Jestersix

Reefdads 90 gallon mixed reef

[quote author=Reefdad link=topic=6579.msg85604#msg85604 date=1235957400]
How do I know when my cycle has started? Should I keep testing or let it sit? And do I start my lighting cycle as well?
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Are you adding an ammonia source to the tank on a daily basis or a large hunk of something (fish food, piece of shrimp,etc) ? Once you start that, the "good" bacteria will start to grow and multiply. At first you should look for a jump in Ammonia, then Nitrites, then Nitrates. As your Nitrates climb, your ammonia and nitrite levels should drop. Of course, periodic testing is necessary. Try testing in a week to see where you stand, then do regular testing to watch for completion of cycling.

[quote author=Roc link=topic=6579.msg85607#msg85607 date=1235960516]
lighting is not really important as you are using dead rock. I would save my bulbs and electricity
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+1 What Roc said about lighting. You don't need light to cycle a tank. :)
 
Last night I dropped in one silver side and some oyster meat to see if that works as an ammonia source. Of course it wasd still there this morning. Should I just wait and check my ammonia too see when it starts to spike. How long do I wait before or if ever add more?
 
one silverside should be good. I usually remove it after 1 week (if it's still there). After 1 week, get some chaeto from another tank and put it in the fuge. It will help with the cycle. You can start testing after 2-4 weeks.
 
How long typically should my cycle take. I am at a week I am not being inpatient I am just following my cycle. My NH3 has spiked (holding at 2.0) and stopped climbing as well as my N02 (holding at 2.0). Typically in the larger tanks how long will NH3 & N02 stay peaked before it begins to drop and will the N03 start to climb first before the others come down? And should P04 be slightly elevated (1.0)?

I also want to dose vodka. I have done all my reading and am educated on how to do it but I was wondering for those who are familiar with it. Should I start dosing before I add livestock to lower my PO4 levels and not have to worry about effecting them. If so when should I start? Now or when my cycle ends?
 
Cycling is individual to the tank. Some take months. Keep testing levels. Once you see the ammonia and nitrite levels dropping, and see the nitrate levels increasing, you are on your way to being done. Once the ammonia and nitrites are at zero (or very near) you may add a few hardy fish. Remember, as you add new life, and they produce waste, the tank goes through a mini cycle again as the bacteria populations adjust to handle the extra waste load.

You will see repeated admonitions by many reefers to go SLOW. If you add too much life all at once, the bacteria can't handle the load, and the ammonia and nitrites will spike, perhaps killing everything in the tank. Keep testing and have fun! While you are waiting for the tank to cycle, you could read up on and plan out which fish and inverts you'd like to keep. You should check out compatibility on your tank mates to see which ones get along (including the inverts), and how big they get.:D

Don't know anything about vodka, sorry. Someone else will need to chime in here.
 
I am trying to arrange my powerheads in my tank and I want to see what others have done. right now I have two circulation pumps a k4 and a Seio m1500. The Korilla is middle height on the far left side panel pushing water across the display side of the tank lengthwise. The seio is on the opposite side panel blowing the water across the back panel creating a circular motion within the tank. Currently I am also trying to solve a micro bubble problem as well but the bubbles are helping me at the moment by visually showing me the flow of the water. The water on the surface is moving quite fast where the movement on the bottom is much slower. I don see any dead spots which is my goal. So my question is, is there anyone using their pumps to move the entire tank in a circular motion like this and or is this a good idea, will my corals like it?
 
[quote author=Reefdad link=topic=6579.msg87299#msg87299 date=1236654136]
I am trying to arrange my powerheads in my tank and I want to see what others have done. right now I have two circulation pumps a k4 and a Seio m1500. The Korilla is middle height on the far left side panel pushing water across the display side of the tank lengthwise. The seio is on the opposite side panel blowing the water across the back panel creating a circular motion within the tank. Currently I am also trying to solve a micro bubble problem as well but the bubbles are helping me at the moment by visually showing me the flow of the water. The water on the surface is moving quite fast where the movement on the bottom is much slower. I don see any dead spots which is my goal. So my question is, is there anyone using their pumps to move the entire tank in a circular motion like this and or is this a good idea, will my corals like it?
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grat idea and it even has a fancy reef name (which I don't know) but it's a good way to move your water
 
So my tank has been cycling, ammonia is holding at 2.0 nitrite at 1.0 and nitrate has now climbed to 20. My question is about phosphate it has gone from 0 up to 0.5. I had planned on running GFO should I start running it now or wait till my cycle ends?
 
I'd just wait out the cycle and keep the lights to a minimum, when you're confident it's cycled do a large water change and add GFO and you're in business!
 
While my tanks is cycling I have been trying to decide where I want to move my corals that are in my 12 gallon. two of the many corals I have is a torch coral and a frog spawn that are getting huge. Could they live close to each other? Since they are close to being in the same family are they immune to each others toxins?
 
Normally, the torch and the frogspawn will coincide peacefully when they're around one another -I believe this is due primarily to their belonging to the same genus, but someone correct me if I am wrong. Out of the three popular coral in that genus, I'd say the torch is usually the most trouble. I have seen a couple of "overly mean," or aggressive torches that will sting the hell out of whatever they're next to, whether it be a frogspawn, a hammer, or anything else. My torch killed my hammer a while back :(
A more simple answer to your question would be ... it depends ;D
 
I tested my water today and my NH3 has dropped to 0 now. My nitrites are still high at 5 and nitrates are climbing to 20. I am starting to get a lot of brown algae on my rocks. At what point should I add some hermits and snails to start cleaning up the algae. I have one in there now that was a hitchhiker (not intentional).
 
My tank finished cycling and I went ahead and added just my softies. Everything looks great and happy. On thing I noticed is that my SG is sitting at 1.026 is this too high? Should I try to get it down?
 
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