Cycle complete?

[fernalfer]

Ok so i just got done cycling my 120 tank. For about a week i had ammonia to 0 within 12 hrs. dosed to 2 ppm. But nitrites remained high the whole time. Just 3 days ago i wake up and test and BOOM nitrites 0 nitrates 50.

So after ammonia-0 nitrites-0 and nitrates-50 I dosed my tank up to 2ppm again to see how long it took for both ammonia and nitrites to hit 0. It took 8 hrs. Should i assume i'm cycled and move ahead with a 50% water change to get the nitrates down?

Also i'm in absolutely no rush to stock the tank, so whats next?

I had 120 lbs. of Marco Dry Rock in Brute tubs almost 3 months prior to putting in the tank to get rid of the leaching phosphates, but because my Rock is so clean i have 0 algae or diatoms. But i also ran my entire cycle lights out.

Should i turn lights on now with nothing in tank to start that algae process?

Do i keep feeding tank ammonia to keep bacteria thriving?

No need to add CUC with 0 algae i'm assuming.

Will be setting up QT tanks shortly as well.

[heathlindner25]

I would say your cycled

[Reeferfourlife]

Looks like you are ready for water change. Then run light to start algae bloom. Once you see some algae (won't be long), time for some cuc. Watch parameters for everything to settle down. Then time for a couple of hardy fish like clowns. Just take it slow when adding fish.

[thegrun]

Yes your cycle is complete. I would actually make a 100% water change to get the nitrates down, 50% will still leave them too high. You really should have only added ammonia once, by adding it several times you drove the nitrates up.

[fernalfer]

Originally Posted by thegrun

Yes your cycle is complete. I would actually make a 100% water change to get the nitrates down, 50% will still leave them too high. You really should have only added ammonia once, by adding it several times you drove the nitrates up.

I'm new to this so your saying I should drain all the water and add new saltwater? Do you take all the water out at once leaving all the bacteria you just cultivated to air? Or will everything be okay the short time it is left empty before filling back up?

Also while turning lights on and waiting for the algae to come do I continue dosing ammonia? How exactly do I keep the bacteria alive with no food source?

[bobbravo2]

Originally Posted by fernalfer

I'm new to this so your saying I should drain all the water and add new saltwater? Do you take all the water out at once leaving all the bacteria you just cultivated to air? Or will everything be okay the short time it is left empty before filling back up?

Also while turning lights on and waiting for the algae to come do I continue dosing ammonia? How exactly do I keep the bacteria alive with no food source?

Do a series of 5, 30% water changes. That'll get you nitrate down below 1

[Reeferfourlife]

No more ammonia. You can ghost feed with a lil bit of fish food couple times a day.

[thegrun]

The bacteria can live up to a year without more ammonia, there is no need to feed the bacteria unless you plan on leaving it without livestock for a year. I would actually drain all the water (or at least as much as you easily get out) and then quickly refill the tank. You could go the 5 30% water changes, but that is a lot of water to go through. A single 80% water change would get you down to 10ppm of nitrates which would be okay, but as long as you refill the tank within 10 minutes the bacteria will be fine.

[fernalfer]

Also one more question. I did not have my Protein Skimmer running thru my cycling process. Is now a good time to get that running as well. And when i finally turn my lights on, should i put them on like i would if i had fish and corals? Or do i only put lights on for a short time?

[sirclintler]

I began running my MH's for 10 hours a day with an empty tank and my skimmer running, Then one day soon after I came home and my tank was full of diatoms (part of it)
Between blowing off the aquascape and the clean up crew I empty my skimmer once a day. The skimmate will start off light green and over a few days it will start to darken as you blow off the diatoms.

[fernalfer]

Now my rocks are clean as a whistle. How long after i turn these lights on should i start seeing algae?

Hopefully getting all the phosphates out of my rock by dosing LC in brute tubs will help keep the phosphates and algae at bay.

[fernalfer]

Okay i could not read my nitrate to good so i mixed half RO/DI water and half tank water and did my nitrate test. I assume the reading you just double. What do you guys make this out to be:

[thegrun]

The picture is not very clear, but I would put the nitrates at a little more than double the reading in the upper right hand corner.

[thegrun]

I would start the skimmer now, they often take a few days to break in, so you might as well start the process. I would not start the lights until you have some livestock in the tanks, either fish, corals or a clean up crew.

[fernalfer]

Originally Posted by thegrun

I would start the skimmer now, they often take a few days to break in, so you might as well start the process. I would not start the lights until you have some livestock in the tanks, either fish, corals or a clean up crew.

ok so i guess its safe to say Nitrates are 50ppm I will be doing a 75% water change to lower them. As for a clean up crew is it still ok to get them with absolutely no algae in the tank what are they supposed to eat?

here is a pic of my tank right now:

[bobbravo2]

Originally Posted by fernalfer

ok so i guess its safe to say Nitrates are 50ppm I will be doing a 75% water change to lower them. As for a clean up crew is it still ok to get them with absolutely no algae in the tank what are they supposed to eat?



here is a pic of my tank right now:

You can feed them until the tank is established. Don't overbuy. I'd recommend 6 snails & 6 hermits / 50 gallons. A lot of the online retailers sell "clean up crews" with WAYY too many snails, etc. you usually need 1/5 to 1/10 of those packages.