Cycling of a new tank.

[Sergey Politaev]

Hello, sal****er collegues!^)

For nearly 25 years I use to live in a freshwater. Now it looks like a time
to start reacclimatizing to sal****er - back to the origin of life.
I've already read smth in this NG and somewhere else, but still have several
questions. Hope to find there the answers, or, at least, the right direction
for searching.
The main one is about cycling. I'm quite conversant with FW fishless cycling
and think that SW one is rather similar, but, surely, has some specific
differences. I suspect to find them in:
1) initial ammonia level (isn't 5 ppm as usual in FW not too high?)
2) dose-density or dose-intensity (how much and how often to add ammonia
later?)
3) temperature (does high temp help to speed up the process?)
4) finishing the cycle (what to do with too high nitrate ppm's, simple water
change or some specific procedures?).
Am I right in my suspicions?
--
~SP~
"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
Oscar Wilde

[Harald]

"Sergey Politaev" > wrote in message
...
> Hello, sal****er collegues!^)
>
> For nearly 25 years I use to live in a freshwater. Now it looks like a
time
> to start reacclimatizing to sal****er - back to the origin of life.
> I've already read smth in this NG and somewhere else, but still have
several
> questions. Hope to find there the answers, or, at least, the right
direction
> for searching.
> The main one is about cycling. I'm quite conversant with FW fishless
cycling
> and think that SW one is rather similar, but, surely, has some specific
> differences. I suspect to find them in:
> 1) initial ammonia level (isn't 5 ppm as usual in FW not too high?)
> 2) dose-density or dose-intensity (how much and how often to add ammonia
> later?)
> 3) temperature (does high temp help to speed up the process?)
> 4) finishing the cycle (what to do with too high nitrate ppm's, simple
water
> change or some specific procedures?).
> Am I right in my suspicions?
> --
> ~SP~
> "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
> Oscar Wilde
>
>

Fishless cycling a SW tank is very simple. Just follow these directions:

1. Get your tank ready for life, but do not add anything living(other then
LR)
2. Depending on tank size, add 1 or more large shrimp from the grocery
store.
3. Let them rot away to nothing.
4. Check ammonia and nitrite after the bodies are gone.
5. Do a water change to clear out the remaing crud from the rotting shrimp.
6. Begin adding your animals.
7. Overall, should take 4-6 weeks to completely cycle a new tank.

In a SW tank, especially a reef tank, ammonia must be at 0 ppm. Nitrites
must be at 0 ppm. Nitrates can be up to 100 ppm, but that all depends. Some
have said that high nitrates never harmed anything, others say the opposite.
I try to keep my nitrates below 10 ppm.

Do not add animals quickly, especially fish. Take your time and the fish
will remain happy.

hth.

--
Harald
130 g Skimmerless SW Tank
290 lbs/6" DSB
70 lbs LR
3 B/G Chromis, 1 Tomato Clown, 1 Lawnmower Blenny, 1 Flame Angel, 1 Foxface.

20 gal Skimmerless SW Nano
80 lbs/6" DSB
31 lbs LR,
1 - 3-Striped damsel, 1 Blue Devil, 1 sm. Tang

[Sergey Politaev]

"Harald" > wrote in message
news:slfob.7042$EY3.6469@edtnps84...
> "Sergey Politaev" > wrote in message

> Fishless cycling a SW tank is very simple. Just follow these directions:
>
> 1. Get your tank ready for life, but do not add anything living(other then
> LR)
> 2. Depending on tank size, add 1 or more large shrimp from the grocery
> store.

Surely I was too "clever" with ammonia;^)
Can you be a little more definite about "dosing" the shrimps? For example,
how much (in kilos:) you'd put in 30G tank?

> Do not add animals quickly, especially fish. Take your time and the fish
> will remain happy.

I've learned already, that one of the most essential components of SW tank
is patience - I'm ready!-)
Thank you a lot!
--
~SP~
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Benjamin Franklin

[Harald]

> Surely I was too "clever" with ammonia;^)

I've talked to people about directly dosing ammonia, and what most said was
that it is too difficult to get the dosing right, to keep the ammonia at the
right level for long enough to get a good colony of bacteria growing. Hence
the shrimp idea, which continuously doses as it rots.

> Can you be a little more definite about "dosing" the shrimps? For example,
> how much (in kilos:) you'd put in 30G tank?


When I cycled my 20g nano, I put in 1 jumbo shrimp. My 55 that I used to
have, I used 3 jumbo shrimp. So, it all depends. For a 29g, 1-2 jumbo shrimp
should be fine.

hth

BTW, what size tank are you setting up?

--
Harald
130 g Skimmerless SW Tank
290 lbs/6" DSB
70 lbs LR
3 B/G Chromis, 1 Tomato Clown, 1 Lawnmower Blenny, 1 Flame Angel, 1 Foxface.

20 gal Skimmerless SW Nano
80 lbs/6" DSB
31 lbs LR,
1 - 3-Striped damsel, 1 Blue Devil, 1 sm. Tang

[Sergey Politaev]

"Harald" > wrote in message
news:61zob.91732$EO3.19476@clgrps13...

> I've talked to people about directly dosing ammonia, and what most said
was
> that it is too difficult to get the dosing right, to keep the ammonia at
the
> right level for long enough to get a good colony of bacteria growing.
Hence
> the shrimp idea, which continuously doses as it rots.

I just thought, that marine tank is much more delicate than FW one, so all
the approaches have to be rather scientific and accurate. Cycling with a
shrimp, assuredly, much easier.

> For a 29g, 1-2 jumbo shrimp
> should be fine.

Thanks.

> BTW, what size tank are you setting up?

I'm planning to set my 160 L as marine.
BTW, I'm not alone in my desire, some of my collegues also are on the same
way. So, if you don't mind, I will repost your answers to the russian NG
fido7.ru.aquaria with my translation.
--
~SP~
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Benjamin Franklin