tank
- Thread starter flood
- Start date
tanker newbie
Member
it usally takes 6 to 8 weeks, but it can be shorter (or longer)depending on many things
just dont do water changes or overcrowd your tank and give it time
just dont do water changes or overcrowd your tank and give it time
tanker newbie
Member
theres a few ways to cycle a tank
first off you can cycle it with shrimp
or
you can cycle it with live sand/live rock
or
you can get a minimal ammount of hardy fish(about 2 should be good) and the ammount of ammonia they produce should be enough
just dont do water changes during the cycle or use a protein skimmer
first off you can cycle it with shrimp
or
you can cycle it with live sand/live rock
or
you can get a minimal ammount of hardy fish(about 2 should be good) and the ammount of ammonia they produce should be enough
just dont do water changes during the cycle or use a protein skimmer
playtime
Member
If you have done this with a 30 gal then you probably know the drill. using estabished water will help but I cant stress enough the importance of being patient. don't rush the cycle, you will pay the price later. if you want to add damsels to help that should be fine just don't rush. What type of tank are you starting, reef or f/o? That makes a diffrence too. Are you adding live rock?
I would keep an eye on my levels and go from there, just don't rush. ( I know I said that 3 times) that's how important it is. Good luck
playtime
I would keep an eye on my levels and go from there, just don't rush. ( I know I said that 3 times) that's how important it is. Good luck
playtime
b_ball12_99
Member
Taking it slow is important. The only way your cycle is complete is when your readings rise and then bottom out. You can do damsels now.
fat_ed
Member
I'm not sure why tanker newbie always recommends that you not run a protein skimmer during the cycling period, as this is far from a hard and fast rule. Some popular skimmers, such as the CPR Bak Pak are equipped with bio filter media that promote the bacteria necessary to promote the cycle. Unfortunately, this media (like all non-organic filtering devices) can later become a source of high nitrates in the tank, which is why some people advocate removing the media altogether.
Moreover, there is a split opinion as to whether you should run the skimmer during the cycle if you cycle with live rock. Personally, I've used damsels and cured live rock to cycle my tank on two separate occasions (most recently with a 4" live sand bed.) The first time I cycled w/o the skimmer on, and the second time with. I found that the second time the cycle went far faster -- almost an instant cycle due to the DSB and quantity of live rock. In my case at least, the use of the skimmer did not lengthen the time of the cycle.
Obviously, some pieces of equipment, such as a UV sterilizer, have no place in the initial cycle -- however, I don't agree that the skimmer is necessarily one of them.
Flood, my advice to you, depending on your budget, is before you add fish to purchase enough live sand to build a 3"-4" sand base, and around 1 lb./gallon of quality live rock. If you want to add a couple damsels or raw shrimp during this time period as an ammonia source, do it. Once your nitrites have dropped, add a detrivore kit to further seed the bed. Give the detrivores at least a week to establish themselves, then consider adding a cleanup crew or another fish or two.
Good Luck!
Moreover, there is a split opinion as to whether you should run the skimmer during the cycle if you cycle with live rock. Personally, I've used damsels and cured live rock to cycle my tank on two separate occasions (most recently with a 4" live sand bed.) The first time I cycled w/o the skimmer on, and the second time with. I found that the second time the cycle went far faster -- almost an instant cycle due to the DSB and quantity of live rock. In my case at least, the use of the skimmer did not lengthen the time of the cycle.
Obviously, some pieces of equipment, such as a UV sterilizer, have no place in the initial cycle -- however, I don't agree that the skimmer is necessarily one of them.
Flood, my advice to you, depending on your budget, is before you add fish to purchase enough live sand to build a 3"-4" sand base, and around 1 lb./gallon of quality live rock. If you want to add a couple damsels or raw shrimp during this time period as an ammonia source, do it. Once your nitrites have dropped, add a detrivore kit to further seed the bed. Give the detrivores at least a week to establish themselves, then consider adding a cleanup crew or another fish or two.
Good Luck!