How much longer for tank to be cycled

symon_say · 11/29/2011, 05:00 PM

Hi

I have been cycling my tank for a few weeks, the first day i start the cycle i added pure ammonia and every day feed the ghost fish, ammonia went down, and the rest of the nutrients were barely detectable on the test kit, a few days ago i decided to boost the cycle a little and add more ammonia a put some frozen shrimps in it, now all the numbers are readable, now i have

ammonia 0.5 (is going down really fast)
Nitrite 1.0 (haven't move since yesterday, i think i had read that this bacteria take a little longer to multiply)
Nitrate 5-10

Now how much longer the cycle should take, i ask because i get some ricordea and and unidentified coral, for really cheap, i purchase it and have then in my quarantine tank checking ammonia really close and doing regular water changes to keep everything in check until tank is cycled.

So how much longer do you think it will take??

thegrun · 11/29/2011, 05:03 PM

When your ammonia and nitrites drop to zero. The tank may well have been cycled, but the addition of extra ammonia could have caused a new cycle.

AquaReeferMan · 11/29/2011, 05:05 PM

Dont add anymore ammonia and wait till that and the nitrites are down to zero. Then do a small water change and you should be ready to go.

symon_say · 11/29/2011, 05:18 PM

Should i take the frozen shrimps out??

chefgreg · 11/29/2011, 06:01 PM

Yes

mjhall85 · 11/29/2011, 06:12 PM

Patience the tank will cycle in due time. The cycle could take another week or a couple weeks no way to really tell you.

00Warpig00 · 11/29/2011, 08:02 PM

It took nearly 7 weeks for my 20High to cycle. I didn't use ammonia though. Just a small piece of live rock and time...

it sounds like you are just past the top of the hump. It took forever for my nitrites to 0 out.

Nick

symon_say · 11/30/2011, 06:31 AM

When i get 0-0 for ammonia and nitrite, should i put some ammonia to keep the bacteria alive??

Jocko · 11/30/2011, 08:30 AM

Don't add any more. Once you are at zero, add a small amount of livestock. Unfortunately all of that artifical ammonia will probably result in an artificially large bacteria population. So that will be reducing itself for a while. But from here on out I'd recommend just slowly adding livestock over time. And keep an eye on things to make sure they always go back to zero level. Never add new stuff unless you're at zero.

Palting · 11/30/2011, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by symon_say

When i get 0-0 for ammonia and nitrite, should i put some ammonia to keep the bacteria alive??

IMO, the best way is to feed pretend fish. Use a pinch of flakes daily. Most people are usually in a hurry to add livestock once the ammonia and nitrites are zero. Any reason you are not going to do it?

dzfish17 · 11/30/2011, 12:39 PM

All good advice. The tank was cycled and then you added a bunch of ammonia that the established bacteria could not handle. Do not add any more ammonia or shrimp to the tank and let the bacteria populations build up again. After you see 0 readings on ammonia and nitrite continue to ghost feed a small pinch of flake food daily for a couple of weeks... if the numbers stay at 0 then you are ready for a small CUC and first fish.

symon_say · 11/30/2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palting

IMO, the best way is to feed pretend fish. Use a pinch of flakes daily. Most people are usually in a hurry to add livestock once the ammonia and nitrites are zero. Any reason you are not going to do it?

LFS don't have livestock right now and i'll have to wait, but i have a few Ricordea i get in a good deal and i want to transfer then to the DT were they'll get proper light.

Thanks to everybody, the idea of putting hi ammonia is to grow your bacteria so you can put more than 1 fish after the cycle, i did this in my freshwater tank and after cycle i just put half of my stock and everything was fine.

Problem, believe it or not (i have the ocean at 10 min from home), is that is hard to get stock here, i probably go to the sea myself to catch some fishes.

Jocko · 12/01/2011, 09:56 AM

The problem is when you stop adding the artificial ammonia, your bacteria population will plummet. And that will actually raise the ammonia level slightly. So the bacteria population will temporarily increase. Then the food runs out and it drops again. You get that pendulum swing action, and ironically it takes your tank longer to stabilize.

If it is so much effort to get each piece of livestock, I would think you'd want to not rush things and make sure you can give each one proper attention when it first arrives and tries to settle in to your tank. It can be very stressful for them. Which is why once you have fish in your tank, you might want to QT new fish even if you had caught them right out of the ocean. It gives them a chance to calm down and become comfortable before being tossed into a small enclosed environment with a bunch of fish established in that territory.

symon_say · 12/01/2011, 10:34 AM

My QT is ready and waiting for fish.

Thanks a lot to all.

syrinx · 12/01/2011, 05:05 PM

Generally the ammonia, in a setup like yours, will leave after the first week, nitrites aprox 3 weeks later. The fact you have nitrates means things are going along as they should be. No more ammonia and shrimps and you will be fine soon.

jimmy frag · 12/01/2011, 05:15 PM

just curious...is your qt tank cycled

11/29/2011, 05:00 PM	#1
symon_say Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Dominican Republic Posts: 556	How much longer for tank to be cycled Hi I have been cycling my tank for a few weeks, the first day i start the cycle i added pure ammonia and every day feed the ghost fish, ammonia went down, and the rest of the nutrients were barely detectable on the test kit, a few days ago i decided to boost the cycle a little and add more ammonia a put some frozen shrimps in it, now all the numbers are readable, now i have ammonia 0.5 (is going down really fast) Nitrite 1.0 (haven't move since yesterday, i think i had read that this bacteria take a little longer to multiply) Nitrate 5-10 Now how much longer the cycle should take, i ask because i get some ricordea and and unidentified coral, for really cheap, i purchase it and have then in my quarantine tank checking ammonia really close and doing regular water changes to keep everything in check until tank is cycled. So how much longer do you think it will take??

11/29/2011, 05:05 PM	#3
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	Dont add anymore ammonia and wait till that and the nitrites are down to zero. Then do a small water change and you should be ready to go. __________________ 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

11/29/2011, 06:01 PM	#5
chefgreg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 123	Yes __________________ Some fish are for "looking" and some are for "cooking" :) If they get to big for my DT, well lets just say, dinner's on! J/K!!! 40 Br w/ 20 g sump/fuge reef tank. 135 FOWLR w/ 55 g sump/fuge...

11/29/2011, 08:02 PM	#7
00Warpig00 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Schaumburg, IL. Posts: 621	It took nearly 7 weeks for my 20High to cycle. I didn't use ammonia though. Just a small piece of live rock and time... it sounds like you are just past the top of the hump. It took forever for my nitrites to 0 out. Nick __________________ 180G - 5 Yellow Tail Blue Damsels, Two Lined Sleeper Goby, Royal Gramma, Flame Angel pair, Yellow Stripe Maroon Clown, Pearlscale Butterfly, Australian Harlequin Tuskfish, Magnificent Foxface, Yellow Current Tank Info: 180G FOWLR Established 10/2010

11/30/2011, 12:39 PM	#11
dzfish17 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Fresno,Ca. Posts: 2,545	All good advice. The tank was cycled and then you added a bunch of ammonia that the established bacteria could not handle. Do not add any more ammonia or shrimp to the tank and let the bacteria populations build up again. After you see 0 readings on ammonia and nitrite continue to ghost feed a small pinch of flake food daily for a couple of weeks... if the numbers stay at 0 then you are ready for a small CUC and first fish. __________________ 600g (96x36x46) FOWLR

11/29/2011, 05:03 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	When your ammonia and nitrites drop to zero. The tank may well have been cycled, but the addition of extra ammonia could have caused a new cycle.

11/29/2011, 05:18 PM	#4
symon_say Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Dominican Republic Posts: 556	Should i take the frozen shrimps out??

11/29/2011, 06:12 PM	#6
mjhall85 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Phoenix,AZ Posts: 535	Patience the tank will cycle in due time. The cycle could take another week or a couple weeks no way to really tell you.

11/30/2011, 06:31 AM	#8
symon_say Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Dominican Republic Posts: 556	When i get 0-0 for ammonia and nitrite, should i put some ammonia to keep the bacteria alive??

11/30/2011, 08:30 AM	#9
Jocko Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 595	Don't add any more. Once you are at zero, add a small amount of livestock. Unfortunately all of that artifical ammonia will probably result in an artificially large bacteria population. So that will be reducing itself for a while. But from here on out I'd recommend just slowly adding livestock over time. And keep an eye on things to make sure they always go back to zero level. Never add new stuff unless you're at zero.

12/01/2011, 09:56 AM	#13
Jocko Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 595	The problem is when you stop adding the artificial ammonia, your bacteria population will plummet. And that will actually raise the ammonia level slightly. So the bacteria population will temporarily increase. Then the food runs out and it drops again. You get that pendulum swing action, and ironically it takes your tank longer to stabilize. If it is so much effort to get each piece of livestock, I would think you'd want to not rush things and make sure you can give each one proper attention when it first arrives and tries to settle in to your tank. It can be very stressful for them. Which is why once you have fish in your tank, you might want to QT new fish even if you had caught them right out of the ocean. It gives them a chance to calm down and become comfortable before being tossed into a small enclosed environment with a bunch of fish established in that territory.

12/01/2011, 10:34 AM	#14
symon_say Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Dominican Republic Posts: 556	My QT is ready and waiting for fish. Thanks a lot to all.

12/01/2011, 05:05 PM	#15
syrinx Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: champaign Posts: 3,160	Generally the ammonia, in a setup like yours, will leave after the first week, nitrites aprox 3 weeks later. The fact you have nitrates means things are going along as they should be. No more ammonia and shrimps and you will be fine soon.

12/01/2011, 05:15 PM	#16
jimmy frag Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: burlington ontario Posts: 845	just curious...is your qt tank cycled

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