QT tank cycle

[marrone]

Like I said before, these type of products work very similar in that they introduce bacteria that converts the ammonia and nitrite over into nitrates and let you put fish in the tank right away. The fish would then supply the ammonia needed going to forward to keep the bacteria alive and eventually build it up.

I use to use Nitrex, which was a rubberized type of carbon looking product impregnated with bacteria, for decades and I was able to introduce large loads of fish into tanks right away without any issues.

 

[XclusiveReef]

Go buy some real reef live rock from pet warehouse and be done with it.

This is what i used for my qt tank.

my 2 cents.

Thought the point of a qt is to have minimal stuff like life rock and sand.. if your have to do multiple water changed, then why have sand and life rock...you are also introducing whatever is coming out of that life rock into your "qt" tank.

for those that use life rock, when ypu have to medicate pazi for anything else do you remove the rock or leave it in? if in then what if your have top do copper or another medicine? then what empty tank and add more rodi water?

 

[heuerfan]

Thought the point of a qt is to have minimal stuff like life rock and sand.. if your have to do multiple water changed, then why have sand and life rock...you are also introducing whatever is coming out of that life rock into your "qt" tank.

for those that use life rock, when ypu have to medicate pazi for anything else do you remove the rock or leave it in? if in then what if your have top do copper or another medicine? then what empty tank and add more rodi water?

Real reef rock is artificial, nothing in it but beneficial bacteria.
I use it in my qt tank along with prazipro and cupramine. But up to you, it works for me.

https://youtu.be/v9xgx_Aj1sI

 

[XclusiveReef]

Well in received a message from seachem mods saying that " there is no cycle in a bottle" even with stability it will take 1-2 months to cycle. With that said I purchased ATM and going to use that and see how it goes. For me stability was a waste of money. Could have put in a shrimp and done it that way.

 

[piranhapat]

My just came today. I'll start another Qt and see if this works. Hopeful in a week I see results. The key is feed very little.

 

[XclusiveReef]

I ordered my ATM Colony and will restart as soon as it comes in. I don't want this water in the tank, not sure what is going on. Till ATM comes in i will keep testing just to see if anything pops up in the tests.

 

[ohana888]

what is PH and salinity?

 

[XclusiveReef]

what is PH and salinity?

ph 8.2
salinity- 1.026
temp: 81.5 - 82.2

 

[1QuickSubaru]

Definitely just started your cycle judging from the ammonia and nitrite reading...try to throw in some shrimp or fish from the supermarket or throw in some frozen fish food. All that crap about bacteria in a bottle imo doesn't work. Never seen any good results with them. Live rock(fresh out the ocean) put into the tank usually starts to cycle pretty good due to the decaying stuff that was once living on the rock.

 

[XclusiveReef]

You can tell by ph and salt?? My ammonia was added from a bottle, so it's always been at 2.0ppm. I added 2 bottles of bacteria in last 18 days and no2/3 has never moved from 0.. I already bought ATM, should get here in a few days and see how that goes.

 

[piranhapat]

I just started a fresh new water and added 4oz ATM colony to about 12 gallon tank. I added two cleaner shrimp I will do very little feed. See what happens in 6-7 days.... 32 oz bottle treats 100 gal. Recommend 4oz for about every 12 gal. I'll do water testing tomorrow.

 

[rich]

I just filled my tank with water from my dt during a water change. Figured it was already cycled. I have foam filter in my sump that is already seeded that I add before I qt.

 

[marrone]

The bacteria on the foam filter, and not the water from your tank, is what is important, as that will be what helps to convert ammonia and nitrites over into nitrates. Using the water from the DT, from water changes, is fine usually you have high nitrates in the tank.

I have a small 5gal tank, with LR, and I use the water from my reef tank when I make a water change in that tank, usually replacing all of it.

 

[rich]

hmmm I guess the bacteria is not free floating like I thought. They are only on substrate and inorganic matter

 

[Chefjpaul]

I use foam filter that I leave in my sump and bio life fil from aquaforest that was in my sump.
Olus bottle bacteria from AF.
Keeps it pretty stable.
I pull the bio life fil when introducing meds.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[marrone]

hmmm I guess the bacteria is not free floating like I thought. They are only on substrate and inorganic matter

A lot of people think that there is bacteria in the water but there is little to none floating in the water column. You're better off taking a sponge/filter, sand, LR, or some type of media from an existing tank and using that to start you filtration.

 

[piranhapat]

A lot of people think that there is bacteria in the water but there is little to none floating in the water column. You're better off taking a sponge/filter, sand, LR, or some type of media from an existing tank and using that to start you filtration.

That is very true. The only trouble if there a parasite or pest in that sponge or LR ect, you will now have introduced that to new tank. So seeding a new tank from an older tank can have its good points or bad. For a qt I like to start from growing my bacteria in that tank.

 

[XclusiveReef]

That is very true. The only trouble if there a parasite or pest in that sponge or LR ect, you will now have introduced that to new tank. So seeding a new tank from an older tank can have its good points or bad. For a qt I like to start from growing my bacteria in that tank.

Agree but sometimes you don't have the time to let the tank cycle. Will running carbon clean out any medications in the tank? So if you dose prazi or whatever and you want to dose something else, do you have to remove water or run carbon to get rid medication with water changes?

 

[piranhapat]

Agree but sometimes you don't have the time to let the tank cycle. Will running carbon clean out any medications in the tank? So if you dose prazi or whatever and you want to dose something else, do you have to remove water or run carbon to get rid medication with water changes?

The answer to that is both. Always be prepare and have another option in case something fails. This hobby you have to be patience.

 

[XclusiveReef]

Well day 16 on Stability and here is it i finally see the cycle going!!! figures it would start right after i bought ATM Colony. NO2 is somewhere 2-5 ppm, can't tell by the colors. and ammonia looks like its at 0.5

At this point should I add a little more ammonia to bring it back up to 2.0ppm? or wait for nitrites to go back down to 0 ?