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I had a short cycle

S

sbelyo

ok, I started a 20L 8 days ago. I used 20 lbs. of arag-alive sand from caribsea 10 lbs of LR from the LFS and 10 lbs of LR from another NJRC member's sump.

During the last 8 days I definitely had nice levels of Amonia, Nitrates, and Nitrites. As of yesterday, those level are all 0

My guess is this is a short cycle. Can I put one cheap fish in there so it generates a small bio load?
 
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jgraz

jgraz

If you want to be sure just dose pure ammonia. Dose to about 2ppm. If cycle is done it will probably be gone tomorrow. With all the live rock it's not unusual to have a short cycle. Not sure what you consider a cheap But you might not want that in the tank later. Using the above method helps make sure.
 
S

sbelyo

$4 - 6 bucks would be chaep to me. Or a snail and a hermit crab. There seems to be plenty of dead crap on some of the rocks. They would clean that up right?

How do I dose it out that small... The only amonia I know like that is in the supermarket for cleaning.
 
jgraz

jgraz

sbelyo said:
$4 - 6 bucks would be chaep to me. Or a snail and a hermit crab. There seems to be plenty of dead crap on some of the rocks. They would clean that up right?

How do I dose it out that small... The only amonia I know like that is in the supermarket for cleaning.
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Sorry I thought you meant like a damsel. Some people add them to help cycle tanks. If you think the tank is ready by all means go ahead. A small clean up crew will be good to start with. But you might have to add food if it runs out for them. If you want to try the ammonia route then true value hardware usually stocks pure ammonia. Pretty cheap too. If the cycle is surly complete you could even start to slowly add your fish you want. I thought my first tank also cycled quick, but when I tried to dose the pure ammonia I took a few days to disappear so it wasn't quite as ready as it should have been. But when it was good my first addition was a couple of clowns and a handful of snail and hermits.
 
jgraz

jgraz

Also don't use the ammonia from supermarket. Only use pure if you try it. Just add a bit and test the water dose to about 2ppm then it should be zero pretty quick with a complete cycle
 
S

sbelyo

ah ok, I'll check the hardware store. But at this point I think I'll start with a small clean up crew and a little food. I think I'll put them in tonight and see what happens
 
NikkiT

NikkiT

If you are not sure how to dose ammonia, i would suggest buying a bacterial culture before adding that fish. Try Dr. Tim's or biospira (sp?).
If you use a fish to cycle your tank, the ammonia the fish generates will burn the fish's gills. Will the fish survive? Maybe, it depends on the fish. This is, admittedly, how I cycled my first tank. In 2012, this is no longer necessary as you can (1) dose ammonia to kick start your bacterial development by providing a food source,(2) add a commercial preparation to increase the bacterial population, or (3) add a piece of dead shrimp from the grocery store to provide a food source for bacteria.

The dead stuff on the rocks is also stuff that will cycle the tank by providing a food source for bacteria. If there is dead stuff on the rocks, in my opinion, it is too early to add a fish. Crabs and snails may survive, but may or may not eat the dead stuff on the rocks. When the dead stuff is gone, and nitrates and nitrites are also zero, and there is no ammonia, then, in my opinion, it is time to add a fish and some cleanup crew.
 
9supratt4

9supratt4

Because you bought Live Rock from a store and then also bought some from another member. Odds are your cycle is completed. The bacteria that is on the rocks is enough to handle the bio load of your tank right now.

It's just like when I set up a new tank....I run a sponge in my sump for a couple weeks....then put it in the new tank....bam instant cycle.
 
S

sbelyo

I'll look up how to dose amonia as well. I figure I'll add two hermit crabs and a snail. The crabs at the LFS are about half the size of a dime for $1.79 or something and the snails are the same size at $1.99.

There is two very very small feather dusters living on the live rock as well as about 3 sponges. They all seemed to have survived, but I think they're hungry at this point. So maybe a small CuC and some food is a good idea
 
S

sbelyo

9supratt4 said:
Because you bought Live Rock from a store and then also bought some from another member. Odds are your cycle is completed. The bacteria that is on the rocks is enough to handle the bio load of your tank right now.

It's just like when I set up a new tank....I run a sponge in my sump for a couple weeks....then put it in the new tank....bam instant cycle.
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I'll have to remember that trick when I setup my 120
 
S

sbelyo

CuC is in

1 queen conch

10 blue leg hermits

10 red lage hermits

10 snails ( dont know the names) 2 different kinds
 
S

sbelyo

2 of the snails were still in the same place that we put them in the tank this morning (on their backs). I righted them and left them in the tank. Is it possible they didn't make it? Everything else is fine. The crabs are scurrying amongst the rock and gary the conch was burrowing in the sand this morning.
 
K

Karl

Nah, snails just do that. I had one on its back for several days to a week, then one day found it on the glass.

sbelyo said:
2 of the snails were still in the same place that we put them in the tank this morning (on their backs). I righted them and left them in the tank. Is it possible they didn't make it? Everything else is fine. The crabs are scurrying amongst the rock and gary the conch was burrowing in the sand this morning.
Click to expand...
 
M

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
I would be real careful with that queen conch. First off they can get 7-9 inches long which would be way to big for your tank. They need a deep well established sand bed as well. I love conches but you really have to be careful of their needs.
 
S

sbelyo

mnat said:
I would be real careful with that queen conch. First off they can get 7-9 inches long which would be way to big for your tank.
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I will... Gary at OG II said he'd be fine so I trusted him. the sand bed is around 2 inches right now and he seems to burry himself enough. Should I be feeding the tank a little pinch of sinking food each day since there isn't much food in there now?
 
trivan

trivan

Not to sound like a downer, but there is the saying that nothing good in reefing happens quick. Take it slow and you will save money and headaches down the road. If you are cycled, still take it slow. I only added 1 fish per month to let everything settle in and equalize when I started.
 
howze01

howze01

NJRC Member
sbelyo said:
I will... Gary at OG II said he'd be fine so I trusted him. the sand bed is around 2 inches right now and he seems to burry himself enough. Should I be feeding the tank a little pinch of sinking food each day since there isn't much food in there now?
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I'm sure it can bury itself now but in a few months? I don't think burying is even much of a consideration now. Food is probably a bigger worry at this point. They need an established sand bed because they "graze" through the sand for their food. After so short a time, your tank can't support one. Even if it can now, a Queen Conch will go through the sand in a 20g tank in no time and starve then. If I were you I would bring it back to OG and let them worry about it. At the very least it won't die in your tank and cause another cycle.

Really not trying to be harsh or anything and I'm sorry if it sounds that way.
 
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