The Spin on Cycling.

[WaterKeeper]

One of the most common questions by Newbies is, "When do I know when my cycle is complete?". This whole cycle thing is a throwback to freshwater aquariums. Your first FW tank was all brand new. You used an under gravel filter and covered it with nice clean gravel, some sterile Diver Dan's for aeration, plastic plants and a sunken ship for decoration. After that you filled it with tap water, added some declor and a couple of Angels, a few Barbs and maybe some Dwarf Gouramis. Satisfied with your handy work you went to bed happy only to awake to fish floating at the surface of the tank. "What the heck happened?", you asked the LFS as you brought back the tiny little corpses. "Oh", they replied, "We should have told you about ammonia in a new aquarium. Here is a book that will tell you all about it. We can't refund the money on the fish as our policy is not to guarantee fish if ammonia is found in the tank water. The book will be $49 please."

After reading the book you found out that there is a thing called the nitrogen cycle and you needed certain bacteria to develop to control ammonia. Once you did this you could add fish and all would be well.

Well, that philosophy in often brought to the reef tank by the novice. I need to cycle the tank is the thought. But wait a second. A reef is different. You can ditch the UGF or bio-wheel and use natural filtration with live rock and sand. The question is why? The reason is it is a different world when you get to salt. LR and LS are teaming with all those bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrate. More than enough for any tank--After it is cycled. If you use LR or LS the cycle that a FW tank has is instantaneous.

You don't need fish or a dead shrimp to kick it off. Soon you'll find out there is ammonia in the water without any additional aid. "What the heck WaterKeeper, you just told us that the LR and LS had all the bacteria needed?" Indeed I did. The thing is unless your rock was fully cured you also brought in a ton of dead and dying things clinging to that rock. Their decomposition is so acute that they overwhelm the rock's nitrifying bacteria. In time these decomposition products are consumed and ammonia levels fall to zero. It takes some time for it to happen but it eventually will get there. Of course, nothing in SW is easy and you soon face an algae outbreak but that is part of the "Marine Tank Cycle".

My point here is that the cycle one sees in a FW tank is far different than it is in SW. It is something one needs to learn when they enter this fine hobby.

So endth my sermon.

[marduc]

Amen?

[dileggi]

Great info Tom! Thank you greatly! I was wondering why, when I added my live rock and live sand to my tank, all my levels fluctuated and then returned to 0 without adding any food, shrimp, damsels, etc.

Thanks again!

[MinnFish]

Let the church say, "AMEN, priest on brother". Great job, minister of Info (new title, lol).

[wooden_reefer]

IMO, the whole process of cycling is so simple and natural that this is not much philsophy to speak of, just basic knowledge.

Is or isn't there a natural source of ammonia? Is there ammonia from any source, natural or added?

Is there enough medium?

How much cycling has someone else, the LFS and allies, done for you already?

As long as wind blows and grass grows, nitrification bacteria will multiply when there are food, O2, and substrate enhanced by aeration and circulation.

[Shewillbemine]

Good read.

I believe that for most novices, the most simple (yet most ignored) piece of advice for SW and cycling:

BE PATIENT AND WAIT SEVERAL WEEKS, MAYBE MONTHS FOR CYCLING TO COMPLETE.

[Paul B]

You used an under gravel filter and covered it with nice clean gravel, some sterile Diver Dan's for aeration, plastic plants and a sunken ship for decoration.

You mean I have to throw out the sunken ship?
DARN

[barngeatbayman]

about a sermon next on Algae outbreaks in the New System.

AMEN