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LFS Cycle Advice


SelectedByNature

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SelectedByNature

Hey,

 

I just went to a reef store today when I was out of town and I spoke with the guy there about my tank.

 

I basically told him that my tank was almost done cycling and I was excited to add inhabitants after it has all completed and settled.

 

He asked what kind of algae I had growing and I said none. He then asked how long I have my lights on per day and I said I have them off for the cycle.

 

He then said I had to turn them off for the normal amount of time that I would, get an algae bloom, and then add a CUC (regardless of cycle having been completed I needed algae). Does this make sense?

 

Seeing as my cycle is almost done anyway, it makes sense to start turning the lights on but he seems to say that I should have had them on the whole time which doesn't make sense to me as the lights don't affect the cycle and I wanted to limit possible algae and not get a bloom to then deal with that.

 

Thanks for reading and for any advice,

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SelectedByNature

Well he was saying an algae bloom is part of the cycle and you can't add anything prior to having experienced an algae bloom.

 

To me that makes no sense. If the tank is cycled, it's cycled = I can add a fish.

 

I get that most people add CUC first however I did not get any algae at all so far so it wouldn't make sense to add a CUC until there's something to clean.

 

I was thinking of adding a firefish or fairy wrasse in two weeks assuming everything goes well. (My ammonia has been 0 and my nitrites have been lowering over the past few days and looking like they'll hit 0 very soon. Nitrate has been steadily rising and is at approx 20ppm.)

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I can only speculate exactly what he's talking about. But the actual "cycle" to establish the beneficial nitrifying bacteria, takes roughly 4 weeks, this really isn't debatable, it's easily measured using NH4, NO2, and NO3 test kits.

 

I think most would agree that a SW or reef tank goes through a number of changes in developing more complex fauna and flora over the first year or so. And, several stages of algae are common throughout this time and often don't need major action to take care of them, just routine maintenance and water changes.

 

I'm guessing their assessment was more towards the latter issue, although there's zero reason you would need an algae bloom before adding fish, I might make the argument you need to get a more established tank before adding anemones or certain coral or certain fish like mandarins or scooters or other pod eating fish, but I see no reason to wait for most common fish. As for actual cycling with or without lights, I don't think it makes a huge difference either way, but your method is more logical IMO since you don't have fish, plants, or inverts, so no need to be having to deal with algae at the same time. A lot of timing this stage in a tank is subjective and arbitrary because you're going to end up at the same place and go through the same stuff, it just varies on when and what else you're dealing with.

 

Edit, other issue, I don't recommend adding any CUC until you need it, and I think adding the massive CUC's are an all around bad idea. If there is insufficient food, they die off and are a substantial nutrient source especially in small tanks. We tend to add way more than necessary in many tanks that I see. Careful and selective CUC is much more beneficial than adding huge ones at an arbitrary time when there isn't food yet. Best CUC snails IMO are trochus and astrea snails, ironically these seem to be the hardest ones to find, but they're way better than nerits and ceriths. If you have a large tank, turbo's are algae destroyers, GHA especially, but they end up starving in most tanks. Nassarius are only good if you have a well established sandbed or routinely have a lot of uneated food or pellets, they do not eat algae at all.

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SelectedByNature

Thanks Jestep!

 

Very helpful information and I agree with your assessment about CUC. Of course I would love to add a whole slew of critters to cleanup but there is no food for them.

 

I will add a few snails when the time comes for sure though. Start off slowly.

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Ah no.

 

Algae has nothing to do with a cycle.

 

Read up on nitrogen cycle, it has to do with ammonia processing into nitrites and nitrites processing into nitrates.

 

Its a common misconception that algae represents a cycle being completed- only testing the water will determine that.

 

Depending on the sand used, the rocks used, type of water will depend on how much algae one may get. Every tank is different.

 

Lights don't need to be on during a cycle, they only increase your hydro bill and algae.

 

You don't have to start with cuc. You can start with a fish.

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SelectedByNature

Ah no.

 

Algae has nothing to do with a cycle.

 

Read up on nitrogen cycle, it has to do with ammonia processing into nitrites and nitrites processing into nitrates.

 

Its a common misconception that algae represents a cycle being completed- only testing the water will determine that.

 

Depending on the sand used, the rocks used, type of water will depend on how much algae one may get. Every tank is different.

 

Lights don't need to be on during a cycle, they only increase your hydro bill and algae.

 

You don't have to start with cuc. You can start with a fish.

Thank you for validating everything I was thinking haha!

 

Many thanks as always Clown. You're the begginer's best friend <3

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burtbollinger

I cycled in 16 days from dry rock...added clowns on day 18. the two clowns have been in the tank since 12/31/16. Lights have run daily (at a reduced intensity for much of the cycle) I still do not have an algae bloom as of today.

 

Only slight rust-colored growth in a few areas which i assume is dinos or something.

 

I still have not added a CUC as a result. Will add as needed.

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the algae bloom he may be referring to might be the diatoms. I think they come from the nitrates that turn to phosphates from not having any inorganic bacteria built up yet. At least thats how I think of it anyway.

 

to share my recent experience which may apply, My new desk tanks been running for 2 weeks now cycled from clean BRS rock and clean dry sand and Bio-Spira. After a week of testing and 0 levels, i added a regal damsel, tested a couple more days and still all 0's, added a hermit and a nassarius snail just to clean up food in the cracks. 2 weeks in, levels still at 0. no signs of algea anywhere on glass or sand or anything. Typically CUC need algae. Im also using a skimmer and a bag of GAC in a HOB

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SelectedByNature

I cycled in 16 days from dry rock...added clowns on day 18. the two clowns have been in the tank since 12/31/16. Lights have run daily (at a reduced intensity for much of the cycle) I still do not have an algae bloom as of today.

 

Only slight rust-colored growth in a few areas which i assume is dinos or something.

 

I still have not added a CUC as a result. Will add as needed.

Awesome and exactly!

 

Not all tanks/cycles/scenarios are the same and not all first introductions to the tank have to be the same either.

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fishfreak0114

I ran lights on during the cycle. Had green hair algae on one rock grow a couple inches long because there was nothing to eat it! I think you made the right choice to leave thoughts off :)

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SelectedByNature

Well I left the tank on got 5 hours this morning and I came home for lunch to 5-6 tiny algae blooms on my highest rock lol.

 

I will let this play out I guess. 8 hours a day too much to start off?

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Definitely, each tank is different.

 

I've had 4 tanks, each cycle has been different, duration different, and algae different.

 

My 15g got diatoms a month after cycling. The nitrates never got higher than 20.

 

My 10g diatoms started during cycling. The nitrates were around 30-40.

 

15g cycled in 10 days, very short cycle like burts.

 

My 10g was 5 weeks.

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SelectedByNature

Definitely, each tank is different.

 

I've had 4 tanks, each cycle has been different, duration different, and algae different.

 

My 15g got diatoms a month after cycling. The nitrates never got higher than 20.

 

My 10g diatoms started during cycling. The nitrates were around 30-40.

 

15g cycled in 10 days, very short cycle like burts.

 

My 10g was 5 weeks.

So far my nitrates have been slowly rising and seem to have capped at 20 ppm so far.

 

I will introduce one last ammonia dose after my nitrites are consistently at zero to make sure it's all set.

 

I decided to turn off my lights when I came home for lunch today and saw algae. I think I'll do that all this week (5 hours/day of lights) and see how that goes.

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