Cycling new tank

Darsh85 · 11/12/2011, 07:55 AM

Quick question, how long should it take for Ammonia to build up in a new tank?
I added live sand and live rock on Wednesday and tested it today (Saturday) and no sign of Ammonia, Nitrites or Nitrates, also pH is at like 7.4!
Maybe I need a new test kit.

fishgate · 11/12/2011, 08:42 AM

Lots of factors for this.

What kind of water did you start with?

If your rock/sand was fully cured, you may not even get a cycle. A lot of people here like the shrimp cycle where you put a raw shrimp from the grocery store in the tank (in something like a nylon stocking) and let it rot for a week or so. That will get your cycle going.

genxbigboy · 11/12/2011, 08:46 AM

The ph seems way too low. Maybe buy another brand of ph test.

AquaReeferMan · 11/12/2011, 08:48 AM

What is your salinity?

Also +1 on the raw shrimp. Thats how I get my systems cycled.

jamesbaur13 · 11/12/2011, 09:10 AM

IMO if your tank cycles quick, still wait 6 weeks.

Reason being, you can get ich and other parasites as a hitch hiker on your rocks and sand.

If I was to do it over from the start I would have waited the 6 weeks for the cycle, added all of my corals first and 6 weeks after that then start adding fish. Reason being, parasites can hitch hike from corals as well.

Me personally, am in that spot... reef tank fully stocked with fish, rock and frags. Now I got ich.

It was likely due to me having a poor quarantine of the fish, but it's not ruled out that it didn't come from one of the means described above. I didn't QT corals, cheato nor LR.

It wasn't fun pulling all 11 fish and setting them all up in a qt so my display tank can go fishless for 6 weeks (minimum) to starve out the parasites.

Darsh85 · 11/12/2011, 12:22 PM

I started with RO water, added my salt its now at 1.020 so i think i'll buy a new pH test. Its just over 10kg of live rock with about 25kg of dead rock in a 285L.
When I put the sand in there was plenty of silt and with the filters running it took about 2 days for the water to clear so when I did the test today I was expecting a reading.
I was going to do the shrimp cycle thing originally but then when I sourced some good rock and sand I thought I wouldn't need to.

fishgate · 11/12/2011, 12:28 PM

Also just as an FYI: Ammonia in the tank comes from something that excretes it while it is living or from the breakdown of the organic material when it dies. If you have nothing in your tank doing one of these things, you won't see any ammonia since there is nothing to create it. That is why the dead shrimp works to start a cycle. It breaks down and releases ammonia which cause the BB to multiply.

Darsh85 · 11/12/2011, 12:55 PM

Yeah I know I understand the nitrogen cycle but Im new to marine and I asked the guy I bought the sand and rock from will I need to feed the tank or use the shrimp method and he told me that the sand and rock would do everything. So I was hoping that there was enough die off on the rock and in the sand to produce ammonia but obviously there isnt so Ill use the shrimp method like I was going to originally. Ill make a trip to the supermarket in the morning, thanks for the help.

Darsh85 · 11/12/2011, 01:24 PM

Actually I just checked it again, pH 8.0 and Ammonia about 5.0.

Darsh85 · 11/12/2011, 03:49 PM

Yeah ill give it a week i think before i do anything.

freetareef · 11/12/2011, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darsh85

Yeah I know I understand the nitrogen cycle but Im new to marine and I asked the guy I bought the sand and rock from will I need to feed the tank or use the shrimp method and he told me that the sand and rock would do everything. So I was hoping that there was enough die off on the rock and in the sand to produce ammonia but obviously there isnt so Ill use the shrimp method like I was going to originally. Ill make a trip to the supermarket in the morning, thanks for the help.

yeah, that guy is an idiot. the nitrogen cycle starts with waste. period. add a half shrimp. first ammonia will spike, then nitrites and then finally no3 (nitrates). tell us more about your system.

oh, and your sg should be around 1.028 or so....

dzfish17 · 11/12/2011, 05:54 PM

You dont have to use a shrimp... you can ghost feed the tank instead. Just add a small pinch of flake food everyday as if you were feeding a few fish. Either way works fine.

freetareef · 11/12/2011, 08:31 PM

if you put in a piece of shrimp, you can take it out in a week, but either way will work

Darsh85 · 11/13/2011, 01:17 PM

Thanks for the replies, i'll leave it a few days and if the ammonia levels don't rise high enough i'll do the shrimp thing.

Its just going to be a FOWLR system for the time being so does 1.028 sound pretty high i was aiming for about 1.022-1.024.

dzfish17 · 11/13/2011, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darsh85

Thanks for the replies, i'll leave it a few days and if the ammonia levels don't rise high enough i'll do the shrimp thing.

Its just going to be a FOWLR system for the time being so does 1.028 sound pretty high i was aiming for about 1.022-1.024.

Its not that critical for a FOWLR. I keep mine at 1.021

Darsh85 · 11/13/2011, 05:47 PM

I bought some Fluval Clearmax today to remove nitrates and phosphates.
How important is this for a FOWLR setup?
Also should i use it straight away or wait until after Ammonia and Nitrate levels are reduced?

11/12/2011, 07:55 AM	#1
Darsh85 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ireland Posts: 83	Cycling new tank Quick question, how long should it take for Ammonia to build up in a new tank? I added live sand and live rock on Wednesday and tested it today (Saturday) and no sign of Ammonia, Nitrites or Nitrates, also pH is at like 7.4! Maybe I need a new test kit.

11/12/2011, 08:46 AM	#3
genxbigboy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Rowland Heights Posts: 103	ph too low The ph seems way too low. Maybe buy another brand of ph test.

11/12/2011, 08:48 AM	#4
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	What is your salinity? Also +1 on the raw shrimp. Thats how I get my systems cycled. __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

11/12/2011, 09:10 AM	#5
jamesbaur13 Apsiring Alhcohlolic Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 772	IMO if your tank cycles quick, still wait 6 weeks. Reason being, you can get ich and other parasites as a hitch hiker on your rocks and sand. If I was to do it over from the start I would have waited the 6 weeks for the cycle, added all of my corals first and 6 weeks after that then start adding fish. Reason being, parasites can hitch hike from corals as well. Me personally, am in that spot... reef tank fully stocked with fish, rock and frags. Now I got ich. It was likely due to me having a poor quarantine of the fish, but it's not ruled out that it didn't come from one of the means described above. I didn't QT corals, cheato nor LR. It wasn't fun pulling all 11 fish and setting them all up in a qt so my display tank can go fishless for 6 weeks (minimum) to starve out the parasites. __________________ 120G AGA Dual Overflow, 40G B Sump, SRO-2000int, 2 Eheim 200w Heater, Eheim 1262 Return, BRS C & GFO React., BR-1000ss Biopellet React., Tunze 5017 ATO, 2 MP-40wes, DIY 76LED (36RB,24NW,6B,6CW,4Moon)

11/12/2011, 05:54 PM	#12
dzfish17 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Fresno,Ca. Posts: 2,545	You dont have to use a shrimp... you can ghost feed the tank instead. Just add a small pinch of flake food everyday as if you were feeding a few fish. Either way works fine. __________________ 600g (96x36x46) FOWLR

11/12/2011, 08:42 AM	#2
fishgate Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Damascus, MD Posts: 3,340	Lots of factors for this. What kind of water did you start with? If your rock/sand was fully cured, you may not even get a cycle. A lot of people here like the shrimp cycle where you put a raw shrimp from the grocery store in the tank (in something like a nylon stocking) and let it rot for a week or so. That will get your cycle going.

11/12/2011, 12:22 PM	#6
Darsh85 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ireland Posts: 83	I started with RO water, added my salt its now at 1.020 so i think i'll buy a new pH test. Its just over 10kg of live rock with about 25kg of dead rock in a 285L. When I put the sand in there was plenty of silt and with the filters running it took about 2 days for the water to clear so when I did the test today I was expecting a reading. I was going to do the shrimp cycle thing originally but then when I sourced some good rock and sand I thought I wouldn't need to.

11/12/2011, 12:28 PM	#7
fishgate Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Damascus, MD Posts: 3,340	Also just as an FYI: Ammonia in the tank comes from something that excretes it while it is living or from the breakdown of the organic material when it dies. If you have nothing in your tank doing one of these things, you won't see any ammonia since there is nothing to create it. That is why the dead shrimp works to start a cycle. It breaks down and releases ammonia which cause the BB to multiply.

11/12/2011, 12:55 PM	#8
Darsh85 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ireland Posts: 83	Yeah I know I understand the nitrogen cycle but Im new to marine and I asked the guy I bought the sand and rock from will I need to feed the tank or use the shrimp method and he told me that the sand and rock would do everything. So I was hoping that there was enough die off on the rock and in the sand to produce ammonia but obviously there isnt so Ill use the shrimp method like I was going to originally. Ill make a trip to the supermarket in the morning, thanks for the help.

11/12/2011, 01:24 PM	#9
Darsh85 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ireland Posts: 83	Actually I just checked it again, pH 8.0 and Ammonia about 5.0.

11/12/2011, 03:49 PM	#10
Darsh85 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ireland Posts: 83	Yeah ill give it a week i think before i do anything.

11/12/2011, 08:31 PM	#13
freetareef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 442	if you put in a piece of shrimp, you can take it out in a week, but either way will work

11/13/2011, 01:17 PM	#14
Darsh85 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ireland Posts: 83	Thanks for the replies, i'll leave it a few days and if the ammonia levels don't rise high enough i'll do the shrimp thing. Its just going to be a FOWLR system for the time being so does 1.028 sound pretty high i was aiming for about 1.022-1.024.

11/13/2011, 05:47 PM	#16
Darsh85 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ireland Posts: 83	I bought some Fluval Clearmax today to remove nitrates and phosphates. How important is this for a FOWLR setup? Also should i use it straight away or wait until after Ammonia and Nitrate levels are reduced?

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