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Nuvo Fusion 20 Cycle - Help Me Understand My Cycle


Maki_

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Hello,

 

Just recently set up my first attempt at a reef tank.

 

I'm currently on day 3 after adding my water, running Chemi Pure Elite, Purigen and Filter Floss on one side and a stock Filter Sock on the other.

I'm trying to understand my tests results from my Red Sea test kit. Help appreciated.

 

I'm not wanting to rush my cycle, only to get educated as to where I'm at and as to why my levels are how they are.

 

Here are quite a few images, all photos were taken on an iPhone 7 so excuse the quality.

The reason I've added multiple photos of my nitrate test is because it has stumped me, I didn't expect it to show as it does, and I'm worried if it's too high(?)

 

Like I said. Just wanting advice and to be educated as to where I could be in the cycle.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

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A few photos of my tank. No lighting yet. Nanobox Duo Plus M to be coming in a few weeks.

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you have a very easy tank to cycle

 

that was all dry rock correct, maybe wet sand or possibly dry sand?

 

we have to know a duration underwater and what a test kit says to have a hold on your cycle

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Are you dosing ammonia and bacteria because thats needed to start the cycle with dry rock.

 

The ammonia test kit looks like 0, same with nitrite, hard to tell with nitrate because i can't see the liquid.

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Thanks for the replies.

 

I've used BRS dry rock, Fiji Pink live sand.

The colors in person seem to be 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and maybe 50 nitrate.

 

I put Bio-Spira on day 1, nothing since. 

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the wet pack live sand was a nice boost as well, confers even more bacteria.

 

that type of partial boosting w take about 30 days underwater to cycle, meaning if you added nothing else and just waited your ammonia w show zero because none has been input. you would then spike the ammonia to 1 ppm verified at the end of the submersion time, then test in 24 hours, and the ammonia will be zero because all tanks using any form of boosting will cycle in 30 days submerged.

 

the way people get 2 week cycles is to use liquid ammonia plus that bottle bac you just used.

 

Even if you don't add ammonia, its still getting in anyway, but natural means are slower and that takes a good 30-40 ish days usually quicker.

 

Your test kits now wont help much since we're shy of the submersion date and since no ammonia has been added. the only param you need to worry about in cycling is ammonia, though you can test for nitrate and nitrite only the behavior of ammonia closes out a cycle, the other two aren't needed to know and adding the extra testing makes cycling seem more complicated because those tests can misread in small increments causing mass confusion. Im not saying nitrite and nitrate aren't present in a cycle, im saying that the way we use submersion time frames accounts for them and only ammonia is required in cycling and known submersion times and boosts used.

 

if you aren't in a rush, then wait 30 days and begin light reefing. if you want a little better than 30 days, order liquid ammonium chloride from dr tim's online and input the amount needed to make your tank 1 ppm. hit with bottle bac again, twice now, then do nothing and let the tank run and digest that ammonia down.  in two-three weeks you'll be ready. 

 

raw ammonia + bottle bac as fast as two weeks

bottle bac added only, natural ammonia is 30-40 days

 

you wait the right timeframe for your boosters used then spike the sample to 1 ppm and test in 24 hours, if zero = cycled. that's cycling summary imo and we only use ammonia in giant cycling threads we don't base anything off the other two.

 

submersion time matters because when we add things to the water to reduce ammonia, that's not the same as the surfaces taking on the bacteria which takes time underwater regardless of how action in the water column works on a given test kit.

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Unsure on what to do next.

 

Do I wait, add a fish, add shrimp or order some ammonia chloride?

 

not too sure what my next step should be

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The only way to know if its cycled:

 

Wait 30+ days as Brandon has stated dry rock takes to cycle on its own

 

Get ammonia and dose to see how long it takes to process

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No problem.

 

Adding a fish now could be risky and cause you alot more work than needed.

 

Unfortunately dry rock will become liverock but it takes a lot longer on its own, thats why most dose with ammonia and bacteria.

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Most definitely do not want to add a fish this early.

I've researched for a long time prior to starting this, and I'm trying to do it as right as I can. My nitrate level just had me suspicious, hence the thread.

 

I'm just wanting to learn more while on my journey and become more educated, I appreciate the words and have clarity on what my next steps are, thanks again!

 

 

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Sounds good. 

Its good to ask and learn, it prevents confusion and future issues.

 

Cycling once was an easy subject. You purchased liverock and it cycled the tank.

 

Now there are so many methods that it can get confusing. Thats why we always ask "what rock did you use"

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