I added the rock, sand, power heads, and water. Ive also thrown a floating bag of carbon to help keep that water crystal clear. Then dosed a full bottle of instant ocean Bio-Spira. Let the tank cycle water for 3 days and took a test and I was amazed my ammonia was 0 nitrite was 0. My nitrate was a little high so I got a refugium kit coming Thursday. Went to the store and got 2 clowns last night and another bottle of bacteria just because why not and they seem to be doing well so far! These videos are a life saver. I’ve probably watched them all 5-10x thanks for helping me on my journey into Reefing this far!! Now to wait 4 months to get my lights.
I have started my aquarium like you did and wondering how your clowns are doing now. I just added the bacteria booster and want to get some clowns in a few day.
@@MisterRightish my first 2 didn’t make it they quit eating for some unknown reason. Dose your nitrifying bacteria weekly! That’s the most important part. I only dosed for 2 weeks. Should of been longer if I could do it over again. My tank is a week away from being 2 months old now and the second set of clowns I bought, the condy anemone, a birds nest coral, and a newly added white tail tang a week ago are doing well. Good luck on your journey. I’ll also add that my first 2 clowns weren’t anything too special just some regular ol petco ones and my local store isn’t too hip on cleaning their tanks. And I skipped the part about keeping the lights off for 4 months haha I couldn’t take it anymore. And to be honest the ugly stage hasn’t really hit me hard yet. Just some random hair algae outbreaks that weren’t horrible.
Thank you for this series. I'm in the process of researching saltwater tanks. Im excited to finally dive into this side of the hobby. Ive only had freshwater aquariums.
Hey I enjoy all the 5 min vids ! Few questions ! After adding rock, sand, and water. What is the time between adding let’s say dr Tim’s all in one and first fish (clown)? Do I have all my filtration set up at this time ? (Filter floss , chemipure blue, Ect) When does the first water change come in this process ?
We try to avoid water changes during the cycle period. If we had a heavy imbalance of levels it is possible, but we would let it be to complete its cycle.
Hi! Just started watching your videos. Very informative! I'm setting up a 55 gallon, 1st time reef tank owner. I'm scared but excited all at once!! I do have a question about tank covers. I've noticed you don't have them on your tabks. I've been trying to find one for my size tank, but with fail!! Is a lid top necessary for a reef tank!!
Hey I had a question I started a 65 gallon saltwater tank and am struggling with the nitrate. I have zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and then my nitrate is about 30. I have added bacteria and I have two clown fish. How do I get my nitrate down?
@@kblasterbug I wouldn’t do the fish method. It doesn’t always work and can be supperrr harmful. Use Dr Tim’s nitrifying bacteria and get ammonium chloride to feed them. Without the ammonium chloride the bacteria won’t survive, it’s what they eat. To raise ammonia, just throw in some fish flakes with the Dr Tim’s and you will be cycle in at most about two weeks.
Once you get beyond the initial nitrogen cycle, dosing bacteria weekly shouldn't be necessary. That is, unless you're trying to dose a specific type to solve a specific problem.
I watched your other video and it stated to use a live sand when starting a tank. This video didn’t so to use or not use live sand. I assumed I should use live sand. I bought the Microbracter Start XLM but noticed it states not to use live sand. My tank has live sand and I'm soon ready to add the Microbracter. Should I not use it? If not is there another product that works with live sand?
The problem with a lot of those bacteria in a bottle products is that they'll have to compete with the bacteria that comes with live sand. This is why dry sand is recommended for those specific instances. It's not to say that it won't work, it might just take a bit longer than you would have otherwise expected.
@@GeneralGP114 yes, generally live rock and live sand there really isn’t a need to cycle a tank just a few weeks for everything to be established should be good enough
Hi all I've 100 gallons reef tank that run since a lot of years. I want to change all my 100% rocks with new reefscspe with dry roch Which products and how do I must proceed?
What I would like to know is, was the protein skimmer and refugium lights also kept off for 4 months? I'm cycling a brand new tank. When should I turn these components on?
Most of the bacteria responsible for converting ammonia to less harmful nitrites and nitrates will live on surfaces. So while using clean ocean water is perfectly acceptable, we'd still recommend following the cycling steps laid out in this video.
What about lighting? Do I need to have light off during the full cycle period or ? Do I just add one clown fish when I pour in the bacteria or a pair of them ?
I'm reading conflicting information in these comments. The video says to add a hardy fish (clownfish) along with Dr. Tim's to get the cycle going. But comments from BRS further down say to wait a few days or longer for Ammonia to be 0. I used RODI water in my new setup. Don't we need ammonia to feed the bacteria and isn't that why we'd add the clownfish same day with the Dr. Tim's? Otherwise, won't we need to dose ammonia (without a fish to produce the ammonia)? If I start with RODI water and dump in Dr. Tim's and no fish or ammonia...will my tank still cycle? Thanks!
We normally suggest waiting until you start to see signs of the ugly stage popping up. Go light on a cleanup crew to start. Often times, we see reefers as too many clean up crew members and they just end up starving and dying due to lack of food, which defeats the purpose.
Thank you for this awesome guide. This really helps a newcomer. One question I havent been able to find answer to is can I use Microbacter 7 to do safe fish-in cycle since it is dormant bacteria? In Europe live nitrifying bacteria is not really a thing and cant get hold of that. I am setting up 65 gallon reef tank and planning to use MB7 (which is readily available). I was planning to cycle with 2 small clownfish but really dont want to subject them to suffering or death because of incorrect bacterial addative. Should I just use some other ammonia source instead? Using dry rock and sand.
As long as you're using a bacteria like MicroBacter7 when you add the fish (ideally shortly before), you'll be just fine. Since this is a relatively large water volume compared to two small fish, the amount of any ammonia build up will be small, if detectable at all by our hobby grade test kits.
Hi Thank you for this informative video. I have started to cycle a fish only with live rocks with just the wavemaker a week ago and heater running or plugged in and with 2 clownfish. So when do i turn on or run the hob filters? Do i turn on the filters when Ammonia starts to creep up? Or i should have turn it on a week ago also? Ammonia is still at 0.
hi i have been to two fish stores and they wont sell me a fish to help with my cycle, i have been adding beneficial bacteria to the tank with the live rock in it
My FOWLR tank is now on the 24th day and the nitrites starting to go up or spike up, do i leave it alone and wait for it to go down by itself to complete the cycle? Or do a 40 to 50% water change to make it go down? Will eagerly wait for your reply. Thanks in advance.
If your nitrites rise above 5 ppm, I would suggest doing a larger (50% works) water change to help knock them back. Just don't disturb the sand bed or rock when you do water changes during the cycle as that's where all of that good bacteria lives that we're trying to promote.
It's really hard to over dose bacteria, so as long as you're close, you'll be just fine. For example, if you have a 20 gallon aquarium, you can use the 2 oz bottle, which is recommended for aquariums up to 30 gallons.
Hey guys! Wondering if you could help. I started my biocube 29, with 30 lbs caribsea dry arogonite and 30 lbs caribsea south seas base rock. Since everything is dry, I am doing the dr Tims fishless method. I am on day 2, and my ammonia is at 4, I have no nitrites, but my nitrates are sky high 😳. Is that normal?
Given that your ammonia is so high, you'll want to stop any ammonia dosing to the aquarium. Since your tank is a relatively small water volume, I would suggest a 50% water change. This will not only help knock that ammonia level back to a more ideal 2 ppm, but also help reduce your nitrates. Just try not to disturb the sand bed or rock work during that water change as that's where the bulk of the good nitrifying bacteria will live.
@@BRStv Wow thanks for the quick reply! 👍🏻. Its strange because I just tested again, and the ammonia is now down to 2. 😳😳. Still no nitrite, so here’s hoping. Crazy what a difference a couple hours make! Im going to wait it out and check again in the morning. I am supposed to dose ammonium chloride again tomorrow so I am hoping to see it go down more and start seeing some nitrite. Nitrates Im not too worried about yet. My lights are off and I am in no rush to add a fish. I just plan on a MASSIVE water change when this cycle is complete! I just don’t understand where the nitrates came from, since everything used was dry 🤷
So I have a new tank cycling for about 2 weeks now . I added the nitrifying bacteria and my ammonia levels are at 1ppm and nitrite 1ppm. Should I add a clownfish now? Or wait ? Really need to know what’s best in this situation it’s my first saltwater tank
Bulk Reef Supply got it thank you I was a little confused on part when you said add a hardy fish after adding nitrifying bacteria that’s why I asked. But my ammonia is at 1ppm and nitrite at 1ppm as well. I will wait until what u think is best to see??
That depends on if you'll be using the Dr. Tim's fishless cycle process or not. If not, then we suggest adding the Dr. Tim's One and Only, then a hardy fish. With tanks like these 40 gallon tanks, the Dr. Tim's bacteria and decent sized water volume should mean no ammonia issues. Of course, it's good practice to do some tests for ammonia along the way and perform water changes as needed.
@@BRStv will adding Dr. Tims one and only with live sand and 2 clownfish to a 20g be fine or too much? Do you recommend the fish over the dr. Tims ammonia
So I just added my 2 clownfish, salts in there reading 1.026, rodi water, sand, bacteria, so can I turn the light on to feed and how long does the lights need to be off?
Great question. The cycling process is just to get the tank ready for fish. Particularly, ready to process the fish's waste. In this case, we're adding a bottled bacteria supplement before the fish. This way, there is enough bacteria in the tank to handle the ammonia produced by a single hardy fish.
I have already a 75 gallons but I’m upgrading it to a 135 gallon tank. I’ll have to circling the tank like a did with my 75? Can I putt my live rock in the new tank from the beginning? Or I have to wait until is ready to fish?
You can transfer all of your rock from the old tank to the new tank and do a "hot swap" so to speak. I'd suggest adding in some bacterial supplement like Dr. Tim's one and only or MicroBacter 7 to help ensure that there is enough good bacteria in the tank to handle the bioload of the fish.
hey i started with bio spira and dose dr time ammonia drops. i dose ammonia to 2pm which nitrite gets there as well. but both go to 0ppm after 48hours this has been going on for two weeks. i’ve read that 2ppm of ammonia and nitrite should drop to 0ppm in under 24hours to ensure the cycle is complete. should i keep dosing the drops once both 0 out until it does that in 24 hours or am i fine to move my other tank stock to here? it’s a 32biocube i started with 10lbs reef saver rock and live sand
So I ordered 40 pounds of Reef Saver Aquarium Dry Live Rock - MarcoRocks off your website. Will I need to do more before adding the clownfish? I know I probably should've spent a little more on the wet rock.
You certainly could. You'll almost certainly run into some more issues in that first year going bare bottom, but as long as you're up for that challenge, you could use the same steps outlined in this series to get everything cycled and up and running.
Your best bet is going to be to do a water change if you have sky high nitrites. Dr. Tim explains this really well in his MACNA talk from 2019 if you want to get into the nitty gritty of tank cycling. I'll warn you that the detail that he goes in is a bit nerdy and beyond the scope of this beginners series. ruclips.net/video/zDI7sxqC-ss/видео.html
Microalgae and other such plants use nitrite , what he doesn't mention is once nitrite becomes nitrate how does the anaerobic bacteria that is obviously not present going to create nitrous oxide. This video needs to be longer and in depth
can i dont add bacteria products in to my new tank and let it cycle with just live rocks and sand? if thats the case will ammonia still be introduced to the tank and then later convert to nitrite?
If you're using true live rock, then much of the good bacteria will already be on the surface of the rock. In that case, you likely don't need to add a bottled bacteria. This bacteria will quickly start converting ammonia to nitrites, then nitrites to nitrates.
I'm Loving the series. . Ya gonna add some coralline algae in a bottle ? What kind of Grande palys are those on the video title ? Be cool to put them in the tanks
My tank has cycled I allowed a month and 4 days fishless before adding any fish all my readings were 0 ppm. I’m going into 1 month and 11 days since cycling and added a yellow tang small and then a week later added a extra small hippo tang. I have a 55 they are my only fish and I do plan on upgrading. I checked water parameters only ammonia is at .25 and I did a small water change about 10-15% I didn’t want to stress the tangs they love to swim around they seem to be fine would you recommend I do another small water change tomorrow? Also feeding I will cut back to maybe 2x a week? Or what would you suggest? As far as their snack yellow tang loves the omega one seaweed am I okay to still place that in the tank everyday? Thanks in advance.
0.25 ppm ammonia is a common false positive reading if you're using the API test kits. If that's the case, I'd suggest picking up a different test kit to confirm like the one from Red Sea.
While water changes right away may not be necessary, we typically recommend starting with your water change schedule right away. There is something to be said about establishing good habits from the get-go.
Cycling your tank should only happen once. Cycling (short for the nitrogen cycle) just refers to establishing bacteria in your tank to handle the ammonia that your fish or future fish will produce.
@@BRStv oh okay, I just always keep seeing these videos of people saying you have to cycle the tank once a month and I always see videos of people not having fish in their tank sp I assumed you had to take them out everytime
@@Tommy81.519 You might be getting water changes confused with cycling! Like BRStv said, it should only happen once. But you do need to do routine water changes. :) Even with water changes, you shouldn’t remove fish from your tanks.
@@mckpayjhn yeah thats what I thought, its just I ALWAYS see people make videos of them "cycling" a tank every 6 or 8 months or something like that or might have been a year and they take the fish out, even then I was thinking like wth would be the purpose cause you would be affecting the already established tank, right? Lol
Corals don't have the negative reaction to ammonia like fish do, so the nitrogen cycle is less important. Getting over that initial ugly stage and avoiding nuisance algae will likely be your first goal instead.
@@BRStv thank you for the answer, so my main focus should be keeping lights off and monitoring ammonia levels until they droop in order to move to the next stage...
When does one turn on a protein skimmer? My tank is 8-9 days in cycle, ammonia a step above zero but my nitrates are insane. I also thought another video (may or may not be yours) said do water change AFTER cycle. So I’m worried I might screw something up if I do one now for crazy nitrate levels. (2 clowns in there per your videos) My nitrite is also only a step above zero
Turn the skimmer off for a few hours after adding any bacteria in a bottle products, but other than that, you can turn it on at any time. Many of us like to turn our skimmers on during that initial cycle phase so that we can "break it in." In other words, we run the skimmer so that a biofilm can start to build up on the inside of the skimmer body to reduce excessive microbubbles that you might notice upon first turning it on.
It's best practice to test the ammonia level prior to adding in fish and Dr. Tims bacteria can help speed up the ammonia removal process. I'd wait a day or a few days to be safe. :)
Start XLM from Brightwell is a viable option for sure! We should have a dry rock cycling kit on our website very soon, which will include this product :)
The skimmer will remove some particulates from the water, and the rock will perform as a biological filter. You could always add a mechanical filter to the system via HOB options.
@@BRStv thank you for the reply! I have an old fluval Roma 240 which I'm thinking of turning into a marine tank after this series! Keep up the good work :)
I've just started my first 20 gallon reef tank. Today I've added dead live rocks, live sand and osmosis salted water. When can I put in the clown fish and the bacteria?
If your rock was previously used in an aquarium or is from the ocean, make sure that your nitrates and phosphates aren't off the charts. This is a great video that goes into the topic of curing rock in more depth. ruclips.net/video/tBIWAYnk9ks/видео.html
So sorry to hear that! Bacteria in general are super resilient, so it's unlikely that you'll need to re-cycle the tank from scratch. Although, every situation is a bit different, depending on what caused the crash.
can you OVER cycle a tank ? I have my BioCube 32 gal ready to go. I probably won't add any Life to the tank for maybe 3 months. I will be away from the tank for vacation the last week for maybe 4 days. I don't want to put Life in while we are away … even for 4 days.
Going to be getting into a reef tank soon I have an established 75 gallon heavily planted fresh water tank I was wondering if I could use some of that water from the fresh to start that cycle in the new salt water tank?
Your best bet is going to be to completely drain the freshwater tank and start with new water. The bacteria that we care about for processing ammonia in our saltwater tanks can't survive in freshwater, so the only thing that you'd be doing by pulling water from your freshwater tank is starting with "dirty" water 😉
I like the format, very informative, I have a little question, I already cycled my aquarium (around 6 weeks) and added already my CUC, but have doubts what to add now if the fish or the coral first (I see all type of answers over the internet) thanks again and great videos :)
Can I still use this method if I used dry reefsaver rock? Or should I cycle using ammonia drops? Since this video series recommends pre-cured live rock, I am worried that if I throw in a clownfish with Dr. Tim's in a week-old tank, the fish may die.
The good news is that since Reef Saver rock doesn't have any organics on the rock surface, it actually doesn't need to be cured, so you should be just fine using this method :)
on this thread here, we're looking to see an example of a failed reef tank cycle, please post any you know of www.reef2reef.com/threads/forum-challenge-link-an-example-of-a-failed-reef-tank-cycle-from-any-post-on-the-internet.839587/
Generally speaking, a pair should be fine. The amount of ammonia produced from two clownfish is minimal. The larger the tank you're setting up, the more the ammonia will be diluted too. Just don't skip the nitrifying bacteria. This will help get the cycle kickstarted and make the tank safer for the new tank inhabitants!
@@BRStv and sorry one more question. When I add my water and before I add my fish I am supposed to put that new tank start up stuff or is that what the live bacteria is for after the clownfish?
@@BRStv and do you know how I reminerlize distilled water if I was to go that route? As I can get distilled water fairly cheap but can't find rodi water. Only RO water and cant afford or install a rodi system in my place
😢 Sorry to hear that. With such a quick death, there was likely some pre-existing condition or stress that contributed to the death of the fish. None the less, still sad to lose one
I added the rock, sand, power heads, and water. Ive also thrown a floating bag of carbon to help keep that water crystal clear. Then dosed a full bottle of instant ocean Bio-Spira. Let the tank cycle water for 3 days and took a test and I was amazed my ammonia was 0 nitrite was 0. My nitrate was a little high so I got a refugium kit coming Thursday. Went to the store and got 2 clowns last night and another bottle of bacteria just because why not and they seem to be doing well so far! These videos are a life saver. I’ve probably watched them all 5-10x thanks for helping me on my journey into Reefing this far!! Now to wait 4 months to get my lights.
I have started my aquarium like you did and wondering how your clowns are doing now. I just added the bacteria booster and want to get some clowns in a few day.
@@MisterRightish my first 2 didn’t make it they quit eating for some unknown reason. Dose your nitrifying bacteria weekly! That’s the most important part. I only dosed for 2 weeks. Should of been longer if I could do it over again. My tank is a week away from being 2 months old now and the second set of clowns I bought, the condy anemone, a birds nest coral, and a newly added white tail tang a week ago are doing well. Good luck on your journey. I’ll also add that my first 2 clowns weren’t anything too special just some regular ol petco ones and my local store isn’t too hip on cleaning their tanks. And I skipped the part about keeping the lights off for 4 months haha I couldn’t take it anymore. And to be honest the ugly stage hasn’t really hit me hard yet. Just some random hair algae outbreaks that weren’t horrible.
You moved waaaay to fast!
@@Tommy81.519 tanks thriving 100% good
Thank you for this series. I'm in the process of researching saltwater tanks. Im excited to finally dive into this side of the hobby. Ive only had freshwater aquariums.
Hey I enjoy all the 5 min vids ! Few questions !
After adding rock, sand, and water.
What is the time between adding let’s say dr Tim’s all in one and first fish (clown)?
Do I have all my filtration set up at this time ? (Filter floss , chemipure blue, Ect)
When does the first water change come in this process ?
My mistake was not turning off the lights at night. Algae showed up within 4 days. Thank you for the tip.
You guys have been great! Thank you so much!
Great videos I have learnt a lot. Do you do water changes during the cycling process.?
We try to avoid water changes during the cycle period. If we had a heavy imbalance of levels it is possible, but we would let it be to complete its cycle.
@@BRStv Thank you for your prompt and helpful reply
Hi! Just started watching your videos. Very informative! I'm setting up a 55 gallon, 1st time reef tank owner. I'm scared but excited all at once!! I do have a question about tank covers. I've noticed you don't have them on your tabks. I've been trying to find one for my size tank, but with fail!! Is a lid top necessary for a reef tank!!
Very nervous to set mine up
Great info. Thank you
Hey I had a question I started a 65 gallon saltwater tank and am struggling with the nitrate. I have zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and then my nitrate is about 30. I have added bacteria and I have two clown fish. How do I get my nitrate down?
I knew all the things Bryan said, the good news is that I found the deal on what I was looking for ,an place my order.
So I add the sand water rocks Dr Tims and a clown fish all at once? Or can I wait and add the clownfish say a week later?
@@kblasterbug I wouldn’t do the fish method. It doesn’t always work and can be supperrr harmful. Use Dr Tim’s nitrifying bacteria and get ammonium chloride to feed them. Without the ammonium chloride the bacteria won’t survive, it’s what they eat. To raise ammonia, just throw in some fish flakes with the Dr Tim’s and you will be cycle in at most about two weeks.
What is the best Bacteria to maintain it every weekly? Or you don't dose bacteria everyweek?
Once you get beyond the initial nitrogen cycle, dosing bacteria weekly shouldn't be necessary. That is, unless you're trying to dose a specific type to solve a specific problem.
@@BRStv Oh ok Thank you.
I watched your other video and it stated to use a live sand when starting a tank. This video didn’t so to use or not use live sand. I assumed I should use live sand. I bought the Microbracter Start XLM but noticed it states not to use live sand. My tank has live sand and I'm soon ready to add the Microbracter. Should I not use it? If not is there another product that works with live sand?
The problem with a lot of those bacteria in a bottle products is that they'll have to compete with the bacteria that comes with live sand. This is why dry sand is recommended for those specific instances. It's not to say that it won't work, it might just take a bit longer than you would have otherwise expected.
@@BRStv so the bacteria from the live sand , is it enough to help cycle a tank with live rock ..and no bacteria in a bottle ??
@@GeneralGP114 yes, generally live rock and live sand there really isn’t a need to cycle a tank just a few weeks for everything to be established should be good enough
Hi all
I've 100 gallons reef tank that run since a lot of years.
I want to change all my 100% rocks with new reefscspe with dry roch
Which products and how do I must proceed?
is start XLM a newer concentrated version of microbacter 7?
I made the mistake of using tap water unfiltered water is good where I am but the ro water made a huge difference weekly 25% water changes as well
Random question, at 0:45 there's a red anthias in that tank, any idea what kinda of anthias that is?
Looks like it might be a Dispar Anthias. :)
What I would like to know is, was the protein skimmer and refugium lights also kept off for 4 months? I'm cycling a brand new tank. When should I turn these components on?
If I use like natures ocean already mixed salt water. Do I need to add anything and should I still cycle the tank?
Most of the bacteria responsible for converting ammonia to less harmful nitrites and nitrates will live on surfaces. So while using clean ocean water is perfectly acceptable, we'd still recommend following the cycling steps laid out in this video.
Can i use API quick start instead of Dr. tims as i can't get doctor tims
API Quick Start will also work 🙂
What about lighting? Do I need to have light off during the full cycle period or ? Do I just add one clown fish when I pour in the bacteria or a pair of them ?
We suggest keeping your aquarium lights off for the first 4 month of your new aquarium being set up.
I'm reading conflicting information in these comments. The video says to add a hardy fish (clownfish) along with Dr. Tim's to get the cycle going. But comments from BRS further down say to wait a few days or longer for Ammonia to be 0. I used RODI water in my new setup. Don't we need ammonia to feed the bacteria and isn't that why we'd add the clownfish same day with the Dr. Tim's? Otherwise, won't we need to dose ammonia (without a fish to produce the ammonia)? If I start with RODI water and dump in Dr. Tim's and no fish or ammonia...will my tank still cycle? Thanks!
When do you recommend adding cleanup crew following initial cycle?
We normally suggest waiting until you start to see signs of the ugly stage popping up. Go light on a cleanup crew to start. Often times, we see reefers as too many clean up crew members and they just end up starving and dying due to lack of food, which defeats the purpose.
@BRStv - Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks what clean up crew do you recommend to start? Peppermint shrimp, trochus or turbos? One of each?
Thank you for this awesome guide. This really helps a newcomer. One question I havent been able to find answer to is can I use Microbacter 7 to do safe fish-in cycle since it is dormant bacteria? In Europe live nitrifying bacteria is not really a thing and cant get hold of that. I am setting up 65 gallon reef tank and planning to use MB7 (which is readily available). I was planning to cycle with 2 small clownfish but really dont want to subject them to suffering or death because of incorrect bacterial addative. Should I just use some other ammonia source instead? Using dry rock and sand.
As long as you're using a bacteria like MicroBacter7 when you add the fish (ideally shortly before), you'll be just fine. Since this is a relatively large water volume compared to two small fish, the amount of any ammonia build up will be small, if detectable at all by our hobby grade test kits.
Hi Thank you for this informative video. I have started to cycle a fish only with live rocks with just the wavemaker a week ago and heater running or plugged in and with 2 clownfish. So when do i turn on or run the hob filters? Do i turn on the filters when Ammonia starts to creep up? Or i should have turn it on a week ago also? Ammonia is still at 0.
You can run the HOB filters right away. Just make sure you hold off on any phosphate media as nitrifying bacteria will need some of it.
@@BRStv ok thank you. I only have chemi pure blue media in my filter and filter floss. Is this ok?
hi i have been to two fish stores and they wont sell me a fish to help with my cycle, i have been adding beneficial bacteria to the tank with the live rock in it
My FOWLR tank is now on the 24th day and the nitrites starting to go up or spike up, do i leave it alone and wait for it to go down by itself to complete the cycle? Or do a 40 to 50% water change to make it go down? Will eagerly wait for your reply. Thanks in advance.
If your nitrites rise above 5 ppm, I would suggest doing a larger (50% works) water change to help knock them back. Just don't disturb the sand bed or rock when you do water changes during the cycle as that's where all of that good bacteria lives that we're trying to promote.
Ok thanks 👍
So pour the entire bottle of one & only no matter your tank size? i wil only have a 20 gallon
It's really hard to over dose bacteria, so as long as you're close, you'll be just fine. For example, if you have a 20 gallon aquarium, you can use the 2 oz bottle, which is recommended for aquariums up to 30 gallons.
Omg I put the entire bottle into my 20 gallon .
Hey guys! Wondering if you could help. I started my biocube 29, with 30 lbs caribsea dry arogonite and 30 lbs caribsea south seas base rock. Since everything is dry, I am doing the dr Tims fishless method. I am on day 2, and my ammonia is at 4, I have no nitrites, but my nitrates are sky high 😳. Is that normal?
Given that your ammonia is so high, you'll want to stop any ammonia dosing to the aquarium. Since your tank is a relatively small water volume, I would suggest a 50% water change. This will not only help knock that ammonia level back to a more ideal 2 ppm, but also help reduce your nitrates. Just try not to disturb the sand bed or rock work during that water change as that's where the bulk of the good nitrifying bacteria will live.
@@BRStv Wow thanks for the quick reply! 👍🏻. Its strange because I just tested again, and the ammonia is now down to 2. 😳😳. Still no nitrite, so here’s hoping. Crazy what a difference a couple hours make! Im going to wait it out and check again in the morning. I am supposed to dose ammonium chloride again tomorrow so I am hoping to see it go down more and start seeing some nitrite. Nitrates Im not too worried about yet. My lights are off and I am in no rush to add a fish. I just plan on a MASSIVE water change when this cycle is complete! I just don’t understand where the nitrates came from, since everything used was dry 🤷
So u use both battles
When you say before you turn the lights on do you literally mean before you turn the lights on. Sorry if this is a dumb question.
There are no dumb questions! Yep, we mean that literally :)
So I have a new tank cycling for about 2 weeks now . I added the nitrifying bacteria and my ammonia levels are at 1ppm and nitrite 1ppm. Should I add a clownfish now? Or wait ? Really need to know what’s best in this situation it’s my first saltwater tank
With ammonia levels at 1 ppm, it would be best to wait to add the clownfish. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish and potentially deadly.
Bulk Reef Supply got it thank you I was a little confused on part when you said add a hardy fish after adding nitrifying bacteria that’s why I asked. But my ammonia is at 1ppm and nitrite at 1ppm as well. I will wait until what u think is best to see??
im setting up my first tank and i just wanted to know if i have to wait after puttng the dr tims or if i can put a fish straight in after?
That depends on if you'll be using the Dr. Tim's fishless cycle process or not. If not, then we suggest adding the Dr. Tim's One and Only, then a hardy fish. With tanks like these 40 gallon tanks, the Dr. Tim's bacteria and decent sized water volume should mean no ammonia issues. Of course, it's good practice to do some tests for ammonia along the way and perform water changes as needed.
@@BRStv will adding Dr. Tims one and only with live sand and 2 clownfish to a 20g be fine or too much? Do you recommend the fish over the dr. Tims ammonia
So I just added my 2 clownfish, salts in there reading 1.026, rodi water, sand, bacteria, so can I turn the light on to feed and how long does the lights need to be off?
We suggest leaving the lights off for the first 4 months or so of a new tank. Ambient lighting in the room will be sufficient.
So you're saying you can add fish right away? I'm confused, I thought you were supposed to wait like at least two weeks to a month before adding fish?
Great question. The cycling process is just to get the tank ready for fish. Particularly, ready to process the fish's waste. In this case, we're adding a bottled bacteria supplement before the fish. This way, there is enough bacteria in the tank to handle the ammonia produced by a single hardy fish.
If I add a couple of clown fish to start can I add an anemone if they are already host it where I buy them from? Or do they need the light?
Anemones are photosynthetic, so you'll need reef lighting to keep them alive and happy.
I have already a 75 gallons but I’m upgrading it to a 135 gallon tank. I’ll have to circling the tank like a did with my 75? Can I putt my live rock in the new tank from the beginning? Or I have to wait until is ready to fish?
You can transfer all of your rock from the old tank to the new tank and do a "hot swap" so to speak. I'd suggest adding in some bacterial supplement like Dr. Tim's one and only or MicroBacter 7 to help ensure that there is enough good bacteria in the tank to handle the bioload of the fish.
can you put a mantis shrimp instead of fish
hey i started with bio spira and dose dr time ammonia drops. i dose ammonia to 2pm which nitrite gets there as well. but both go to 0ppm after 48hours this has been going on for two weeks. i’ve read that 2ppm of ammonia and nitrite should drop to 0ppm in under 24hours to ensure the cycle is complete. should i keep dosing the drops once both 0 out until it does that in 24 hours or am i fine to move my other tank stock to here? it’s a 32biocube i started with 10lbs reef saver rock and live sand
Given the time frame and that your ammonia does hit 0 ppm rather shortly after dosing, I think you're ready for your first fish :)
So I ordered 40 pounds of Reef Saver Aquarium Dry Live Rock - MarcoRocks off your website. Will I need to do more before adding the clownfish? I know I probably should've spent a little more on the wet rock.
Just follow the steps that Ryan lays out in this video (as well as part 2) and you'll be good to go 🙂
Can I do this with my 40 Bdr. Without Sand. I want to run bare bottom what do you suggest?? Thanks
You certainly could. You'll almost certainly run into some more issues in that first year going bare bottom, but as long as you're up for that challenge, you could use the same steps outlined in this series to get everything cycled and up and running.
Ok im cycling a 750 liter tank my ammonia is 0
But my nitrite is over the roof do
I do water changers or wait it out cheers
Your best bet is going to be to do a water change if you have sky high nitrites. Dr. Tim explains this really well in his MACNA talk from 2019 if you want to get into the nitty gritty of tank cycling. I'll warn you that the detail that he goes in is a bit nerdy and beyond the scope of this beginners series.
ruclips.net/video/zDI7sxqC-ss/видео.html
Microalgae and other such plants use nitrite , what he doesn't mention is once nitrite becomes nitrate how does the anaerobic bacteria that is obviously not present going to create nitrous oxide. This video needs to be longer and in depth
can i dont add bacteria products in to my new tank and let it cycle with just live rocks and sand? if thats the case will ammonia still be introduced to the tank and then later convert to nitrite?
If you're using true live rock, then much of the good bacteria will already be on the surface of the rock. In that case, you likely don't need to add a bottled bacteria. This bacteria will quickly start converting ammonia to nitrites, then nitrites to nitrates.
@@BRStv do i need to introduce the ammonia or the ammonia will just formed out by itself?
I'm Loving the series. . Ya gonna add some coralline algae in a bottle ? What kind of Grande palys are those on the video title ? Be cool to put them in the tanks
So I add the sand water rocks Dr Tims and a clown fish all at once? Or can I wait and add the clownfish say a week later?
My tank has cycled I allowed a month and 4 days fishless before adding any fish all my readings were 0 ppm. I’m going into 1 month and 11 days since cycling and added a yellow tang small and then a week later added a extra small hippo tang. I have a 55 they are my only fish and I do plan on upgrading. I checked water parameters only ammonia is at .25 and I did a small water change about 10-15% I didn’t want to stress the tangs they love to swim around they seem to be fine would you recommend I do another small water change tomorrow? Also feeding I will cut back to maybe 2x a week? Or what would you suggest? As far as their snack yellow tang loves the omega one seaweed am I okay to still place that in the tank everyday? Thanks in advance.
0.25 ppm ammonia is a common false positive reading if you're using the API test kits. If that's the case, I'd suggest picking up a different test kit to confirm like the one from Red Sea.
when im cycling should I be doing water changes?
While water changes right away may not be necessary, we typically recommend starting with your water change schedule right away. There is something to be said about establishing good habits from the get-go.
So do you have to take the fish out everytome you cycle the tank?
Cycling your tank should only happen once. Cycling (short for the nitrogen cycle) just refers to establishing bacteria in your tank to handle the ammonia that your fish or future fish will produce.
@@BRStv oh okay, I just always keep seeing these videos of people saying you have to cycle the tank once a month and I always see videos of people not having fish in their tank sp I assumed you had to take them out everytime
@@Tommy81.519 You might be getting water changes confused with cycling! Like BRStv said, it should only happen once. But you do need to do routine water changes. :) Even with water changes, you shouldn’t remove fish from your tanks.
@@mckpayjhn yeah thats what I thought, its just I ALWAYS see people make videos of them "cycling" a tank every 6 or 8 months or something like that or might have been a year and they take the fish out, even then I was thinking like wth would be the purpose cause you would be affecting the already established tank, right? Lol
What if we are not aiming to keep fishes on the aquarium, I'm building a nano reef and it is going to contain only zoas, how do you cycle the tank?
Corals don't have the negative reaction to ammonia like fish do, so the nitrogen cycle is less important. Getting over that initial ugly stage and avoiding nuisance algae will likely be your first goal instead.
@@BRStv thank you for the answer, so my main focus should be keeping lights off and monitoring ammonia levels until they droop in order to move to the next stage...
When does one turn on a protein skimmer?
My tank is 8-9 days in cycle, ammonia a step above zero but my nitrates are insane. I also thought another video (may or may not be yours) said do water change AFTER cycle. So I’m worried I might screw something up if I do one now for crazy nitrate levels.
(2 clowns in there per your videos)
My nitrite is also only a step above zero
Turn the skimmer off for a few hours after adding any bacteria in a bottle products, but other than that, you can turn it on at any time. Many of us like to turn our skimmers on during that initial cycle phase so that we can "break it in." In other words, we run the skimmer so that a biofilm can start to build up on the inside of the skimmer body to reduce excessive microbubbles that you might notice upon first turning it on.
So we are to put Dr Tims in at day one WITH a clown fish? Or is this after the Amonia spikes for the first time?
It's best practice to test the ammonia level prior to adding in fish and Dr. Tims bacteria can help speed up the ammonia removal process. I'd wait a day or a few days to be safe. :)
Great Video
What do you think about to start with DRY ROCK like AQUAFOREST using "start XLM"?
Start XLM from Brightwell is a viable option for sure! We should have a dry rock cycling kit on our website very soon, which will include this product :)
@@BRStv I wait your website update
So the only mechanical filter on these tanks are the protein skimmers and the biological filter is the live rock? Great series so far guys :)
The skimmer will remove some particulates from the water, and the rock will perform as a biological filter. You could always add a mechanical filter to the system via HOB options.
@@BRStv thank you for the reply! I have an old fluval Roma 240 which I'm thinking of turning into a marine tank after this series! Keep up the good work :)
I've just started my first 20 gallon reef tank. Today I've added dead live rocks, live sand and osmosis salted water. When can I put in the clown fish and the bacteria?
If your rock was previously used in an aquarium or is from the ocean, make sure that your nitrates and phosphates aren't off the charts. This is a great video that goes into the topic of curing rock in more depth.
ruclips.net/video/tBIWAYnk9ks/видео.html
Everything died 😭😭😭 after almost 10 years. Because of an unnoticed equipment failure. Did about a 90% water change. Will it cycle again?
So sorry to hear that! Bacteria in general are super resilient, so it's unlikely that you'll need to re-cycle the tank from scratch. Although, every situation is a bit different, depending on what caused the crash.
can you OVER cycle a tank ? I have my BioCube 32 gal ready to go. I probably won't add any Life to the tank for maybe 3 months. I will be away from the tank for vacation the last week for maybe 4 days. I don't want to put Life in while we are away … even for 4 days.
How long does the tank needs to be running for before I add my first fish?
So I add the sand water rocks Dr Tims and a clown fish all at once? Or can I wait and add the clownfish say a week later?
@@kblasterbug I added all the same day and my clown died.
Should we feed the clown fish after we add it or does it just eat the algae?
You'll need to feed your clownfish :)
When should you start seeing Ammonia show up ?
With most cycles, you'll usually see that within the first week or so.
Going to be getting into a reef tank soon I have an established 75 gallon heavily planted fresh water tank I was wondering if I could use some of that water from the fresh to start that cycle in the new salt water tank?
Your best bet is going to be to completely drain the freshwater tank and start with new water. The bacteria that we care about for processing ammonia in our saltwater tanks can't survive in freshwater, so the only thing that you'd be doing by pulling water from your freshwater tank is starting with "dirty" water 😉
Would it be problematic to add 2 clownfish at once to start the cycle?
If you're using a 40 breeder like in this video, using two clowns won't be an issue. Just make sure to add in your bacteria first!
2:00 Did that clown fish show signs of ick 👀
Good catch! Flashing isn't always related to disease, but definitely a behavior that is worth monitoring.
thank you!!!!!!!
I like the format, very informative, I have a little question, I already cycled my aquarium (around 6 weeks) and added already my CUC, but have doubts what to add now if the fish or the coral first (I see all type of answers over the internet) thanks again and great videos :)
There really isn't a right or wrong order. I like to add fish first, because feeding the fish helps introduce food for the corals :)
@@BRStv Thank you very much guys, I love your videos BTW!
Can I still use this method if I used dry reefsaver rock? Or should I cycle using ammonia drops?
Since this video series recommends pre-cured live rock, I am worried that if I throw in a clownfish with Dr. Tim's in a week-old tank, the fish may die.
The good news is that since Reef Saver rock doesn't have any organics on the rock surface, it actually doesn't need to be cured, so you should be just fine using this method :)
Just to confirm we only add the first fish after we get ammonia to 0 correct?
Correct. Ammonia definitely needs to be zero before adding any fish
So basically, get Dr Tim's one and only, got it
What do I do if my cycle restarts out of nowhere and I have a full tank of corals? This is what’s happening to me right now
on this thread here, we're looking to see an example of a failed reef tank cycle, please post any you know of www.reef2reef.com/threads/forum-challenge-link-an-example-of-a-failed-reef-tank-cycle-from-any-post-on-the-internet.839587/
Can you put a pair of clowns in to start the cycle or just 1 clown?
Generally speaking, a pair should be fine. The amount of ammonia produced from two clownfish is minimal. The larger the tank you're setting up, the more the ammonia will be diluted too. Just don't skip the nitrifying bacteria. This will help get the cycle kickstarted and make the tank safer for the new tank inhabitants!
i bought a salt water tank with fish and corals and need to move it from one house to my house without everything dying
how can i do that please
He seems more interested in selling products.
Ammonia is not in the tank if yo udon't put anything in the tank to begin with. So how can you cycle when there's no ammonia? hahaha
And so, I mix my water, put the rocks and water in, then put a clown fish and a bottle of that live bacteria?
And all with the lights off?
That's correct. You'll also want to make sure that the water is at the correct temperature before adding your first fish.
@@BRStv okay thank you so much!
@@BRStv and sorry one more question. When I add my water and before I add my fish I am supposed to put that new tank start up stuff or is that what the live bacteria is for after the clownfish?
@@BRStv and do you know how I reminerlize distilled water if I was to go that route? As I can get distilled water fairly cheap but can't find rodi water. Only RO water and cant afford or install a rodi system in my place
My clown died within 2 hours with Dr. Tims :/
😢 Sorry to hear that. With such a quick death, there was likely some pre-existing condition or stress that contributed to the death of the fish. None the less, still sad to lose one
So I can add a clown fish right away ?
You don't have to do all this. Use prime and dump some fish in