Re-Clycling- quick help

[mukiwa]

Hey I was just wondering if the growth of algea is the last stage of your cycle. I had fish for quite a while and they died and didn't get fish for a coulple of months and then i just recycled it and was wondering if it would be ok to add some fish. All the readings are ok and the amonia is .0 or .1-.2. The only thing that scares me to death is what if when i add fish that it will start ANOTHER cycle ? What chance of that is happening ? Will I be safe? Thanks
And one other question.... Is it better to have higher salinity or lower or doesn't matter ? Could fish live in like 1.018 ? just wondering not a major concern....
Gracious

 

[madman133]

It would be better around 1.023 or so. Also the risk of a recycle when you add fish is low unless you add tons of fish at once. For example you could add a pair of clowns then wait a couple of weeks and then add another fish just so that the bacteria can balance its slef out with each new bioload. As long as amonia is 0 nitritr is 0 and nitrate is 0 then its safe to add fish. The one thing that worries me though is you said your ammonia is up to .2 sometimes which could signal a mini cycle or the start of a cycle. How long has it been cycling the 2nd time? Also what size is you tank and how much lr do you have?

 

[mukiwa]

Well I said .2 because I asked my brother and he said it was like .1 or .2 then I asked my mom and she said it was .0 so I don't know, i thought .0 . I have a 36 gal. with about 25 lbs or live rock. Its been about 1 1/2 - 2 month since the 2nd cycle and then about 10 days ago the algea came and there have been pods all around my tank which is good. I have a quarentien but I don't know if it is cycled and there hasn't been any live rock in it for a while.
Thanks again

 

[sinner's girl]

before adding fish, try adding some fish food to the tank (since the tank has been fishless for 2 months). Feed the tank like you would if you had fish. Then test. If you're levels stay at zero, then your good. Am should be zero before adding fish. Add one fish at a time (or a pair) then wait 4-6 weeks before adding another.
Also, why did your last fish die? You'll want to know the reason(s) before adding any new fish.
sg should be about 1.023-1.025

 

[madman133]

you might want to get some more lr for your display to help with the bioload but its up to you but it would help. As far as cycling i think you should be ok but test it again to make sure. Then if thats ok youre good to go id say.

 

[mukiwa]

Originally Posted by Sinner's Girl
before adding fish, try adding some fish food to the tank (since the tank has been fishless for 2 months). Feed the tank like you would if you had fish. Then test. If you're levels stay at zero, then your good. Am should be zero before adding fish. Add one fish at a time (or a pair) then wait 4-6 weeks before adding another.
Also, why did your last fish die? You'll want to know the reason(s) before adding any new fish.
sg should be about 1.023-1.025

aha no no about 2 months ago that's what i did... I added food like you would with fish and then it spiked.... now the level have dropped (tested them about 4 hours ago). And now I am wondering if I could order some fish tonight or not ?
It should be ok. Another thing is that a quarientien has to be cycled right ? before adding fish.. I havn't had live rock in there for a while but I dno't plan on adding fish to that... but what if I did..... ?
Thanks

 

[sinner's girl]

yeah, your QT needs to be cycled before adding fish.
You can still add food to the tank to see if your am spikes.... the food will increase the bioload, help the tank get ready for fish.
I havn't had live rock in there for a while but I dno't plan on adding fish to that... but what if I did..... ?
Lr in your qt or main tank? You can add lr to either, I would add it to the main tank myself, that why the qt can be used as a hospital tank, though you could always move the lr if you needed.
If you're just getting one fish, you can add the first fish to your main tank, while your qt cycles. add all other fish to the qt first. but, if the fish gets sick, you won't have a way to treat it if your qt isn't up and running.

 

[mukiwa]

Does it really take 2-4 weeks for the bio load to settle down ? Does it matter what kind of filter you have on ? I have a SeaLife Pro 75 I think on it... so the filtration is an over kill........Couldn't I just add like 2 or 3 fish and then wait ?
Thanks

 

[madman133]

yeah you should only add 2 at once though and even then only if its a pair or have to be added at the same time. The Cincientious marine aquarist(the aquarium bible) recomends adding fish evry 2 weeks

 

[sinner's girl]

every two weeks is too soon, esp for 36gl. Add one or a pair, wait 4-6 weeks, then add another fish (test before).
I have a 75gl, I'll be adding three at once, but I'm feeding my tank like I already have fish in there, and I'll go slow on the feeding when I add them. And it's been established for years, two years or so in the current location. I also have lots of lr and no other fish.

 

[mukiwa]

Ok so how about 2 clownfish, 2 firefish, and 1 bicolor anglefish- but only adding 2 at a time of course. With a couple of shrimp and snails ? Will that be ok ? I think it should.
And who says my tank hasn't been set up for 2 years... Actually is has been 2 years this month. What do you guys think....
Thanks

 

[madman133]

Yeah but it hasnt been set up for 2 years straight you restarted it acouple of times it sounds like. I agree with you now sinner's girl i didnt relize it was only a 36 gal. for some reason though it was a 75. and he had a qt that was 36. Oops my bad.