No Cycling!!

[kimkissyfish]

Hi,
I have had my FT set up for 1 week. On the second day I added 20 lbs of LR: Day 3 added 20 lbs LR & 5 Damsels: day 4 added 30 lbs LR.....
day 7
ammonia is 0.25 still
Ph has been up and down 8.6 8.2 8.4
temp been 76-80 (opened cover today to cool back to 78)
No Nitrites, nitrates
salinity 1.022- 1.023
water has remaines clear
**should I use the shrimp idea (?? with damsels present)??
I can return the damsels to LFS to do this, he gives credit towards fish purchase
Or, add some kind of algea or liguid stuff?? I read the back of the liguid cycle stuff and decided against it, cant remember why? I was on percocet.. LOLOL But nevertheless, I didnt buy it..
I dont want to mess up this absolutely georgous tank but would like it to GET ON CYCLING!! LOLOL
If it at least started to cycle, I would feel a bit better!
Kim

 

[kimkissyfish]

Hi,
the LR is CURED!
Thanks, Kim

 

[fritzdwhiz]

It will start on the second week............. At least based on my experience.

 

[lathen]

Some random cycling ideas ( adding nitrifying bacteria supposedly helps speed the process ) ...
1) Obviously Damsels - just hope you can fish em out OK if you plan on getting back to the LFS.
2) Pure ammonia - bought at the store to start the ammonia cycle - this can be done without any live fish in your tank.
3) Dead Shrimp to start the ammonia process.
4) Cleaner shrimp - seemed to work fine with me - CBS and Red Fire Shrimp all went through two ammonia cycles with me with no apparent problems ( this wasnt doen intentionally btw ).
5) New product called BIO SPIRE - only for fresh water ATM, but will be coming out soon for marine fish - supposed to INSTANTLY cycle your tank - kinda too good to be true, but all the LFS and their customers have so far sworn by it.
6) Patience - nahhhh....I can never seem to use this one.
Lathen

 

[nightshiftman]

you MUST just give the tank time to mature on it's own or you can go with plan b, take a wiz in the tank! honest to god!! good luck! BTW, i recommend plan a. give it time and take it slow.

 

[kimkissyfish]

Thanks bunches....
I guess I will wait it out till next week, If it doesnt start I will give it some help!!
About the damsels... The black one is MEAN!!! I have heard everyone saying how hard it is getting them OUT.... Maybe just in the AM when I feed them, (they seem to know in the am when I open the top, its feeding time) Real quickly "NET HIM!!! LOL
I hope this works!!
Thanking you kindly, Kim

 

[lathen]

Speaking of Black Damsles are you talking Domino or Blue Neon ? I had a Domino initially that was MEAN, smart, and quick! A viscious combination. He bullied my Yellowtail to no end, harassed my 2 Perculas constantly ( even though they are twice his size ) and scooted around the tank like he owned the place. I saw my anemone ( RIP ) sting him a few times, but he always got away. He even learned how to use my fire shrimp to clean him by watching them clean my purple tang ( thats why I claimed he was smart - cause none of my other fish know how to do that yet ). Anyway, it took a complete dismantling of my LR to fish him out - I gave him to my friend to get him out of the tank and keep it more peaceful. Getting him out was quite a chore.
Lathen

 

[buzz]

Kim - I know this isn't generally the best way, but I had the same readings as you - my ammonia hung in there despite all others dropping. I went through the shrimp method, and it worked great at getting the tank cycling. But afterward, I still had ammonia of .25.
I added some stresszyme, and it pushed that right over, and wiped out my ammonia. The tank finished it's cycle, and I have had 3 fish in the tank for over a week with no increase in any levels.

 

[broncofish]

I have also used the stress zyme on the recomendation of a buddy of mine. I was a skeptic but it worked, and it worked well. I added 3 weeks into the cycle when my ammo level was staginet @ about .25. Knocked it right out. It's just a bottle of bacteria so I guess it makes sense.

 

[kimkissyfish]

Lathen,
Sounds like he was ONE smart fish!! LOL I hope I dont have such a time catching the little sh*t.. LOL It is a domino too.. =)
Thanks so much everyone for your suggestions, i think i will buy the bacteria!!!!!! oops and stress coat and see if it works......
Thanking you kindly, Kim

 

[fshhub]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I personally do not like stres zyme or cycle
MO, wait the cycle will happen and you will be glad you waited. Trust me, noting wrong with giving it a few extra days. I personally will wait out any cycle , NOW. Been there, done that and impatience will not get you a thinng in this hobby, except receipts and headaches, coupled with more work.
WAIT

 

[kimkissyfish]

OOOP,
I wished I had read you post FIRST... I put in the cycle today.../
I guess I will check the levels in the AM and see how it works... Oh, I didnt ass the strss coat though.. the guy at the LFS said just use the cycle..... BOY, I am so mad at myself...... BUT if I just wait it out now and not go crazy and buy real fish, I should be OK!
Thanking you kindly, Kim

 

[cjburden]

another thing you could do kim, is go to lovely pets and ask steve for a dirty filter pad. He keeps a bunch laying around. Just toss that into the mechanical filter you're using and it'll help with the cycle. Thats what I used on mine and its working pretty well.
May be a moot point being that you got some of that stress zyme stuff, but if that doesn't help this is another option to try.
My guess though is that you probably are having a short cycle, since all of their rock is fully cured and you'll probably be ready to add fish quite soon.

 

[entice59]

urine is a good way to spike up the ammonia, do some waterchanges to get rid of the yellowness in the water, dont know if this is true and i dont recommend you to really try it

 

[jarvis]

Originally posted by nightshiftman
you MUST just give the tank time to mature on it's own or you can go with plan b, take a wiz in the tank! honest to god!! good luck! BTW, i recommend plan a. give it time and take it slow.

I dont think I could go with plan B. Just the thought of having my own urine in the tank would make me a little on edge when it comes time to clean it. However If any of my friends get into saltwater fish I will tell them that it is the best method to cycle the tank. Just the thought of someone taking a leak in there tank makes me laugh.

 

[ophiura]

Originally posted by fshhub
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I personally do not like stres zyme or cycle
MO, wait the cycle will happen and you will be glad you waited. Trust me, noting wrong with giving it a few extra days. I personally will wait out any cycle , NOW. Been there, done that and impatience will not get you a thinng in this hobby, except receipts and headaches, coupled with more work.
WAIT
AMEN!!!!
Couldn't agree with this more.

 

[pmauro]

KimKissyFish
I am in the same boat you are. I added 350 lbs of live rock a week after I started the cycle expecting it to pass quickly. I am now starting week 4 amo is 0 but trates and trites are still high. The waiting game continues

 

[kimkissyfish]

OK,
Well, I decided to ride it out...... I went to my fish guy when my ammonia spiked to 3.0+ (i think) my journal is downstairs) lol
Well, Steve gave me dirty media filter stuff from his tanks, I popped it into my fluval catridge and WAIT for the nitarites to drop and the Nitrates to rise..... Anyone know how long it takes to finish the cycle after the ammonia first starts to drop.....
Ahhhhh, isnt this FUN???????
Thanking you kindly, Kim

 

[cjburden]

Originally posted by KimKissyFish
OK,
Well, I decided to ride it out...... I went to my fish guy when my ammonia spiked to 3.0+ (i think) my journal is downstairs) lol
Well, Steve gave me dirty media filter stuff from his tanks, I popped it into my fluval catridge and WAIT for the nitarites to drop and the Nitrates to rise..... Anyone know how long it takes to finish the cycle after the ammonia first starts to drop.....
Ahhhhh, isnt this FUN???????
Thanking you kindly, Kim
Well I would say there isn't a definate answer to that. I'd be willing to bet that it would be a couple weeks still. Attached is a helpful diagram I scanned from a book I have recommended by a lot of the people on this and other forums as well, called 'the conscientious marine aquarist'.

 

[buzz]

I prefaced my post on stresszyme by saying I know it isn't generally the best or recommended way . I have seen a lot of posts with people (yes, fshhub too) saying they don't like stresszyme or any additives. I am simply saying it worked for me. I have used it on 2 tanks. One didn't cycle at all (29g). The other (60g) was cycled naturally for a month, with LR, LS and raw shrimp. After that, everything else but ammonia dropped. Based on everyone's opinion, I tried without any additives. I only used one dose of stresszyme, and the next day, my ammonia was gone. My current levels are Ammo - 0, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate 5 and dropping (My DSB is working great!) See my sig line for what is in the tank.