Cycling within 2 days???

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alinaclyn

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Feb 9, 2005
Messages
4
Location
marietta, ga
Hello.
I'm new to this message board but yesterday my boyfriend bought me a 40 gal. tank. I had a 20 gal. reef tank for about 3 years but i moved last year and decided to sell everything. Anyway, I'm no expert but yesterday we went back up to our fish store to get the rest of what we needed to set it up. We got 35 lbs of live rock, 2 of the bags of argonite sand and we ended up buying the water from them too. I'm not sure what type of water it is but the owner's son said it would be ready for fish in about 2 days. Does this sound right? The last time I set up a tank it took atleast a month to cycle. What type of water would reduce the cycle time so dramatically? Would RO water do this? Anyway, we also have a protein skimmer, which I didn't have on my old tank. Not sure if I've provided enough info. Any responses would be greatly appreciated. :D
 
I'm not sure what type of water it is but the owner's son said it would be ready for fish in about 2 days. Does this sound right?

No.

What type of water would reduce the cycle time so dramatically? Would RO water do this?

No.

Test your water and wait it out. Throw in an uncooked shrimp or two and wait it out. Test the water for the Big 3 - ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Your tank is ready when ammonia and nitrites have returned to zero after spiking (my ammonia was over 8 for several days) and you've done water changes to reduce accumulated nitrates.
 
Test your water and wait it out. Throw in an uncooked shrimp or two and wait it out. Test the water for the Big 3 - ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Your tank is ready when ammonia and nitrites have returned to zero after spiking (my ammonia was over 8 for several days) and you've done water changes to reduce accumulated nitrates.

i didn't think that sounded right. i do plan to wait it out. i tested the water today, just to see and everything is at zero, except nitrates...that's normal though right? the salinity is extremely high....higher than the hydrometer even measures. i don't think i'll be buying water from them again nor will i ask their advice.
 
Find a new LFS, they are giving you bad advice. Chances are your tank has not even begun the cycle yet. With the LR and a cocktail shrimp you can expect your cycle to last 4-6 weeks.
By the way...Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!! :smilecolros:
 
thank you, iando! i do plan on finding a new lfs. how often should i test the water? and as far as test kits...are the strips as accurate as the others? did you read what i wrote about my salinity being extremely high, immeasurably high? i've never seen that happen before. and this is the water i purchased from my lfs. not good at all :evil: thanks for all the advice everyone!! :lol:
 
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the salinity is extremely high....higher than the hydrometer even measures
[/quote]
If you are using a hydrometer you might be getting a false reading by air bubbles being stuck to the swing arm. Fill the hydrometer very slow and if it is still a high reading give it a good tap. At this point if it is still high then there is a problem. I would suggest getting a refractometer to test salinity as it is much more reliable.
 
the salinity is extremely high....higher than the hydrometer even measures.

When i check my SG i'd say 2 out of 5 times i get a false reading that says the SG is more than the hydrometer can read. I check it a few times to make sure i get the same reading
 
IMHO I believe the LFS probably meant ready for a few damsel fish for cycling the tank. It is still pretty common for cycling a tank with fish. You do need to check the validity of the hydrometer reading though.
 
Get a good book. Try the Conscientious Marine Aquarist, available at this library. Might even be able to keep the LFS, but be better able to decide for yourself - and with help if needed, what to buy and when.

Nothing like having the closest shop to you still on your list, but not allowing them to guide you towards bad decisions.

Good luck and welcome to AA! :smilecolros: That Lando - always beating me too the smileys. :roll:
 
i cyceled my tank witin two days. I had fully cured lr and ls from my old tank and used filtered ocean water.
BUT usualy it doesent work that way :roll:
 
When i check my SG i'd say 2 out of 5 times i get a false reading that says the SG is more than the hydrometer can read. I check it a few times to make sure i get the same reading

we checked it several times also with no changes. but there could have been air bubbles as RMP suggested. i haven't checked again today. i will, though. it may be fine.

IMHO I believe the LFS probably meant ready for a few damsel fish for cycling the tank. It is still pretty common for cycling a tank with fish. You do need to check the validity of the hydrometer reading though.

i thought that's what he meant too, but i was shocked when he said that and i said i recall having to wait atleast a month or so last time i set up a tank and he said no, just a couple days. he also said something about the water being all set or something...who knows. last time i cycled mine with a couple damsels, i don't know what he meant i will continue to go there because they have a huge selection and they appear to take good care of their fish, i'll definitely be leery of any advice they offer, however. i have been reading a lot and i will check out the the library here. there's so much to learn!

thanks again for the advice :D
 
hydrometers suck. IMO, they shouldn't even sell them. Get a refractometer from drsfostersmith.com. I'm certain that you're getting false readings from bubbles on the arm

do not use damsels to cycle. Just get a cocktail shrimp from your grocery store (preferably never frozen) and toss it in. When it's gone, you'll be ready for "real" fish.

Dump the test strips and get seachem or salifert test kits.

With no fish, I'd test every few days while cycling. After you get your first fish, test every day for a while to keep an eye on things. I have an "ammonia alert" stick on thing to help out.

You'll be wanting more LR. I think you should have closer to 60lb in the 40g. If you can't afford that much, you could pick up some "dry" rock from hirocks.com to suppliment what you've got. it will be "live" soon enough.
 
hydrometers suck

You're right. I've learned that I have to pour water in very slowly and inspect for bubbles. I let it sit a minute or two to see if the readings change. Next time my piggybank overflows I'll buy a refractometer. Right now I'm getting consistent reading with the swing arm, which I think is the important thing - especially since my tank is still cycling. I also get similar results (1.021 vs 1.023) when I compare my reserve water in my 20 gal tub with my tank water.

So... I'll have to trust the hydrometer for now and follow the same formula each time when mixing my replacement water.
 
alinaclyn said:
Hello.
I'm not sure what type of water it is but the owner's son said it would be ready for fish in about 2 days. Does this sound right?

I haven't read everyones replies so I don't know if this was brought up yet or not, but it does sound right. I think this person meant that it would be ready for the starter fish in about two days. It actually depends on how well cured the LR is. It's good to run the filters without fish for a little while. I've always prefiltered a system...24 hours per 10 gallons. Some people suggest 12 hours per 10 gallons. It varies just as anything else in this hobby :)
 
I haven't read everyones replies so I don't know if this was brought up yet or not, but it does sound right. I think this person meant that it would be ready for the starter fish in about two days.

There was some discussion about what the LFS guy meant and whether starter fish are a good idea. It seems that "the movement" is now away from starter fish and toward dead shrimp to cycle the tank. I used that suggestion and my dead shrimp have worked so far - I can't imagine what a fish would have gone through when my ammonia was 8+ and my nitrites were off the scale!!
 
You can cycle a tank with live rock as well. For freshwater, you could do the same if you use rocks and wood from an established system.

I've cycled tanks with fish and never had etreme amounts of toxins. I'm disciplined enough not to over populate the tank right away. I usually recommend a pair of danios per 10 gallons of water if someone is going to use fish. If they insist on goldfish, then one small feeder per 10 gallons. Decaying shrimp can put a heavy waste load in the tank. Try flake food. The toxins may not rise up so high.
 
Decaying shrimp can put a heavy waste load in the tank

I can vouch for that. I overdid mine, though. At its peak of nastiness there were three stinkers in there. I had to run carbon in a quickfilter to be able to sit in the same room.

One would have been enough, I now realize. :oops:
 
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