What to run (or not run) during the cycle

[pstanley]

I am finally getting ready to start the cycle. It is unbelievable how many opinions there are in this hobby. No matter what I find out through research, the next post says the complete opposite lol. Anyways, I believe I have determined that I do not need lighting, the skimmer, GFO reactor, or any form of carbon during the cycle. Is that correct? I have people telling me to run the GFO during the cycle to remove all phosphates and I have people telling me to let the cycle run its course and worry about the phosphates (if need be) afterwards. Can somebody give me a definitive list of what needs to be run or not run during the initial cycle with live rock?
Thanks in advance.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pstanley http:///t/396622/what-to-run-or-not-run-during-the-cycle#post_3534063
I am finally getting ready to start the cycle. It is unbelievable how many opinions there are in this hobby. No matter what I find out through research, the next post says the complete opposite lol. Anyways, I believe I have determined that I do not need lighting, the skimmer, GFO reactor, or any form of carbon during the cycle. Is that correct? I have people telling me to run the GFO during the cycle to remove all phosphates and I have people telling me to let the cycle run its course and worry about the phosphates (if need be) afterwards. Can somebody give me a definitive list of what needs to be run or not run during the initial cycle with live rock?
Thanks in advance.


LOL...First lesson...EVERYBODY has their own way of doing things, and every time you ask, you will get the method they use, and an explanation of why they do it that way.

A tank has to cycle, and it will go into all kinds of stages doing so. Running your equipment is a waste of time. The only test to bother with is really ammonia in the beginning...so how would you even know if you have phosphates, to need to run GFO to get rid of it. That media isn't cheap.

My way...LOL:

• Run the heater
• I like to look at my tank, and just in case some little alive thing might be seen...I turn on my lights.
• The filter should be up and running...power heads up as well.
• Live rock in place as well as sand.
  A chunk of raw shrimp to kick start the cycle...no live fish.
  I use the little strip ammomia tests...test kits aren't cheap either, and they take time to do, a quick dip and I know if I have ammonia or not...that's all I care about.
  Once ammonia drops to 0, it's time to test for nitrites, after that goes to 0, I test for nitrates and do a small water change.
  For one more week, I ghost feed an invisible fish...then test all three. If I have 0 readings on ammonia and nitrites, I do another small water change (because I'm anal)

I also had my quarantine set up and cycling at the same time, treating that tank the same way, and then I was ready to add ONE little fish, actually it was two little clownfish.

 

[pstanley]

Ok...I am doing it your way lol. I think that is the most frustrating part about this hobby (so far at least)...there is too much contradictory information. I just want the right and the wrong way to do things.....that doesn't seem to exist :-(

 

[geridoc]

One of the great things about this site is that, while there are varying opinions on how to do almost everything, those opinions generally come from successful aquariasts, so you won't go wrong following their advice. That said, I agree with Flower's recommendations, although I do it differently (and my way is right, too!).

 

[pstanley]

The problem is (unlike you, who stated that flower's way was correct along with yours) most successful aquarists online seem to believe their way is the only way, often stating that other successful aquarists are "doing it wrong". Unfortunately somebody new to the hobby doesn't have anything to go off to determine who the knowledgable people are other than post count lol. I guess if you spend enough time on a site you can start to figure out who knows what they are doing....this site fortunately seems to have quite a few knowledgable people.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pstanley http:///t/396622/what-to-run-or-not-run-during-the-cycle#post_3534277
The problem is (unlike you, who stated that flower's way was correct along with yours) most successful aquarists online seem to believe their way is the only way, often stating that other successful aquarists are "doing it wrong". Unfortunately somebody new to the hobby doesn't have anything to go off to determine who the knowledgable people are other than post count lol. I guess if you spend enough time on a site you can start to figure out who knows what they are doing....this site fortunately seems to have quite a few knowledgable people.

LOL...So we have you snookered...Actually we do have a few professors, and really knowledgeable folks who have been in the hobby awhile....many of us has been around this site enough to have learned from them.

You can't go by post counts, that just shows you has a life and who doesn't. The nice thing about this site is that if we do make some mistake, another with more knowledge will usually pipe in, and give a better explanation. It creates a nice safety net, and we learn so much. That's why I always preach to folks to not go asking the LFS for advice...beginners have no way of knowing if the sales rep knows their stuff or is full of crap. It's a hard lesson to find out that 95% of them are full of crap and just trying to sell you something.

Knowledge evolves and we are always finding new information and learning. I've read that in the beginning SW was considered a rich mans hobby, because fish needed to be replaced every other month or so. Don't get me wrong, it's still expensive, but we have learned over the years how to keep stuff alive at least.

 

[geridoc]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/396622/what-to-run-or-not-run-during-the-cycle#post_3534280

Knowledge evolves and we are always finding new information and learning. I've read that in the beginning SW was considered a rich mans hobby, because fish needed to be replaced every other month or so. Don't get me wrong, it's still expensive, but we have learned over the years how to keep stuff alive at least.
Right. When I got my first salt water tank (1975) people came from all around to see the queen angel that I had had for 4 months - imagine that, a fish living for 4 months - unheard of! Things have really changed. My average now is that if a fish lives for 3 months, it will live an average of about 9 years.

 

[pstanley]

It is scary how much things have changed since my first tank roughly 20 years ago. Everybody had bioballs, nobody had refugiums, etc. So does that mean 20 years from now we will look back on what we are doing now and realize it was all wrong lol??

 

[geridoc]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pstanley http:///t/396622/what-to-run-or-not-run-during-the-cycle#post_3534299
It is scary how much things have changed since my first tank roughly 20 years ago. Everybody had bioballs, nobody had refugiums, etc. So does that mean 20 years from now we will look back on what we are doing now and realize it was all wrong lol??
Hey, what's wrong with bioballs? I still use them in my FOWLR 220, but I also have a LED-algae scrubber, so I'm not hopelessly old school.

 

[pstanley]

A fish only tank is different lol......if it was up to me I would have a 40 gallon garbage can filled with blue bioballs. Instead I have an empty sump, void of any substance :-(

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pstanley http:///t/396622/what-to-run-or-not-run-during-the-cycle#post_3534338
A fish only tank is different lol......if it was up to me I would have a 40 gallon garbage can filled with blue bioballs. Instead I have an empty sump, void of any substance :-(

Hi,

Fish only tanks benefit from macroalgae in a refugium just as well as the reef system, I would make a chamber in the sump for a fuge. You don't use a skimmer or heater?. To be honest I really think the only difference from a FOWLR and reef, is that there are no pretty corals...just ugly rock (fish are different). I have a fish only tank now (seahorses). However I opted for macroalgae because horses are such messy eaters, the macros help keep the water quality up....and gives it color. I also added décor besides the rock, to make it more interesting to look at.

LOL...No way would I have an empty sump with nothing but water, there is so much more you can do.

 

[pstanley]

LOL, no my sump isn't empty.....just missing the beautiful blue bioballs that makes the sump look like it is doing something. I currently have two heaters, skimmer, ground probe, and temperature probe as well as the return pump. I know the benefits of using a refugium but I really don't like a messy looking sump. It is hard enough keeping the display tank relatively clean of algae.....I don't want to grow it in the sump as well. Of course that may change if I run into water quality issues but I plan on staying on top of the water changes so we will see.