New setup cycle questions

MBX5 · 01/30/2016, 07:42 PM

So I've had my new 20gal setup for about 1.5 weeks now. I started with LS and dead rock on my second day I tested all levels showed 0. Since then I added a small amount of LR and have been doing ghost feedings. The last three days my Red Sea test have only ever showed .2 ammonia .2 nitrite and around 10 nitrate. Should I see more of a spike? Water change now to get ammonia and nitrite down to 0? Or am I still in a cycle stage and should I keep ghost feeding? Maybe spike the ammonia with dosing?

morpheas · 01/30/2016, 08:13 PM

I think all your ammonia and nitrite should go to zero on their own which is going to indicate the end of the cycle. Then you do the water change

nicholasb · 01/30/2016, 08:15 PM

Unlike fish poo, uneaten fish food will take a lot longer to rot down into ammonia.
You could uses neat ammonia out of a bottle. Someone else might tell you how much to use. If you hit zero ammonia after 12 hours your ready to go. If you are reading zero with live sand and a bit of live rock. I would add the fish slowly and don't worry to much. Just continue to monitor the ammonia. That is the only one that's really important.

TimeConsumer · 01/30/2016, 08:28 PM

It's slowly cycling, give it time and don't rush it. I think I had mine setup for 3 or 4 weeks before adding in anything. 100% wait for 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite.

MBX5 · 01/30/2016, 08:59 PM

So should I keep ghost feeding? Or maybe dose ammonia to raise it higher?

TimeConsumer · 01/30/2016, 09:09 PM

I wouldn't worry about it much either way. Likely the previous food is still decomposing. But more food won't hurt (unless you are putting in a lot). I never bothered with bottled ammonia. For cycling I liked to put in 1 fish's meal worth of food (couple of pellets) every 2 or 3 days. When ammonia and nitrite got to zero I would throw in a small CUC. Then after another week or two one small fish. And so forth.

There's a ton of different ways to do this, don't stress over it. Save your stress for when it's up and running and all the fun problems you get to solve then.

nyknicks4412 · 01/30/2016, 09:26 PM

Keep ghost feeding and don't do a water change. You're only a week and a half in so I would give it some more time and wait until ammonia and nitrite go to 0.

aznflyfisherman · 02/01/2016, 07:29 PM

I never test, i just drop half of raw shrimp and let sit for 3 to 4 weeks then i add a damsel. With lights off the first 3 to 4 weeks. Then i add fish and corals after 3 or 4 months, a few at a time.

01/30/2016, 07:42 PM	#1
MBX5 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arvada CO Posts: 997	New setup cycle questions So I've had my new 20gal setup for about 1.5 weeks now. I started with LS and dead rock on my second day I tested all levels showed 0. Since then I added a small amount of LR and have been doing ghost feedings. The last three days my Red Sea test have only ever showed .2 ammonia .2 nitrite and around 10 nitrate. Should I see more of a spike? Water change now to get ammonia and nitrite down to 0? Or am I still in a cycle stage and should I keep ghost feeding? Maybe spike the ammonia with dosing?

01/30/2016, 08:28 PM	#4
TimeConsumer Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Orleans, La Posts: 1,919	It's slowly cycling, give it time and don't rush it. I think I had mine setup for 3 or 4 weeks before adding in anything. 100% wait for 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite. __________________ Steve - Retired from reefing, for now.

01/30/2016, 09:09 PM	#6
TimeConsumer Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Orleans, La Posts: 1,919	I wouldn't worry about it much either way. Likely the previous food is still decomposing. But more food won't hurt (unless you are putting in a lot). I never bothered with bottled ammonia. For cycling I liked to put in 1 fish's meal worth of food (couple of pellets) every 2 or 3 days. When ammonia and nitrite got to zero I would throw in a small CUC. Then after another week or two one small fish. And so forth. There's a ton of different ways to do this, don't stress over it. Save your stress for when it's up and running and all the fun problems you get to solve then. __________________ Steve - Retired from reefing, for now.

01/30/2016, 08:13 PM	#2
morpheas Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 108	I think all your ammonia and nitrite should go to zero on their own which is going to indicate the end of the cycle. Then you do the water change

01/30/2016, 08:15 PM	#3
nicholasb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: south west england Posts: 292	Unlike fish poo, uneaten fish food will take a lot longer to rot down into ammonia. You could uses neat ammonia out of a bottle. Someone else might tell you how much to use. If you hit zero ammonia after 12 hours your ready to go. If you are reading zero with live sand and a bit of live rock. I would add the fish slowly and don't worry to much. Just continue to monitor the ammonia. That is the only one that's really important.

01/30/2016, 08:59 PM	#5
MBX5 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arvada CO Posts: 997	So should I keep ghost feeding? Or maybe dose ammonia to raise it higher?

01/30/2016, 09:26 PM	#7
nyknicks4412 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 199	Keep ghost feeding and don't do a water change. You're only a week and a half in so I would give it some more time and wait until ammonia and nitrite go to 0.

02/01/2016, 07:29 PM	#8
aznflyfisherman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 957	I never test, i just drop half of raw shrimp and let sit for 3 to 4 weeks then i add a damsel. With lights off the first 3 to 4 weeks. Then i add fish and corals after 3 or 4 months, a few at a time.