How Far into the Cycle would you guess I am......

pcdonovan · 12/12/2007, 10:00 PM

Ok been up and running 2 weeks here's the low down.

65 Gal AGA w/ Overflow 60lbs of live sand ARAGALIVE 60 lbs of dry dead rock/ 10 lbs Live rock cured in lfs. 4 Koralia nano's set up on wavemake, ( yes they do work ) 2 running at any one time. Approx 500 gph between 2. Mag 7 return 5ft head approx 500 gph

20 Gal AGA with custom partitions and Fuge, Grape and chaeto 20 lbs of live sand ARAGALIVE in Fuge with also about 8 lbs of dry dead rock, 4 lbs of live rock cured in lfs.

Found the forums and started reading indepth after I set the tank up whoops.... so going against what most are doing these days I went on the recomendation of the LFS, and started with 3- 1.5" Damsels, 2 Green chromis, and 1 with a yellow back and blue fin tips.

Day 1 Fill tank, Put in bagged live sand, and added dead rock. added Bio Spira. Filtration running. Used tap water

Tested phosphates 0 ph8.0 amm/0 SG 1.021

Day 2 added 3 Damsels Measurements all the same. Added live rock.

Day 3 measurements Amm 1ppm Nitrite 1ppm nitrate 10ppm

Day 4- Day 7 Measurements all the same, ph started to drop so I added seachem buffer keeping the ph around 8.3

Day 8 Amm .5ppm Nitrite 1ppm Nitrate 10 ppm

Day 9 measurments the same

Day 10 Amm.5 Nitrite .5 Nitrate 5 Starting to notice what looks like Diatoms Brown on rocks and sand

Day 11 Amm.5 Nitrite 1 Nitrate 10 Brown is spreading

Day 12 Amm 0 Nitrite 1 Nitrate 10 Brown still spreading

Day 13 Amm <.5 Nitrite 1 Nitrate 0

Day 14 Amm and Nitrite same Nitrates 10

Where do you think I stand in the cycle......????

Due to the use of Bio Spira, Live Rock and Live sand, I'm not sure if I stand to see the major spike normally associated with the cycle any one have any opinions.

Thanks guys

stevelkaneval · 12/12/2007, 10:10 PM

it could take as long as a month to cycle. i did the same thing but only damsles it took my tank 5 weeks to cycle. oh yea good luck getting those fish out. it only took me 2 hours to get 2 damsles out and i only had 20 lbs of lr.

ggk1988 · 12/12/2007, 11:09 PM

I am not good at guessing but I do know one thing. Just keep doing what you are doing, testing everyday. Patience is the key to success in this hobby. Not sure what other think but i would not add any pH buffer until your cycle is complete and the tank stabilizes.

demonsp · 12/12/2007, 11:12 PM

Cut main light time.Only a few hours and add more time slowly.
You really cant trust the readings from a cycling tank but whene main readings drop and level your cycled.And only test in the morning.

Envy07 · 12/12/2007, 11:25 PM

Don't want to break this to you but I heard that damsels are very terratorial as a result they might start picking on each other and other fish. You can remove then once this starts but the problem putting them in the first place is trying to catch them.

Good news is I think adding biospira was a good idea

meco65 · 12/12/2007, 11:40 PM

More than likely the cycle is about 1/2 to 3/4 over. IMO you should wait 3 or 4 weeks before you add any thing else to the tank. Good luck with everything.
And

To Reef Central

petoonia · 12/12/2007, 11:43 PM

I would pull the damsels out asap, the rock, and sand is enough to cycle the tank properly. Damsels are a huge pain to get out. It took me a couple of hours to get one domino damsel out of my 65G.

Just be patient, and your tank will go through its cycle, just dont add any livestock until you are sure the tank is ready. Once it is ready start out slowly, and add things gradually. I always add my clean up crew first. Good luck!!!

hybridgenius · 12/13/2007, 01:15 AM

I caught the damsels by double netting after I dropped food down the center... so now is your best chance to get rid of them. They get very territorial later on and become quite familiar with there home so net them now before they know the place better than you do.

dwd5813 · 12/13/2007, 07:52 AM

i would have to guess you are at around day 15.

nobody can accurately tell you the answer to that, just be patient and keep testing until your results tell you youre done. get an rodi, take the fish back, and start over with new water. this takes a while to get started, but cutting corners leads to disaster later. good luck.

friedkalamari · 01/03/2008, 02:56 PM

guys, catching fish is easy.

take a crystal geyser water bottle, cut the top of a half inch below the neck, flip it around place it back in the bottle. put food in bottle, put bottle in tank, fish goes for food in bottle and cant get out............win.

tcilmo · 01/03/2008, 03:48 PM

Heck, I have heard all kinds of crazy stories about those pesky damsels. friedkalamari, you make it sound easy. lol, I personsally dont have experience in damsel huting, well note with bottles anyway. I've read that sometimes they just dont go to the bottles like the know whats up. Let me do some searching to see what I can find here.

12/12/2007, 10:00 PM	#1
pcdonovan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Rocky Point, NY Posts: 1	How Far into the Cycle would you guess I am...... Ok been up and running 2 weeks here's the low down. 65 Gal AGA w/ Overflow 60lbs of live sand ARAGALIVE 60 lbs of dry dead rock/ 10 lbs Live rock cured in lfs. 4 Koralia nano's set up on wavemake, ( yes they do work ) 2 running at any one time. Approx 500 gph between 2. Mag 7 return 5ft head approx 500 gph 20 Gal AGA with custom partitions and Fuge, Grape and chaeto 20 lbs of live sand ARAGALIVE in Fuge with also about 8 lbs of dry dead rock, 4 lbs of live rock cured in lfs. Found the forums and started reading indepth after I set the tank up whoops.... so going against what most are doing these days I went on the recomendation of the LFS, and started with 3- 1.5" Damsels, 2 Green chromis, and 1 with a yellow back and blue fin tips. Day 1 Fill tank, Put in bagged live sand, and added dead rock. added Bio Spira. Filtration running. Used tap water Tested phosphates 0 ph8.0 amm/0 SG 1.021 Day 2 added 3 Damsels Measurements all the same. Added live rock. Day 3 measurements Amm 1ppm Nitrite 1ppm nitrate 10ppm Day 4- Day 7 Measurements all the same, ph started to drop so I added seachem buffer keeping the ph around 8.3 Day 8 Amm .5ppm Nitrite 1ppm Nitrate 10 ppm Day 9 measurments the same Day 10 Amm.5 Nitrite .5 Nitrate 5 Starting to notice what looks like Diatoms Brown on rocks and sand Day 11 Amm.5 Nitrite 1 Nitrate 10 Brown is spreading Day 12 Amm 0 Nitrite 1 Nitrate 10 Brown still spreading Day 13 Amm <.5 Nitrite 1 Nitrate 0 Day 14 Amm and Nitrite same Nitrates 10 Where do you think I stand in the cycle......???? Due to the use of Bio Spira, Live Rock and Live sand, I'm not sure if I stand to see the major spike normally associated with the cycle any one have any opinions. Thanks guys

12/12/2007, 10:10 PM	#2
stevelkaneval Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: oshkosh wisconsin Posts: 633	it could take as long as a month to cycle. i did the same thing but only damsles it took my tank 5 weeks to cycle. oh yea good luck getting those fish out. it only took me 2 hours to get 2 damsles out and i only had 20 lbs of lr. __________________ "I live too serve you lord Megatron." "Were is the cube?" "The humans have taken it." "You fail me yet again Star Scream, get them." Current Tank Info: 20 long,korilia 1,and small ph,aquaclear70 moded fuge,coralife pc's,aqualight flouresent,seaclone skimmer,35lbs lr,green mushrooms and red and blue,and dragon eye zoas,assorted hermit crabs,nassarius snails,turbo snail,

12/12/2007, 11:43 PM	#7
petoonia HereWeGoAgain... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,648	I would pull the damsels out asap, the rock, and sand is enough to cycle the tank properly. Damsels are a huge pain to get out. It took me a couple of hours to get one domino damsel out of my 65G. Just be patient, and your tank will go through its cycle, just dont add any livestock until you are sure the tank is ready. Once it is ready start out slowly, and add things gradually. I always add my clean up crew first. Good luck!!! __________________ I've been in the hobby for about 10 years....(so I know a little bit)...(but not all that much).... Current Tank Info: 58G. Oceanic (Starphire). Mixed Reef

12/13/2007, 07:52 AM	#9
dwd5813 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 813 Posts: 2,827	i would have to guess you are at around day 15. nobody can accurately tell you the answer to that, just be patient and keep testing until your results tell you youre done. get an rodi, take the fish back, and start over with new water. this takes a while to get started, but cutting corners leads to disaster later. good luck. __________________ order some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. what can i say? in dog beers, i have only had one. - dublo8 Current Tank Info: 40B aiptasia farm

12/12/2007, 11:09 PM	#3
ggk1988 Premium Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: NW suburbs Chicago, IL Posts: 668	I am not good at guessing but I do know one thing. Just keep doing what you are doing, testing everyday. Patience is the key to success in this hobby. Not sure what other think but i would not add any pH buffer until your cycle is complete and the tank stabilizes.

12/12/2007, 11:12 PM	#4
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	Cut main light time.Only a few hours and add more time slowly. You really cant trust the readings from a cycling tank but whene main readings drop and level your cycled.And only test in the morning.

12/12/2007, 11:25 PM	#5
Envy07 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 276	Don't want to break this to you but I heard that damsels are very terratorial as a result they might start picking on each other and other fish. You can remove then once this starts but the problem putting them in the first place is trying to catch them. Good news is I think adding biospira was a good idea

12/12/2007, 11:40 PM	#6
meco65 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 1,603	More than likely the cycle is about 1/2 to 3/4 over. IMO you should wait 3 or 4 weeks before you add any thing else to the tank. Good luck with everything. And *To Reef Central*

12/13/2007, 01:15 AM	#8
hybridgenius Moved On Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Boston Posts: 435	I caught the damsels by double netting after I dropped food down the center... so now is your best chance to get rid of them. They get very territorial later on and become quite familiar with there home so net them now before they know the place better than you do.

01/03/2008, 02:56 PM	#10
friedkalamari Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: San Jose & San Francisco, California! Posts: 27	guys, catching fish is easy. take a crystal geyser water bottle, cut the top of a half inch below the neck, flip it around place it back in the bottle. put food in bottle, put bottle in tank, fish goes for food in bottle and cant get out............win.

01/03/2008, 03:48 PM	#11
tcilmo Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 59	Heck, I have heard all kinds of crazy stories about those pesky damsels. friedkalamari, you make it sound easy. lol, I personsally dont have experience in damsel huting, well note with bottles anyway. I've read that sometimes they just dont go to the bottles like the know whats up. Let me do some searching to see what I can find here.