When to add fritz zyme 9

[Adzyhany]

I just picked up a 14 gallon tank and got 15lbs of cured live rock. I got a bottle of fritz zyme 9 to get the tank going but I can’t find any information on when to add it. Do I let the live rock start the cycle then add the fritz? Or can I add the fritz immediately?

 

thanks

[W1ll]

1 hour ago, Adzyhany said:

I just picked up a 14 gallon tank and got 15lbs of cured live rock. I got a bottle of fritz zyme 9 to get the tank going but I can’t find any information on when to add it. Do I let the live rock start the cycle then add the fritz? Or can I add the fritz immediately?

 

thanks

The Fritz contains the nitrifying bacteria that will start the cycle, so add it as soon as there is water in your tank. You will need to provide ammonia to feed the bacteria and allow them to reproduce in your tank. Fritz advertises that you can add your fish immediately after adding the bacteria. While this may work, I personally would not recommend this as it can expose your fish to levels of toxic ammonia. Ghost feeding or Dr Tims Ammonium Chloride is much safer option and will not expose your fish to any levels of ammonia if done correctly. Wait until your reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and some nitrate before adding fish. 

[M. Tournesol]

If your live rock is already cured live rock (ie. live rock that was already in a tank for some time (generally +1 month)) then your tank should already be cycled.

The principle of a cycle is to build the population of nitrifying bacteria on the live rock (+ the sand if you have some). fritz zyme 9 seems to be a bottle of bacteria. Such products shorten the time of cycling. By adding it, you add a small population of nitrifying bacteria. You can add it from the get-go.

 

[Adzyhany]

Thank you! I’m new to saltwater lol

[M. Tournesol]

Simple guide one the nitrogen cycle(what we cycle tank for).

https://reefbuilders.com/2018/03/17/beginners-guide-to-cycling-a-saltwater-aquarium/

 

Old guides but still relevant one ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/rhf/index.php#12

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

https://reefs.com/magazine/aquarium-chemistry-nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium/

 

and water chemistry (look at chapters 1 and 4 as chapters 2 and 3 is for more advanced reef tank).

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/rhf/index.php#5

 

If you read all this, you will no longer be a beginner in saltwater one the chemistry part 🤓.

[M. Tournesol]

and welcome to nano reef 😉

[Clown79]

Is the rock wet live rock? If so you DON'T add an ammonia source. Doing so will kill beneficial life on the rock. 

 

You only add an ammonia source if its dry rock cycling. 

 

Liverock will cycle on its own if there is die off. Good established liverock should have no cycle at all, its already established.

[M. Tournesol]

Could you post a photo of your rock? 

[Adzyhany]

It’s wet, I got it from the lfs and took it straight home, keeping it wet. The fritz is an ammonia source?

[M. Tournesol]

37 minutes ago, Adzyhany said:

The fritz is an ammonia source?

no

[M. Tournesol]

37 minutes ago, Adzyhany said:

It’s wet, I got it from the lfs and took it straight home, keeping it wet.

 

😑, wet say nothing. Your rock could have been in the LFS aquariums 2-3 days or 3-4 weeks. If it was true live rock from the see, 2-3 days means that It is not cured. If it was dry rock, 2-3 days means that it is not cycled. 

The color of your rock and the life that is one it could be a good indication of its maturity (if you have sponges, macroalgae, Coralline Algae, worm, or/and ...). Since your LFS did sell you "cured live rock" your rock should not be white or with a lot of dead matter on it. But, if it was truly "cured live rock" of 3-4 weeks, your LFS shouldn't have sold you a bottle of fritz zyme 9.

 

[Clown79]

14 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

 

😑, wet say nothing. Your rock could have been in the LFS aquariums 2-3 days or 3-4 weeks. If it was true live rock from the see, 2-3 days means that It is not cured. If it was dry rock, 2-3 days means that it is not cycled. 

The color of your rock and the life that is one it could be a good indication of its maturity (if you have sponges, macroalgae, Coralline Algae, worm, or/and ...). Since your LFS did sell you "cured live rock" your rock should not be white or with a lot of dead matter on it. But, if it was truly "cured live rock" of 3-4 weeks, your LFS shouldn't have sold you a bottle of fritz zyme 9.

 

Even with liverock from the sea, there is no need to add an ammonia source. As we can never verify how long the rock was in the water we can only go by pics or description of life.

 

 

Adding a bacteria source(fritz) even with liverock(established or not) is not harmful, it can be a benefit in the event of a mini cycle or just adding more beneficial bacteria to a new tank, seeding bio media that many use in their sumps, chambers, or filters.

 

Also its a lfs, they sell stuff all the time to hobbyists that they don't need, its not an indication of the rock per say

[W1ll]

1 hour ago, Adzyhany said:

It’s wet, I got it from the lfs and took it straight home, keeping it wet. The fritz is an ammonia source?

Do you have some photos of the rock?

[Adzyhany]

I do not have a picture. The store manager that was helping me with the live rock said they have had it for over a year

[W1ll]

On 9/16/2021 at 1:08 AM, Adzyhany said:

I do not have a picture. The store manager that was helping me with the live rock said they have had it for over a year

If it has been sitting in their tanks for over a year, it is not really necessary to add any fritz as the rock would have already been colonized with all the beneficial bacteria and organisms , it wouldn't hurt to add a little fritz to give it a boost though. 

[brandon429]

Kudos to Clown79 for applying updated cycling science here. Kicked up the old thread because this particular thread has been the #2 example of a true skip cycle link we've been using as an example for four years now at reef2reef. I wanted to show the contrast between old and new cycling science using this thread, Clown79 applied that contrast.