express way to tank cycle....

[tigershark]

Hi guys, have some quetion to ask here.... I'm in the process of setting up my 3rd tank for my lionfish... After mixing the SW (5 gallon) and cleaning around 20kg of grade #01 sand. I cycle my tank for 3 days to clear all the clorin away. Then, I add in another 5 gallon of SW from my old 2.5' tank to fill up the rest of the space, at the same time, took around 3 mug of sand from the old 2.5' tank and exchange the sand with the new sand. And then, add in around 8 kg of LR into the new tank. Add in a small pc of market shrimps and let it continue cycle. Now, It hve been already 10 days and I really can't wait anymore.... With the LS, 50% of SW from my old tank.... I've did the same thing for FW tank and it works but how about SW tank?? PH, KH, NO2, amonia all o.k, NO3 10ppm only(i believe it's from the old tank)..... kindly advise....

[TanGo]

That was quite similar to what I did..

I recently re-did my 2ft, before that, I replaced a new external filter with my old one.. Let it run for a week.. Premix seawater let it stand for 3 days..

Then came the hard part, draining out water into containers, transfering the corals into them, then moving out the LRs, catching fish, I kept around 40 - 50% of the old water. Remove all my old sand/coral chips washed my tank down. Dump a bag of new sand in, fill up with the premix, re-stacked my LRs, dump in my previous tank water, move in the corals, dump more old tank water, and lastly the fishes.. And I have to mix new seawater cause not enough.. That took me the whole 8 hours. It has been two weeks and all my corals and fishes seems well.. Nitrite went up but now 0.

Slight trace of Nitrate, all the rest normal..

I know abit risky, but according to a friend, my placement of LR is not ideal which cause the buildup of Nitrate and if I never re-do my tank, I would eventually.. when my tank crash.. Hehe.. Now everything seems fine..

Hope this is of help.. Maybe you can introduce a polyfilter into your filtration system. This might act as a safety precaution.. my 2 cts..

[hongqixian]

I reset up a 2ft tank with live rock from an old tank. Scrubbed all the hair algae off, and put in a few capfuls of CYCLE bacteria. I know some people say that CYCLE is trash and bacteria should be free (eh Tanzy) but this stuff works. Even if the bacteria can only live in the tank for a short time they give the tank a headstart, and if they die off slowly it gives the proper bacterial strains time to catch up. It also does great to make you feel more secure.

Well, having said this I cleaned up my tank last month and added a rock of mushrooms, 3 snails, and a clown to it(not all at once !) and there has been no ammonia signs( Seachem ammonia test). But i kept a bottle of ammonia detoxifier handy so don't leave anything to chance!

This is when the tank was new.

[tigershark]

so it does work.... o.k, Iwill transfer my lion tonight....

[newdamsel]

HI tiger,

you mean those CYCLE can actually speed up the process??? can i add it with fishes in the tank?

Hmm.. maybe i get one, to reduce my resilent nitrite levels....

[Tanzy]

There is no evidence that Cycle or similar bacteria in a bottle products enhance cylcing in marine tanks. The bacteria in a bottle aren't even the correct strain of bacteria for saltwater.

[hongqixian]

Err, then how may I explain my lack of ammonia?

[Tanzy]

The air is full of free bacteria that lands in your tank. Don't waste money.

[kelstorm]

IMO, the reason why u can cycle the tank so fast is because of the following reasons;

1. it is an existing tank.. and u merely cleaning it and not nuke them like pouring bleach for a thorough cleaning .. both the media still contain some form of bacteria from the previous tank.

2. u seed the tank using the previous tank's stuff such as old tank water.. basically, it is more like relocating them and changing water lor... thus, u will not get the spike in ammonia as expected.. but this is not to be done for new tank with everything being virgin in that sense..

[Tigger]

Hi TS,

Is there really a way to speed up cycling process? I really doublt so. Let nature take its own course. Remember patience.

Rgds

Tig

[dodo]

it's a surprise that pple actually suggest not to introduce any bottle bacteria to cycle tank

when i started my tank abt 2yrs ago...i practically started putting in livestocks in a week or two(with bottle bacteria, of course) without testing for ammonia, NO2 or NO3...later than i realised tat i must do all these tests

further more change tank earlier tis year...(touch wood)lucky all my fishes seems ok...infact all my 1st batch of fishes are still in my tank

must really take note of all these when changing tank in the future

[tigershark]

hmmm..... to play save, I think i better use the natural + traditional + economical way to cycle the tank.... its already 11 days and 3 more week to go anyway.....

[dodo]

play safe is the word...bro no point harming all the beautiful marine fishes if your water quality is not suitable

as for my case, i guess i am jus plain lucky that my fishes survive under atrocious water condition

[hongqixian]

IMO, the reason why u can cycle the tank so fast is because of the following reasons;

1. it is an existing tank.. and u merely cleaning it and not nuke them like pouring bleach for a thorough cleaning .. both the media still contain some form of bacteria from the previous tank.

2. u seed the tank using the previous tank's stuff such as old tank water.. basically, it is more like relocating them and changing water lor... thus, u will not get the spike in ammonia as expected.. but this is not to be done for new tank with everything being virgin in that sense..

I started a new empty tank from scratch and dumped the old one. The rock was scrubbed clean of hair algae and put in the new tank with premixed saltwater. The substrate was old sand form the previous tank- heavily washed with freshwater. I'm not sure the bacteria could live thru that.

I did not use any old tank water - the old tank water was yellow and was way past 80ppm in nitrates. That's why I did a cleanup in the first place I couldn't even keep shrimp alive...

And oy, tanz, you haven't replied yet.

PS. I'm not saying add cycle every few weeks or so like the instructions say- just at startup.

[kelstorm]

dodo,

are your fishes damsels??

qixian,

i do believe that the bacteria is still there.. despite the heavy washing.. and the LR itself, i'm sure, still have those nitrifying bacteria... anyway, i'm glad that u made a successful tranferring of tanks

[dodo]

no not only damsel... i hate my damsel...keep chasing my Sailfin tang

i have mixture of angels,tangs & damsel ...now i am afraid to add in anymore livestocks....becos my stoopid damsel will chase them around the tank probably trying to make the new fish get used to the tank environment...hehehe

[kelstorm]

i'm surprised that your damsel is chasing the sailfin.. i thought that sailfins are very aggressive...

[dodo]

me too my sailfin tang so poor thing...it's fin was bitten...now recovering

same problem with my majestic too...kena bitten

[hongqixian]

qixian,

i do believe that the bacteria is still there.. despite the heavy washing.. and the LR itself, i'm sure, still have those nitrifying bacteria... anyway, i'm glad that u made a successful tranferring of tanks  

Whatever it is, so am I

[Ian]

no not only damsel... i hate my damsel...keep chasing my Sailfin tang

i have mixture of angels,tangs & damsel ...now i am afraid to add in anymore livestocks....becos my stoopid damsel will chase them around the tank probably trying to make the new fish get used to the tank environment...hehehe

My first lot of fishs was a damsel and other fishes. damsel attacked every one and was the boss of my tank. Tried to catch it for many day and it just played monkey with me. Woke up one morning and my maid said 1 fish jumped out and died! (Open tank) . It was the damsel sad to say but i was happy!!!