advice on cycling

[irieboy]

I started a reef tank 2 week's ago and am curious about what happens during cycling. I added a firefish yesterday to help with the cycling process, the day before I did a test for ph-8.0,nitrate-0.0,nitrite-0.0,ammonia-0.0,alk-8,cal-400.
Now after the fish I added some supperbuffer to raise the ph and alk, and today I tested and got ph-8.2,nitrate-5.0,nitrite-0.25,ammonia-0.0,alk-8,cal-400. Is this normal or is there any thing I should do to get things back to zero again. Also I have a coralife supper skimmer running and no filter media. I was going to ad chemi-pure,and purigen and start my refuge after the cycle is this ok or should I go ahead and add those things while the tank cycles so it brings some of the test level's down. any advice would be helpful,thank's again

 

[nichols]

In any new tank set up the purpose is to grow the bacteria which will consume ammonia, and nitrite. You'll get a spike in ammonia until sufficient amounts of bacteria develop to consume it and turn it into nitrite. At this point you'll get a spike in nitrite until additional bacteria develop which will consume the nitrite and change it into nitrate The most common method of removing the end product nitrate is regular water changes.
There's no magic here it just takes time and patience.
Using a fish to cycle a tank is not only unnecessary it borders on cruelty. There's no need to subject a fish to that kind of stress when you can achieve the same or better results with a little fish food or a small amount of raw shrimp.

 

[nichols]

"I was going to ad chemi-pure,and purigen and start my refuge after the cycle is this ok or should I go ahead and add those things while the tank cycles so it brings some of the test level's down."

Sorry the added fish just struck a cord with me!!
I don't really see a need to add chemi-pure after your cycle, just a good water change. I'd bring the fuge online after the tank has cycled, but you could set it up now.
You don't want to bring your test levels down that's what a cycle is all about. I also wouldn't get too caught about ca levels, at this point it doesnt really matter.

 

[JohnK]

Yup, cycling is all about nature and nothing about additives.

As long as you have even a tiny bit of LR (to seed the tank), just sit back and wait. Bacteria will grow naturally, that's the whole point, AND it's free

 

[irieboy]

sorry about the whole fish thing I would have not added the fish if I thought that it might stress him out a local fish store said that it was ok to add the fish
should I take him out or just wait it out.

 

[Behrmon]

sorry about the whole fish thing I would have not added the fish if I thought that it might stress him out a local fish store said that it was ok to add the fish
should I take him out or just wait it out.

If you can get him out I would, welcome to the world of hurry up and wait!

 

[JohnK]

Yea, that's not the most hardy fish, I'd consider removing it if you have somewhere else it can go???

FWIW, it was once the conventional wisdom to cycle tanks with damsels, clowns or other hardy fish, but since reef tanks and LR became the norm it's almost unheard of to cycle with fish.

The little guy might make it if the cycle is gentle. Ie, if it were "cured LR" with very little die off so it cycled in a shorter than normal time and with milder spikes in the ammonia and nitrite.

I'd either remove him, or watch the fish and the levels very closely.

Best of luck
jk

 

[nichols]

I would also take it out if you can. Unfortunately not all LFS have the greatest advice. There's a lot of knowledgeable people here on the BRS boards who are more then willing to answer any questions and have nothing to gain financially.

 

[alpha0r]

FWIW some disciplined aquarists wait a year before stocking their tank! The longer you wait the better in the long run. Waiting alows your tank to stabalize and lets the pods and other little critters get a foothold.

 

[afboundguy]

+1 on waiting... I waited 6 months before adding fish at the advice of a good LFS... Saves out on tons of trouble in the long run...

 

[stingythingy45]

JME,but I really don't see any reason to wait that long.
I guess I'm not a disciplined reefer.Maybe if I was going to try a manderin.
But then I would also look at a way of introducing a refugium into the system.

 

[RayD]

If I've learned anything at all in the time I've been reefing it's to wait, wait, and then wait some more. The addition of even the smallest life form could trigger a negative eco event in your tank. Especially in the beginning.

Slow is better. Slower is best.

Firefish are especially fragile and I would recommend removing him from the cycling system quickly. Ask around here on BRS. Maybe someone will take him from you.

LR can cycle your tank just nifty. Be aware that an average cycle is 6 to 8 weeks or maybe longer. If anyone tells you different then they just plain got lucky!

 

[Jocko]

Oh cycles my favorite topic! When people talk about how long a cycle takes, that is ok for maybe setting expectations, but don't put too much faith into that. The time is dependent upon what is in your tank. The cycle is a never ending thing. The goal is you want your ammonia and nitrite and nitrate at zero. If you have living stuff in your tank and those levels are at zero then your cycle is in balance at that time. Adding or removing anything will of course upset the balance and cause the levels to rise for a little while until a new balance is achieved. This is of course the basis of the take it slow advice you hear. Wait for levels to reach zero and then only add new things slowly. This way you never upset the balance too much.

So if your current situation is that your new tank is huge and you only have that 1 fish and a tiny amount of live rock then the cycle will not be very strong because that small of amount of life can only produce so much waste compared to the large water volume. I don't know if this is your case or not. Is is good to take that fish out now? Maybe. If you watch the levels very closely and they never go up very much then perhaps the stress of moving the fish again is not beneficial compared to the stress caused by minor elevated levels of ammonia, etc. If you have a small tank and tons of rock and expect the levels to go up quite a bit, then yeah maybe it's best to find a fellow reefer to hold on to him for you until you tank settles down.

 

[irieboy]

thanks for all the helpful advice but I think im going to let him stay in the tank I spoke with the lfs and they asked how long has the fish bin inside the tank, if he was there before the cycle started then he is already used to the levels in the tank and should be ok but keep a close watch on the levels and his movement,eating,and breathing and if all is fine then he should be ok. and if not then remove before thing's worsen.