Tank Progression

[Clown_lover]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Well lets see 1 29 gallon tank now circulating Salt Water and first reading from my hydrometer is 1.022 Tank has been circulating for now 2 almost 3 hours. Will do another reading in 24 hours. Hoping to get a good steady reading. Then I will add my sand. Got a 50 pound bag sitting here awaiting the tank. Using Instant Ocean salt. Bought a Penguin 1140 power head this evening to circulate my tank. Planning on getting another one tomorrow. Got a good digital thermometer to put on the face of the tank outside. Getting a home test kit tomorrow for the saltwater tank. As soon as I get that I will start the cycle process of the tank. What is next besides getting my live rock which I have determined I need a good light to keep the live rock alive and growing things on it. So I guess the next buy is a Reef light. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Sounds like you are getting on track. Be prepared to sit and watch the sandstorm for a few days to a week or so after adding the sand. Water tests during this period will be useless as the finer sand particulates will effect your test results. As bacteria began to populate the tank they will attach to the finer particles and help weigh them down so they settle and hopefully stay settled for you.

Just a wait and watch time.

[labman]

1st off let me say I barrowed this from aquariumadvice.com it's only
fair to mention them if I cross post something there I will do the same
but this is how I was told to cycle the tank that is the better way
mentioned#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#h1#ed_cl#how to cycle your tank with out the use of fish.#ed_op#/h1#ed_cl#

#ed_op#span class="gen"#ed_cl# #ed_op#div class="TDRowText"#ed_cl##ed_op#b#ed_cl#The humane method of cycling your tank. #ed_op#/b#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#One of the things that I see many new hobbyists do when starting a
new tank is that they go out and get some cheap damsels or some other
cheap saltwater fish and dump 4 or more into their tank to start the
�cycle�. This may not seem like a big deal but when you consider what
you�re putting those poor fish thru it�s a very big deal. Basically
your making those fish live in a sewer processing plant for a few weeks
until the bacteria bed can grow to a level where it can process the
ammonia that is produced. #ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#Some of the fish that you first get will not make it thru this
process. It�s a horrible thought that a person would buy a fish with
the intent to put them in conditions where there is a high % of
mortality. There is a better way.#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl##ed_op#b#ed_cl#THE BETTER WAY #ed_op#/b#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#Since we already know that we need ammonia before we can have
ammonia removing bacteria and that ammonia is toxic to fish we have a
hard paradox of needing ammonia to remove ammonia yet ammonia could
kill the very thing we put in our tank to produce ammonia. #ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#To keep from having this issue I advice the use of the �Fishless method of cycling�. #ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#To use the fishless method of cycling your tank you have to first
get all of your tank up and running with saltwater just like you would
if you where going to add fish. Instead of running off to the LFS to
get some unlucky volunteers to start your cycle you take a trip to the
LGS (Local Grocery Store). That�s correct, the grocery store. Go to the
back where they sell seafood and try to find some RAW SHRIMP, make sure
its raw and as unprocessed as possible. You don�t want precooked or
seasoned shrimp. Depending on the size of your tank you may need as few
as one (up to 30 gal) or as many as three (120 gal or larger). If you
cant find raw shrimp then look for some other form of raw seafood. #ed_op#br#ed_cl#Take you�re new found loot back home and drop it in the tank. Now
you get to watch nature take her course with your fresh seafood. After
a day or two it should start to breakdown in the warm saltwater. This
process is the exact same as fish producing waste or fish food breaking
down. #ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#If you don�t have an ammonia, nitrite, nitrate test kit(s) then at
this stage in the game you should go out and get some, as you will need
them during the cycling process. After a few days you should start
taking ammonia tests of the water. You should see the ammonia begin to
rise as the shrimp rots away. As the ammonia levels rise you should see
them peek after a week or maybe a little longer. After about a week you
can start to test for nitrite. As the ammonia levels begin their
decline the nitrite levels should begin to rise. During this time the
conditions in the tank are not beneficial to life other than the
bacteria that is starting to grow and reproduce in your tank. This
bacterium is needed to keep your tank ammonia free. After a few weeks
the ammonia levels should be almost nonexistent again and the nitrite
levels should be on the decline. At this time the shrimp may or may not
be visible anymore. When the tank tests negative (0.00) for ammonia and
nitrite your ready for your first fish or two. #ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#New tanks should only have fish introduced in very limited numbers.
Every item you add to your tank will increase your bio load to some
degree. Some additions will affect the bio load more than others. For
example, a 2� fish will increase your bio load a lot more than a
handful of hermits and snails. A lionfish will increase your bio load
more than other fish of the same size, as they are �messy eaters�. With
every addition to your tank the bacteria has to increase to support the
higher level of ammonia production. If you increase the bio load to
quickly it could cause an �ammonia spike�. If the ammonia spike is to
large then the inhabitants of the tank will either be stressed or
killed. #ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#Should you have any questions or comments about this article please
feel free to post in the Saltwater & Reef - General Discussion
forum.#ed_op#/div#ed_cl##ed_op#/span#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl#

[graphixx]

I would agree on the piece of shrimp, that way your not going to condem a fish to die in your tank during the cycling process. I would also suggest before you put your sand in to give it a good rinse (I am sure you know this) but yes you are on the right track. your amonia will peak first then the nitrite. What your doing in the cycle process (and sorry if you allready know this, but it may help the newer to the hobby on this forum) your literally growing bacteria. specifically Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter, and what they do is convert amonia which is toxic to fish to nitrite which is less toxic but still toxic and then the nitrobacter actually use this as an energy source and convert this to nitrate.

[graphixx]

sorry to chime in again. another thing you can do that will help speed this process is to "seed" your sand bed. what this is, if you know someone that has an allready established tank see if they will give you a good sized cup of their sand. Also alot of your local fish stores will do this as well. But by doing this your are introducing bacteria and pods allready into your tank and this will help speed the process up as well.

[Clown_lover]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Ahhh Thanks for the article I printed it out as well as saved it to a text document to the computer. I am going to Meijers today to pick me up some raw shrimp. My sand is in my tank currently and it looks like a great mud pie lol. Hoping that over the next week my tnak begins the cycling process. I will let all know how it is progressing. Also if I may suggest is We should add like a daily readings diary to the site so each individual starting out can document their readings as their tanks progress. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Also if I may suggest is We should add like a daily readings diary to the site so each individual starting out can document their readings as their tanks progress.

Actually a feature like that already exists, every member can start their own Web Blog (aka Blog) right here on the board, just click My Blog Control Panel on the Navigation Bar and it will automatically create it for you. As soon as it's created you can customize it to your liking, there are lots of 'templates' to choose from that will change the appearance of the layout, and all sorts of goodies in there. Most functions should be pretty self explanitory. For example who can post to YOUR blog, who can read it, all sorts of cool stuff.

But I (and many others) use it to document tests, livestock additions, changes to your system, heck write a novel about overthrowing King Neptune and taking control of the oceans if you want :mrgreen: Best of the ink won't smear like a notebook tucked into a cubbyhole under your tank whan you splash water on it.

[Clown_lover]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Created a blog weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this is fun. Tank progression continued. Stuck 2 pounds of Live rock in tank to start teh cycling process and going to buy the test kit for amonia, niterate, and nitrite by 7 pm. Will do my first readings by midnight and post the results. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Clown_lover]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#did first chemical testing Amonia levels set at .50 so we are on our way. Will do another reading day after tomorrow to see where we are at. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[jerryc]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Created a blog weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this is fun. Tank progression continued. Stuck 2 pounds of Live rock in tank to start teh cycling process and going to buy the test kit for amonia, niterate, and nitrite by 7 pm. Will do my first readings by midnight and post the results. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#You will be a lot better of if you get all your live rock in the tank at this time or you may just#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#end up cycling again later#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#