Ausreefer69
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Cycle process and stages
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Nope.
Tooth brush manual removal at WC time, and get some snails. Its time.
also if you can get a lil better pic, just to ID the type a little better.
image via @rusticgirls
In a freshwater aquarium you can add some flake food, wait a couple weeks, and then you can add fish. In the ocean there is much more involved than mechanical filtration. In fact, 70% of your aquariums filtration relies on the maturity of the live rock. A combination of bacteria, algae, and various invertebrates compose the “live” part of the rock. It takes quite a while to establish an ecosystem, even on a microscopic level. Without a proper understanding of the Marine Cycle, you will be in for a long term battle with parameters and algae. There are six main stages to a properly cycled tank. Follow this guide and you cannot mess up. You will need your basic test kit to test the progress.
Stage 1: Ammonia Cycle
Ammonia is the first thing that forms when something rots. It is a waste product in nearly all creatures as well. Instead of using a fish to start the cycle just use some food. Anything that is all natural and uncooked works just fine. Table shrimp that is uncooked works great. Drop it on the sand so it is in view. The shrimp should begin to rot within a couple hours or more. Let this shrimp rot until it is completely gone. If you are curious what your ammonia levels are, go ahead and take some tests. Keep track of the results as the shrimp rots. The smaller the food gets the more ammonia should be present in your water column and pretty soon should be off the charts. This will stay high for a while, but then start to drop. As soon as the ammonia starts to drop you will see a rise in Nitrite, you are now on the next stage.
Stage 2: Nitrite Cycle
Ammonia when broken down by bacteria becomes Nitrite, which is still a toxin. As your Nitrites rise your Ammonia will drop, drop, and keep dropping as long as you haven’t added any animals. Keep up with testing to observe your progress. Eventually your Ammonia will be very low and your nitrites will peak out until it starts feeding a different type of bacteria that turns it into Nitrates. Once your first signs of Nitrates are seen you are on the next stage.
Stage 3: Nitrate Cycle
Nitrates are removed within the live rock deep inside in all of the deep pours. This hidden bacteria consumes the nitrate and creates nitrogen gas as a byproduct. The nitrogen gas rises in the water column and escapes into the air. When one gas leave, another enters. Oxygen is then infused into the water. After the Nitrates start to dissipate your oxygen will increase and you will be ready for the intermission:
Intermission:
You are not done yet! You may have cultivated a nice crop of groovy bacteria and your water may be clean as can be, but, there are still 3 more stages to the cycle process before you can start your stocking. Take this time to consume all of which you have already done. The next 3 stages often put fear into the eyes of many newcomers. These are perfectly natural and are partially a representation of how the earth became an oxygen rich planet. Before there was any oxygen breathing organisms, there was the evolution of Cyanobacteria. This is a photosynthetic bacteria that creates Oxygen as a byproduct. There are several colors, but the commonality is that it is like a slime. The Cyanobacteria spread over a vast area and the atmosphere became oxygen rich like we breath today, without the smog. Cyanobacteria is responsible for life as we know it. The same applies to the reef. Now that your mind has been blown you may move on to the next stage of the cycle.
Pre-Algae Cycle:
If your lights have not been setup yet do so now. Set your timers as you would for a reef tank. Anywhere from 6-12 hours is a good amount of time. Set the photoperiod to be on during the hours you will be viewing the tank most. If you work 2nd shift it is OK to have the lights come on after you get home from work or when you wake up in the morning. As long as there is not a supply of sunlight near the tank you wont have a long term battle with algae.
Stage 4: Diatoms
diatom algae image via reef2reef member @Steven R
Diatoms are a brown dusty life form that consumes silicates. There is no avoiding Diatoms during their initial bloom. Leave it be. Let it go crazy. Before you know it, the brown stuff will soon start to change colors. Generally red, this is the start of the next stage!
Stage 5: Cyanobacteria
cyanobacteria image via reef2reef member @Murfman
Cyanobacteria will now begin its course. Again you will let the slime just do its thing. This will be the nastiest of the stages. Cyanobacteria can gross some people out, especially if they catch a whiff of it. It is best to leave it be. It will start to clear up eventually. The clearing of the slime makes way for yet another stage.
Stage 6: Green/Brown algae
hair algae image via reef2reef member @johnmaloney
If you have made it this far, give yourself a round of applause. This is the final “battle” of the cycle process. When the slime is gone you will see your first signs of plant life, algae! Green Hair algae is usually the type that you see, but some other types have been known to occur. This stuff will grow like mad. At this point you are ready to move on to the next phase.
The cycle is a long process in terms of hobbies. Find yourself a good rhythm for testing. Get yourself in the habit of staring for long periods of time. Practice observation by watching as life forms start taking foot in the aquarium. You will see things from dust sized particles to worms that reach a foot long. There really is no telling what could form in your tank. This is a great time to prepare for the animals you will get. Knowing how to describe things and being able to correctly test the water will help you get the information you need. Your parameters are perfect now. You are now ready to move on to the next section. You should actually study the next section during your cycle, since you will have quite a bit of time on your hands with all that waiting.
Cycles can be artificially induced, but it is always preferred to use as little foreign liquids as possible. Another thing you can do during the cycle is preparing your clean up crew and first fish, but be prepared to keep them quarantined for a prolonged time since the cycle is unpredictable.
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Ausreefer69
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Ausreefer69
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Ausreefer69
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It's also on the sand!!
ugg, thats crazy! Im going to guess it live rock and live sand etc. The die off in the rock fueling the pant growth. Can I see a full tank shot?
FWIW, Im the last guy to use a bottle of anything but at a point some have too.
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Ausreefer69
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No actually there is only 2small piece of live rock which I was told to put in the tank to seed it. It's all new base rock and sand
so did the alage come in with the LR?
Im trying to figure out if its a bryopsis. 2016 was the year of the bryopsis IMO.
If there's nothing in the tank Id turn out all the lights, and would probably consider getting snails in.
Live Sand? Did you use an ammonia source to cycle?
If there's nothing in the tank Id turn out all the lights, and would probably consider getting snails in.
Live Sand? Did you use an ammonia source to cycle?
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Ausreefer69
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No I it wasn't live sand, everything was new except I am using natural sea water. I only threw 2 small live rocks in which were clean and been in my other tank for 2 years. I have been feeding the tank as if there is a fish in there but ammonia still has come into play yet. I will get you a full tank shot later
Joseph Jamal
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At what stage can add CUC? Thank you
Once the cycle is done and you see algaes forming. Too soon and too many at once they starve.
Joseph Jamal
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Thank you for the detailed info..
At which stage you'd add CUC?
At which stage you'd add CUC?
When you have algae in the tank for them to clean.
Of extra fish foods to be cleaned up.
fabutahoun
Angels and Acros
First look at this photo I thought it is bryopsis.
Did You use Live rock , or Dry Dead Rock?
I would stop the feeding, turn off the lights, and add some snails, diadema urchin is an excellent algae eating machine. Try to manual remove as many algae as you can before every water change.
Without manual removal and water change. the algea die off and the nutrients that is feeding the algea are still in the water, so you need some why to export these nutrients.
You can also use a refugium with strong light or algae the reactor. the macro algae in the reactor or fuge will out compete with the algae in the tank because it is getting more light.
My opinion : no difference.
Cyano is in the air and everywhere. If it has a chance to grow, it will. Most times it goes away as corals shade it out and other things use the nutrients before it can.
Hair algae comes with snails corals ect. If it has a change to grow, it will. Most times it goes away as corals shade it out and other things use the nutrients before it can.
Some of your clean up crew can help you with keeping these 2 things in check.
Goodair
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So CUC + a wavemaker somewhat keeping the water moving at the bottom will help make it harder for the cyano to bloom?
Stocking will be a predator tank so urchins for algae, is there anythkng else that won't get eaten to take care of cyano/ algae the urchins wont eat?
Stocking will be a predator tank so urchins for algae, is there anythkng else that won't get eaten to take care of cyano/ algae the urchins wont eat?
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