Dr tims one and only (fishless cycle)

[Taylah]

Just curious what everyone’s preferences are when using Dr Tims one and only to do a fishless cycle..
Do you:

a) Do you initially dose ammonia and add Dr Tims one and only bacteria then let the tank do it’s thing. When the ammonia and nitrites hit 0 after a few weeks you go back a dose a little more ammonia.. Only 2 dosing periods.

b) Do you initially dose ammonia and re-dose through the weeks when ammonia levels drop to 1ppm or below. Proceed this process then lay off and watch the spikes in ammonia and nitrite go down until it’s 0.. Multiple dosing periods

c) Do you do a completely different method using Dr Tims one and only.

 

[sfin52]

@Erin O you just did this. Can you share your insight.

 

[Erin O]

I used Instant Ocean instead of Dr. Tim's, but when I added the bacteria, I also added ammonia. I tried for 2-4 ppm. The next day, I tested the water. My ammonia was 0, nitrites 0.25 and nitrates at a trace. I dosed ammonia back to 2-4 ppm again after testing. Every morning I test and then I add ammonia. If you don't feed the bacteria, you'll lose the cycle.

 

[SteveEreef]

here is the directions from Dr. Tims website:
The Process:

• Day 1 - dose ammonia to 2 ppm ammonia-nitrogen [NH3-N] using our ammonium chloride (1 drop per gallon [After Nov 2016 when using DrTim's ammonium chloride use 4 drops per gallon]) [NOTE: do not expect your test kit to exactly read 2 ppm and it is not critical to get exactly 2 ppm. The key is to not add too much ammonia]. If using DrTim's Aquatics One & Only Live Nitrifying bacteria add it now (turn skimmer, UV and ozone off and remove filter socks for 48 hours).
• Day 2 - Measure ammonia and nitrite.
• Day 3 - If ammonia and nitrite are below 1 ppm add more ammonia: four drops of our ammonium chloride per gallon (check the label).
• Days 4 & 5 - Measure ammonia and nitrite.
• Day 6 - If ammonia and nitrite are below 1 ppm add 2 ppm ammonia. Four drops of our ammonium chloride per gallon. [NOTE: since you have added the One & Only your ammonia kit will not read 2 ppm and DO NOT continue adding ammonia trying to get to 2 ppm - just add 2 ppm ammonia (4 drops per gallon of our ammonium chloride) and carry-on.
• Days 7 & 8 - Measure ammonia and nitrite. On the first measurement day (Day 2, 4, 5, 7 or 8) that BOTH ammonia and nitrite are both below 0.5 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N) your tank is close to being cycled.
• Now start to measure ammonia and nitrite every day.
• When BOTH ammonia and nitrite are below 0.2 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N), add another 2 ppm ammonia.
• Continue to measure every day. When you can add 2 ppm ammonia and BOTH ammonia and nitrite are below 0.2 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N) the next day your tank is cycled - congrats! You're done!
• Do a partial water change and add some fish.

 

[gabrieltackitt]

If you don't feed the bacteria, you'll lose the cycle.

This has actually been proven false recently! The bacteria will go into a dormant state that takes a little more time to get back to fully active but they do not generally just die out and lose/stall a cycle. @brandon429 has lots of evidence and studies to the contrary

 

[Erin O]

This has actually been proven false recently! The bacteria will go into a dormant state that takes a little more time to get back to fully active but they do not generally just die out and lose/stall a cycle. @brandon429 has lots of evidence and studies to the contrary

That's encouraging! Will they stay dormant indefinitely?

 

[Dvanlier05]

I've used Dr Tim's on all my tanks with no problems at all, takes usually 10-14 days. I do his exact directions and never had issues. It seems when people differ from his directions is when problems arise and say it doesn't work

 

[brandon429]

We web nerds don’t know lol but it seems that way / can’t be starved

we are all in a mix of for-sale cycling approaches mixed with the truth, tbd

half the fun is finding out what’s true about bacteria and what’s for sale
a happy medium exists somewhere in the middle I bet

we come across some neat threads as years go by involving fallow setups where people left rocks in garages and in water bins for years unfed

then for whatever reason they do an ammonia test and it passes, routinely

the bac were able to eat and secure nutrients through other means somehow


and then in a counter-experiment, Dr Reef set up a starvation test where bottle bac was added to an aquarium with no food for fourteen months and then he tried ammonia oxidation and they had starved

the current best info is that a completed cycle uses its established bio slicks to catch and house food for use, either already-existing internal food stores like live rock would have in the crevices or they get feed from natural contaminations, but a pre cycle tank never given time to set in biofilm housing can be starved.

 

[Semper.Reefing]

Do you need to worry about dosing ammonium chloride if using fish to cycle? I know. it sounds cruel. I added One and Only to my new system last night but had no idea about the ammonium chloride

 

[Kfactor]

i just use a shrimp and cycle my tank i dont add nothing for 2 to 3 month and keep lights off

 

[ScubaFish802]

I had a long delay waiting for a stand and waited a while to add my first fish. I followed the instructions exactly as they are on Dr. Tims site Here. Then once the cycle completed I added more Ammonia to try to keep the bacteria fed and active while I waited to add fish. In my case I ended up adding too much ammonia the second time around and ended up with a TON of nitrates at the end of the cycle. I did a massive water change and my water parameters have been perfect ever since. I forget the exact math.. but I think it was something like for however much ammonia you add you will get 3x the Nitrates back at the end? Would have to search again though

 

[Semper.Reefing]

here is the directions from Dr. Tims website:
The Process:

• Day 1 - dose ammonia to 2 ppm ammonia-nitrogen [NH3-N] using our ammonium chloride (1 drop per gallon [After Nov 2016 when using DrTim's ammonium chloride use 4 drops per gallon]) [NOTE: do not expect your test kit to exactly read 2 ppm and it is not critical to get exactly 2 ppm. The key is to not add too much ammonia]. If using DrTim's Aquatics One & Only Live Nitrifying bacteria add it now (turn skimmer, UV and ozone off and remove filter socks for 48 hours).
• Day 2 - Measure ammonia and nitrite.
• Day 3 - If ammonia and nitrite are below 1 ppm add more ammonia: four drops of our ammonium chloride per gallon (check the label).
• Days 4 & 5 - Measure ammonia and nitrite.
• Day 6 - If ammonia and nitrite are below 1 ppm add 2 ppm ammonia. Four drops of our ammonium chloride per gallon. [NOTE: since you have added the One & Only your ammonia kit will not read 2 ppm and DO NOT continue adding ammonia trying to get to 2 ppm - just add 2 ppm ammonia (4 drops per gallon of our ammonium chloride) and carry-on.
• Days 7 & 8 - Measure ammonia and nitrite. On the first measurement day (Day 2, 4, 5, 7 or 8) that BOTH ammonia and nitrite are both below 0.5 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N) your tank is close to being cycled.
• Now start to measure ammonia and nitrite every day.
• When BOTH ammonia and nitrite are below 0.2 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N), add another 2 ppm ammonia.
• Continue to measure every day. When you can add 2 ppm ammonia and BOTH ammonia and nitrite are below 0.2 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N) the next day your tank is cycled - congrats! You're done!
• Do a partial water change and add some fish.

Question, I may be over thinking.. I added One and Only but dont have the ammonium chloride. I bought another small bottle of One and Only and Ammonium Chloride that will be here in a week. Is it pointless to add Ammonium Chloride with the second dose of One and Only? My tank will have been cycling for about 10-14 by the time i get this stuff in the mail.

 

[brandon429]

no its ok to add, ammonia gets in via natural means as well. We used to cycle complete dry systems without any bottle bac or ammonia, it just took a while

 

[Semper.Reefing]

no its ok to add, ammonia gets in via natural means as well. We used to cycle complete dry systems without any bottle bac or ammonia, it just took a while

Ok sounds good. Ill probably just throw pellets in every other day or so. I plan on cycling 4-6 weeks.

 

[92Miata]

I add BioSpira.
I wait 24 hours with skimmer off.
Then I add the first fish or two and turn the skimmer on.
At about 2 weeks, a bottle of ark corraline goes in.

I don't dose ammonia because it's unneeded, and I never see measurable ammonia because people have been using bacteria cultures to instantly cycle reef tanks since the '70s. (Seriously, public aquariums were ordering nitrobacter/etc cultures to set up marine quarantine tanks that far back)

Multiple tanks. No problems.

Dosing ammonia multiple times just means you come out of the cycle with really high nitrates and low phosphates which gets you right on that out of balance nutrient pendulum.

 

[ghill]

Just curious what everyone’s preferences are when using Dr Tims one and only to do a fishless cycle..
Do you:

a) Do you initially dose ammonia and add Dr Tims one and only bacteria then let the tank do it’s thing. When the ammonia and nitrites hit 0 after a few weeks you go back a dose a little more ammonia.. Only 2 dosing periods.

b) Do you initially dose ammonia and re-dose through the weeks when ammonia levels drop to 1ppm or below. Proceed this process then lay off and watch the spikes in ammonia and nitrite go down until it’s 0.. Multiple dosing periods

c) Do you do a completely different method using Dr Tims one and only.

I just dosed dr tims one-and-only in a new 20-gal aquarium but there was no "cloudiness" as other commentary suggests there should be. Am I still ok to go with the cycle?