Search the Community

Hi Folks, I'm currently in the cycling process of my Red Sea Reefer 170. This is my third tank. I started this tank with BRS Dry Rock, and live sand from BRS. I added a shrimp 3-4 days ago. It's beginning to disintegrate in my filter sock, still no ammonia readings. I added a small live rock and some chaeto yesterday. Before adding shrimp I began with Red Sea Mature Pro cycling kit however my readings using API & Salifert show to be 0 on everything Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite. This is after seven days... 77.3 *F 8.17 ph 34.2 salt 233 ORP Visually, the tank looks clean. No signs of diatoms. Where the $#%* is my ammonia haha?! Either this tank is cycling very efficiently and it's undetectable or Red Sea's Mature Pro cycling kit is pure snake oil. Prove me wrong. What to do next... Edit: I added the live sand and dry rock one week before beginning the cycling product from Red Sea.

I started my new reef tank earlier this week (a fluval evo 13.5) and I added live rock, live sand (about 1.5 inches), and premium reef saltwater that my LFS mixed up for me. I’ve also been adding fluval cycle concentrated biological booster at the rate they suggest for a new tank. I have some questions regarding cycling. A lot of the videos I have watched online suggest first adding live rock, sand, and water, the next week adding a clean up crew, and then once the cycle is completed to add fish. However I’ve spoken on the phone with three of my LFSs and all three have told me to start my cycle by adding a fish. There is a lot of conflicting information out there, I was hoping that you guys could weigh in and give me some pros and cons with each option. If I decide to cycle with a fish, can I add a banggai cardinal fish? Additionally, when can I add coral?? This tank is primarily for coral, i'm just adding a fish or two for fun. A lot of articles that I have read say that I can add my coral now if I want, and that they won't be impacted by my tank cycling. Is this true? Lastly, if anyone has some suggestions on easy to care for corals, i'm always happy for more suggestions. Thanks so much!

I'm finally moved into my dorm and have finished setting up and completing my nano tank for my dorm room. I finished the case for it, sanded it down and applied novus to clean up any scratches and finally got all the rocks, sand, water, mechanical, chemical and biological media in the sump. im all setup now i just have to wait for the cycle. It's been a while since my last build post, but i'm very happy with how it turned out and cannot wait to get a goby and pistol shrimp, as well as coral.