mx_fire Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Hi all, just starting out with my first reef tank! I've got myself a 20G AIO RedSea and will be setting up with dry rock. I'll be travelling for work in the upcoming month and will be away from my tank for around 12 days - if I have someone go through with the feeding process am I ok being away while the tank is cycling without doing constant tests? Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment
Recci Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 yeah should be fine. Quote Link to comment
paneubert Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Many (including me) recommend NOT testing at all during the cycle. Especially with dry rock. No reason to waste the time or money or mental energy since you aren't trying to do a "soft cycle" to maintain hitchhikers or life that came in on the rock. You leaving for 2 weeks is actually a blessing if you ask me. Start the cycle before you leave, come back 2 weeks later, probably find that you are already in the last half or third of the cycle. I would say just test once when you get back to see where you are at, then test at most every few days if you want to track the continued cycle. 2 Quote Link to comment
specore Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 1 hour ago, mx_fire said: Hi all, just starting out with my first reef tank! I've got myself a 20G AIO RedSea and will be setting up with dry rock. I'll be travelling for work in the upcoming month and will be away from my tank for around 12 days - if I have someone go through with the feeding process am I ok being away while the tank is cycling without doing constant tests? Thanks! I wouldn't even have someone feed while away. No telling what you would come back to! Just add pure ammonia or do a ghost feeding before leaving. Cycling with dry rock typically takes 4-6 weeks anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment
Jono Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 I'd say it would almost be BETTER to be gone for a couple week, so you aren't turning lights on and doing whatever else to it. I know when I was first cycling my tank I was anxious to "do stuff" to it, but it's better to just let it cycle. 1 Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Don't cycle with food or deli shrimp. This is a dirty method leading you to have nutrient issues from the start. Do ammonia and bacteria dosing. Test the first couple of days for ammonia and then when you come back test. Theres no need to test everyday but just enough to determine the start and completion of the cycle 1 Quote Link to comment
FISHnChix Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Yea I would not "feed" the tank either. And this might be obvious but I would set up an ato or hand someone top off the tank Quote Link to comment
mx_fire Posted September 11, 2018 Author Share Posted September 11, 2018 Thanks guys, appreciate the advice. I'll be dosing - thanks Clown79. I'm planning on running the skimmer to break it in as well. I'll have my ATO setup with the AIO and have someone top it up every other day. Excited to get started 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment
Christopher Marks Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Seriously awesome advice everyone! Welcome to the community @mx_fire! 👋 You should start a journal for your new 20G AIO so we can follow along with your setup. Is it all still boxed up or have you been day dreaming about the aquascape? 🙂 Quote Link to comment
mx_fire Posted September 12, 2018 Author Share Posted September 12, 2018 15 hours ago, Christopher Marks said: Seriously awesome advice everyone! Welcome to the community @mx_fire! 👋 You should start a journal for your new 20G AIO so we can follow along with your setup. Is it all still boxed up or have you been day dreaming about the aquascape? 🙂 Still waiting on the tank actually! It's just clearing customs and hoping to have it delivered the next couple of days. Went to my LFS and built up an aquascape when picking out the dry rock so just itching to get started 😁 I'll start a journal! Quote Link to comment
edgewater Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 You should be fine 👍Previously well fed fish can live for up to 2 weeks without food. Not saying to test it out but worst case scenario you should be okay! Quote Link to comment
Recci Posted September 28, 2018 Share Posted September 28, 2018 fish can last months without food. Quote Link to comment
paneubert Posted September 28, 2018 Share Posted September 28, 2018 2 hours ago, Recci said: fish can last months without food. Ehh.......that sounds like a major overestimation. The longest I have ever seen anyone claim they had their tank last was 2 weeks before death started, and that was in heavily planted freshwater tanks where the fish were feeding on the plants and algae when the human provided food stopped. I am sure if someone managed months and months, they would have been boasting about it online, right? 1 Quote Link to comment
mx_fire Posted October 3, 2018 Author Share Posted October 3, 2018 Update: I wasn't able to get the tank in time so I just started the cycle last night with some Dr. Tims. Now, I used dry rock and had a reading of 0.2pmm on a red sea ammonia test kit before I added the bacteria. Without reading the instructions thoroughly, I added additional ammonia as well and now it's way off the scale (0 - 2ppm). Should I just sit back and wait it out? Im assuming the cycle is going to be slower, but would it be okay to do nothing and let the tank sit and bacteria get started? Quote Link to comment
FISHnChix Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 If you google dr Tim's and check out fishless cycling he says to dose ammonia to 2ppm not .2 ppm, so if your around 2 you are good 1 Quote Link to comment
mx_fire Posted October 3, 2018 Author Share Posted October 3, 2018 26 minutes ago, Weikel said: If you google dr Tim's and check out fishless cycling he says to dose ammonia to 2ppm not .2 ppm, so if your around 2 you are good Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough. Before dosing my tank was at 0.2ppm. I followed the instructions on the ammonia bottle but failed to understand the point that stated "dose to 2ppm", i've over exceeded the amount by alot and am wondering if waiting it out would work Quote Link to comment
FISHnChix Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 1 hour ago, mx_fire said: Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough. Before dosing my tank was at 0.2ppm. I followed the instructions on the ammonia bottle but failed to understand the point that stated "dose to 2ppm", i've over exceeded the amount by alot and am wondering if waiting it out would work They say that if your tank is over 2ppm then the cycle will take longer. It is suggested to do water changes to get the nh3 to 2ppm or slightly under. Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 As long as ammonia or nitrites isn't above 5ppm you are fine. It will process, it just takes longer. You are supposed to dose to get ammonia to 2ppm. Once 2ppm can be processed in 24hrs the tank is cycled. Quote Link to comment
mx_fire Posted October 3, 2018 Author Share Posted October 3, 2018 15 minutes ago, Clown79 said: As long as ammonia or nitrites isn't above 5ppm you are fine. It will process, it just takes longer. You are supposed to dose to get ammonia to 2ppm. Once 2ppm can be processed in 24hrs the tank is cycled. I'm using the red sea test and the colour card goes up to a max of 2ppm, unfortunately, my test is returning a darker colour so I'm not even sure how to benchmark at the moment 🧐 Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 It will process, just takes longer Quote Link to comment
mx_fire Posted October 3, 2018 Author Share Posted October 3, 2018 Thanks! Here’s to waiting, hahahah. Attached is my test for context. Quote Link to comment
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