
where is that dang thing at???
so hows your tank choice coming
to bad your married i love to see your tank but i guess pics woul;d do lol!!!!
so do you know if tanks have to go through a nitrate and nitrite cycle???!!!
thanks!!
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
Originally Posted by trillyen
will the ammonia spike lead to a nitrite and nitrate spike???
which i havent had yet??
does a tank always have to have a nitrite and nitrate spike, cause i dont believe my first ones ever did???
Decaying shrimp gives off ammonia causing it to spike. Bacteria break that down causing ammonia level to drop. It is broken down into nitrite causing it to spike. Another kind of bacteria breaks that down causing nitrite level to drop. It is broken down into nitrate causing to to spike. Nitrate can be further broken down into plain old nitrogen. That is the "nitrogen cycle" or in the fish tank realm "the cycle." You MUST go through all those steps, or the tank hasn't "cycled" yet.
 
kanicky

kanicky

Member
What kind of test kit are you using to test the parameters?
If it's a strip test kit, that may be why you're not seeing any spikes or any readings...
 
goingpoor

goingpoor

Member
Originally Posted by trillyen
hey going poor im glad you gave me some advice i was looking for that post you put up where i sent you a message and gave you advice
where is that dang thing at???
so hows your tank choice coming
to bad your married i love to see your tank but i guess pics woul;d do lol!!!!
so do you know if tanks have to go through a nitrate and nitrite cycle???!!!
thanks!!

what does it matter about coming and seeing my tank if im married unless you where interested in seeing more

where are you located around here you can go up to exotics and aquatics and ask for bio speria it will cycle your tank over night. i had bought my first saltwater tank from my aunt who kept killing everything water perimeters where toxic lfs told me it would of been easier to start new but i didt weekly water changes and it took me about 2 months to get it all right but that seems so long ago but in reality it was ony 4 years. :hilarious
 
trillyen

trillyen

Member
lol at going poor, and asking me if i wanted to see kore!!!
lol, maybe wink wink!!
i have a API master test kit, and its the little test tube tester thingy
i think im gonna take going poors advice and get serpia, and if i caant find it im just gonna use table shrimp!!
 
05xrunner

05xrunner

Active Member
Originally Posted by goingpoor
buy some bio speria that will cycle your tank over night
I used that in my 75...Never had a problem and tank cycled fast
 
goingpoor

goingpoor

Member
Originally Posted by trillyen
hey going poor im glad you gave me some advice i was looking for that post you put up where i sent you a message and gave you advice
where is that dang thing at???
so hows your tank choice coming
to bad your married i love to see your tank but i guess pics woul;d do lol!!!!
so do you know if tanks have to go through a nitrate and nitrite cycle???!!!
thanks!!

the thred was (my new 180 is up and running)
 
jmesmcm

jmesmcm

Member
Doesn't even have to be table shrimp, you can literally feed the new tank and it will cause a cycle. Are you planning on transferring everything from your 75 to your 120? If so, depending on what is in your 75 currently you may be able to entirely avoid a cycle like I did when I transfered from my 90 to my 120.
 
trillyen

trillyen

Member
i just got some raw head less shell on shrimp and put in both my tanks to night!!!
i dont really have time to wait and test my tanks everyday but im trying to make time
so to make sure they cycle i threw some raw shrimp in there tonight
about how long will it take for the shrimp to cause a cycle
and the nitogen that the nitrates eventually turn into what do they doi????
 
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