40B cycle

jerrodm · 07/08/2013, 07:01 AM

I have a 40 Breeder cycling right now and I just want to double check with some of you experts out there -- I started with 40 lbs of dry rock and 6 lbs of live rock and 40 lbs of aragonite sand and by dosing to 2 ppm ammonia to start the cycle. During the first week I had a nitrite spike and a nitrate spike and the ammonia was slowly decreasing. After two weeks I had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and about half the nitrate (20 ppm). After a few more days of reading 0 on NH3 and NO2, I dosed to 1 ppm ammonia and after 24 hours, all 3 (Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates) are all at 0. Is it safe to say my tank is cycled?

2nd question - if my anaerobic bacteria is taking all my nitrates to 0, is it still necessary to do a 90% water change? I read that the purpose of the huge water change is for getting rid of the nitrates that are left over after the cycle.

EDIT: I retested all my parameters after reading 0 on nitrates because I was surprised the anaerobic bacteria had formed already.

tallball158 · 07/08/2013, 07:08 AM

To me it sounds like you are done cycling, but what test kit are you using? Some of them can be misleading.

jerrodm · 07/08/2013, 07:13 AM

API Master Saltwater Test Kit, it is pretty easy for me to read, but if there are better ones please tell me which

thegrun · 07/08/2013, 08:02 AM

I also believe the tank has cycled, but I would give it one more dose of ammonia taking it up to 2ppm. If it drops back to zero againadd a small CUC and your first fish. I would only make a small 10% water change if your nitrates stay at zero.

jerrodm · 07/08/2013, 08:22 AM

Sweet that also kind of ties into one other question - without a bioload of any kind, will the bacteria die off without a source of ammonia (fish poo) ? Also, what will a CUC eat without a fish in the water? (Sorry I dedicated too much into water parameters and cycle growth, didn't expect the cycle to run this quickly)

thegrun · 07/08/2013, 08:26 AM

I would 'ghost feed" the tank a daily pinch of flake fish food to keep the bacteria well fed. For a 40 gallpon tank I would start with 8-10 small assorted snails.

sigmapiguy1061 · 07/08/2013, 08:34 AM

What ammonia source did you use?

jerrodm · 07/08/2013, 08:42 AM

Any food recommendations? I plan on getting a pair of clowns to start with if that makes a difference. I dose using Ace Hardware Ammonia Hyrdoxide.

greech · 07/08/2013, 05:53 PM

Mysis shrimp is a good food to feed daily and is usually easy to find. Most fish also seem to like it. Lots of other higher end frozen foods out there like Rod's Food, Nutramar, etc. Up to you if you want to spend the extra. I also feed a flake and pellet (big fan of New Life Spectrum) once a week along with mysis and my fish are fat and happy.

A pair of clowns would be fine as your first fish. Just give it some time before adding any more fish to let the tank adjust to the added bio load.

jerrodm · 07/09/2013, 06:24 AM

sounds like a good plan, I did redose ammonia to keep the bacteria happy, and accidently used the wrong measurement and have 6 ppm of ammonia and have to do a fat water change to bring it down but after ammonia is 0 I will start ghost feeding until I get my clowns

07/08/2013, 07:01 AM	#1
jerrodm Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 85	40B cycle I have a 40 Breeder cycling right now and I just want to double check with some of you experts out there -- I started with 40 lbs of dry rock and 6 lbs of live rock and 40 lbs of aragonite sand and by dosing to 2 ppm ammonia to start the cycle. During the first week I had a nitrite spike and a nitrate spike and the ammonia was slowly decreasing. After two weeks I had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and about half the nitrate (20 ppm). After a few more days of reading 0 on NH3 and NO2, I dosed to 1 ppm ammonia and after 24 hours, all 3 (Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates) are all at 0. Is it safe to say my tank is cycled? 2nd question - if my anaerobic bacteria is taking all my nitrates to 0, is it still necessary to do a 90% water change? I read that the purpose of the huge water change is for getting rid of the nitrates that are left over after the cycle. EDIT: I retested all my parameters after reading 0 on nitrates because I was surprised the anaerobic bacteria had formed already.

07/08/2013, 05:53 PM	#9
greech Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 3,133	Mysis shrimp is a good food to feed daily and is usually easy to find. Most fish also seem to like it. Lots of other higher end frozen foods out there like Rod's Food, Nutramar, etc. Up to you if you want to spend the extra. I also feed a flake and pellet (big fan of New Life Spectrum) once a week along with mysis and my fish are fat and happy. A pair of clowns would be fine as your first fish. Just give it some time before adding any more fish to let the tank adjust to the added bio load. __________________ ~Graham Current Tank Info: Tank: 40 breeder; 20H sump w/SWC 120; Sicce 3.0 return; Vortech MP-10; Sundial T5, DIY Actinic LED (3W Cree). Livestock: Pair of Black & Whites; Midas Blenny; Firefish; Yasha/pistol; Black Leopard Wrasse; LPS and SPS

07/08/2013, 07:08 AM	#2
tallball158 Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: South Carolina Posts: 456	To me it sounds like you are done cycling, but what test kit are you using? Some of them can be misleading.

07/08/2013, 07:13 AM	#3
jerrodm Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 85	API Master Saltwater Test Kit, it is pretty easy for me to read, but if there are better ones please tell me which

07/08/2013, 08:02 AM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I also believe the tank has cycled, but I would give it one more dose of ammonia taking it up to 2ppm. If it drops back to zero againadd a small CUC and your first fish. I would only make a small 10% water change if your nitrates stay at zero.

07/08/2013, 08:22 AM	#5
jerrodm Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 85	Sweet that also kind of ties into one other question - without a bioload of any kind, will the bacteria die off without a source of ammonia (fish poo) ? Also, what will a CUC eat without a fish in the water? (Sorry I dedicated too much into water parameters and cycle growth, didn't expect the cycle to run this quickly)

07/08/2013, 08:26 AM	#6
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I would 'ghost feed" the tank a daily pinch of flake fish food to keep the bacteria well fed. For a 40 gallpon tank I would start with 8-10 small assorted snails.

07/08/2013, 08:34 AM	#7
sigmapiguy1061 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 158	What ammonia source did you use?

07/08/2013, 08:42 AM	#8
jerrodm Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 85	Any food recommendations? I plan on getting a pair of clowns to start with if that makes a difference. I dose using Ace Hardware Ammonia Hyrdoxide.

07/09/2013, 06:24 AM	#10
jerrodm Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 85	sounds like a good plan, I did redose ammonia to keep the bacteria happy, and accidently used the wrong measurement and have 6 ppm of ammonia and have to do a fat water change to bring it down but after ammonia is 0 I will start ghost feeding until I get my clowns