Should I challenge my cycle?
- Thread starter alohami
- Start date
kiharaconn
Member
The lfs here, which is sw only, claims that with cured rock and ls that you won't have a cycle. He claims that if you set your tank up by his directions with lr, ls and ro water that you could put fish in the next day.
mudplayerx
Active Member
I didn't test my water once during my cycle. I added the sand, live and, liverock and just waited 40 days. After 40 days I tested.
I figure why spend $45 on test kits just for a cycle when your numbers are going to be going crazy anyways, when you can just be patient and wait 40 days.
Patience is one of the most valued traits in this hobby, and my personal opinion is if you have difficulty waiting 40 days after setting up a new tank, then you may run into problematic scenarios on down the road due to impatience.
If you have the cash to buy tests kits frequently, it certainly isn't going to harm anything to test during the cycle. It is just absolutely unecessary in my opinion. I have anemones in great health now, so not testing during the cycle did nothing to make my water quality inferior.
ps- Does testing during a cycle do anything but allow you to introduce livestock more quickly? I don't se how it could. You can't do water changes to get rid of ammonia or phosphates. Adding ammonia ionizer is counter-productive at this stage. Raising ph during an ammonia spike makes ammonia way more toxic. I just don't see any cause for testing for anything during the cycle.
I figure why spend $45 on test kits just for a cycle when your numbers are going to be going crazy anyways, when you can just be patient and wait 40 days.
Patience is one of the most valued traits in this hobby, and my personal opinion is if you have difficulty waiting 40 days after setting up a new tank, then you may run into problematic scenarios on down the road due to impatience.
If you have the cash to buy tests kits frequently, it certainly isn't going to harm anything to test during the cycle. It is just absolutely unecessary in my opinion. I have anemones in great health now, so not testing during the cycle did nothing to make my water quality inferior.
ps- Does testing during a cycle do anything but allow you to introduce livestock more quickly? I don't se how it could. You can't do water changes to get rid of ammonia or phosphates. Adding ammonia ionizer is counter-productive at this stage. Raising ph during an ammonia spike makes ammonia way more toxic. I just don't see any cause for testing for anything during the cycle.
ophiura
Active Member
Originally posted by mudplayerx
I figure why spend $45 on test kits just for a cycle when your numbers are going to be going crazy anyways, when you can just be patient and wait 40 days.
I agree with you on patience but this has little to do with patience in this context. This is following a set pattern of levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate to follow how well the tank is cycling...whether it has done so at all, whether it is stalled (which can happen if pH is out of range, for example), or whatever. When we talk about patience, it is going out and throwing a bunch of fish in, it is rarely about following water chems to determine if it is OK and how things are progressing. The former is impatience...and a risky behavior, the latter is being fully involved in the tank.
IMO, you don't have to test, but I wouldn't be real comfortable.
Levels can be 0 after a month because you cycled hard, or because you barely cycled at all. One will be fine for fish, the other will be too late to start testing.
So, while patience is a key in this hobby, especially when it comes to stocking of fish and invertebrates, knowing the history of your tank - how it cycled, what the chems are, etc is equally important. I don't think patience and water testing during a cycle are at odds...I think not knowing what is going on is potentially riskier actually.