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Tank Cycling

YHSublime

By YHSublime,
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YHSublime Neptune Reefer

YHSublime

So I'm cycling a 29 biocube right now. My ammonia has spiked (not dropped yet) and my nitrates have spiked. I've been reading a lot of conflicting advice. Some say a water change will slow down the cycle, some say it will speed it up.

 

Should I wait for my ammonia to zero out and then start my water changes? Please explain to me your thought process for whatever of the two you choose. All new rock, all old water... and a bit of live rock to seed from my 57.

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Coral Hind Neptune Reefer

Coral Hind

I would not do a water change. It would take some ammonia and nitrite away which is what you need to get the bateria colony to explode in population. Wait until it is completely cycled then do a change to remove the nitrates. To me doing it now is just a waste of time and money.

 

Did you start with live rock or dead rock? Did you add any bacteria starter culture?

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YHSublime Neptune Reefer

YHSublime

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I would not do a water change. It would take some ammonia away which is what you need to get the bateria colony to explode in population. Wait until it is completely cycled then do a change to remove the nitrates.

Thanks! Those are my thoughts as well, just letting it run its course, familiarizing myself with testing kits again.

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sachabballi reef Oracle Reefer

sachabballi reef

As always I agree with Coral Hind. Plus, this is the one time you can be lazy with the tank and not get your hand slapped :)

+2  just sit it out and let it run

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howaboutme Legendary Reefer

howaboutme

I did a wc or two while my tank was cycling. I wasn't bothered about whether or not it made the cycling longer. I don't think it did. Since I was (still am) a newbie, I thought it was a good way to learn how to do wc's and learn my routine w/o livestock in the way. Honestly, I'm glad I did a few because I looked like a fish out of water and was glad I didn't have any fish!

 

Besides..from what I've read, the bacteria is not really in the water column but on the rocks, sand, tank, etc.

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Jason Rhoads Grandmaster Reefer

Jason Rhoads

Besides..from what I've read, the bacteria is not really in the water column but on the rocks, sand, tank, etc.

 

Very true, however, the nutrients you need to help your bacteria grow are in the water column. No big deal either way though, the tank will eventually cycle :)

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howaboutme Legendary Reefer

howaboutme

Very true, however, the nutrients you need to help your bacteria grow are in the water column. No big deal either way though, the tank will eventually cycle :)

 

So we're all right! haha.. :tongue:

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YHSublime Neptune Reefer

YHSublime

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I'm just gonna let er' ride, just want the real estate.

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Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

I would let it ride, UNLESS you had a lot of life on the rock already. If that were the case, I'd perform a 50% water change once the ammonia level hit 1 PPM and continue changes to keep it under the 1 ppm mark. Here's my logic: If you've got other life on the rock or in the tank, a high ammonia level can begin a die-off that further raises the ammonia level. This cascades, killing off complex life (sponges, etc.). However, this model does not hold if the rock that you start with is devoid of this kind of life. In that case, I'd just let it ride.

 

This advice is consistent, for example, with what Tampa Bay Saltwater recommends when they ship their rock to you in bags of water. The rock comes to you encrusted in plants, small corals and sponges, and with crabs, shrimps, and worms. Because all this life is sensitive to ammonia, you need to be sensitive to and manage the cycle (that comes from the unavoidable die-off of some stuff).

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MBVette Uber Reefer

MBVette

TBS rock is amazing with all the little critters and life that comes on it. You just have to know that some bad hitchhikers come also.

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sachabballi reef Oracle Reefer

sachabballi reef

Lol.. Scary because I have read so much about so many bad hitch hikers.... :-/ lol

 

aww its part of the fun!  It's like the hazing portion of reefing....

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YHSublime Neptune Reefer

YHSublime

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Omg.. Just saw the prices..... 8-/

 

Not to get off topic, but not a lot in this hobby comes cheap.

 

That being said... start getting that tank cycled and catch up!

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Mattiejay6 Uber Reefer

Mattiejay6

Not to get off topic, but not a lot in this hobby comes cheap.

 

That being said... start getting that tank cycled and catch up!

That is true.. Lol just kinda caught me off guard lol. I haven't looked at live rock pricing before.

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Jason Rhoads Grandmaster Reefer

Jason Rhoads

That is true.. Lol just kinda caught me off guard lol. I haven't looked at live rock pricing before.

 

 

It is amazing to me how much we pay for rock to put our coral on :) 

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Coral Hind Neptune Reefer

Coral Hind

I agree, I know when I first started it was the largest expense of the whole setup. Trying to get 2lbs per gallon broke the budget.

 

Any future reef tank for me would be a bare-bottom tank using a very small amount of man made live rock, probably more like ceramic rock, and relying on aggressive nutrient export. Mainly through strong water flow and skimming to keep nutrients under control.

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YHSublime Neptune Reefer

YHSublime

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Good news, ammonia is at 0ppm, nitrates are 40ppm on No3, No2 is 5.0

 

What is No2 out of curiosity? I've only seen it when I cycle a tank. No3 is usually always present, even at 5.0ppm, but I have NEVER seen a NO2 trace, unless I'm cycling a tank.

 

NOW I'm going to do a water change, hopefully this weekend will have my setup for overflow, was about to start selling things off.

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rebekwl Reefer

rebekwl

(edited)

Good news, ammonia is at 0ppm, nitrates are 40ppm on No3, No2 is 5.0

 

What is No2 out of curiosity? I've only seen it when I cycle a tank. No3 is usually always present, even at 5.0ppm, but I have NEVER seen a NO2 trace, unless I'm cycling a tank.

 

NOW I'm going to do a water change, hopefully this weekend will have my setup for overflow, was about to start selling things off.

N02 is nitrites and n03 is nitrates? chime in here people!!!

Edited by rebekwl
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rebekwl Reefer

rebekwl

(edited)

Sorry, I have that mixed up :rollface:  :rollface: .. Ammoinia becomes nitrites( no2) which in turn become nitrates (no3).. So it sounds like your nitrites have not completely converted to nitrates..  Just my opinon, I would not do a water change yet.. Let the nitrites change over.

Edited by rebekwl
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YHSublime Neptune Reefer

YHSublime

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Sorry, I have that mixed up :rollface:  :rollface: .. Ammoinia becomes nitrites( no2) which in turn become nitrates (no3).. So it sounds like your nitrites have not completely converted to nitrates..  Just my opinon, I would not do a water change yet.. Let the nitrites change over.

 

Welp, that ship sailed already. 5 gallon water change done. d120, resting on the glass. I was going to hang it... but I like the look of just resting on the glass, although too strong?

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