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cycling a tank.

coachV

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2021
Messages
100
About to start cycling a new system that will be FOWLR. Should I use bacteria in a bottle? Can I use the media from other tanks to speed up the process ( I know nothing in this hobby happens fast ). I have a few live rocks and could hook up a filter from another system to it.
So much contradicting info online.... just curious to hear your thoughts.
 

Will Penfold

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2021
Messages
64
About to start cycling a new system that will be FOWLR. Should I use bacteria in a bottle? Can I use the media from other tanks to speed up the process ( I know nothing in this hobby happens fast ). I have a few live rocks and could hook up a filter from another system to it.
So much contradicting info online.... just curious to hear your thoughts.
I'd use the bottled bacteria for sure. Used to think it was snake oil, but have used it in my past two tanks and my cycle was over in less than a week each time. Used BioSpira both times, however I've also heard good things about Microbacter & Dr.Tims....Microbacter and Biospira are cheaper than Dr.Tims if I'm not mistaken though.

Getting the ammonia to kick off can be done in a couple ways.
-dosing pure ammonia
-throwing a shrimp in to rot.
-throwing a hardy fish like a damsel or ocellaris at same time as bottled bacteria.

the last one with the fish is unpopular with a lot of people because they feel it can harm the fish. I've never done a fish-in cycle, only have done fishless cycles, however had read a lot of threads of people still cycling their tank with a hardy fish and it seems the fish never die.

I personally like throwing a piece of shrimp in for a few days to rot and kick off the ammonia spike- only downside is it friggin REAKS! lol

Also putting media in from another tank can help- the media should have the beneficial bacteria populated in it and can help populate in your tank...mind you the bottled bacteria is usually the most efficient way to establish the bacteria.

anyways those are my two cents! Sorry for the small essay lol
 
Last edited:

Limey

Founder/Admin
Staff member
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
202
Many reefers on a fresh set up use PRIME I know of a knowledgeable reefer who set up a tank in one day stocked it and only added prime = 0 losses. He was in a position to replace everything if it went south, but it did not. Again a very knowledgeable reefer who monitored the tank and inhabitants, he used this as an experiment to test the claims about Prime. I do not recommend you set up and "stock" but i recommend set up and add live rock if you can and use Prime or a bacteria kick start to minimize the cycle.
 

Limey

Founder/Admin
Staff member
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
202
Have you seen how tall martin is he could probably reach the display with no problem...:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

Luigi

Moderator
Joined
Feb 19, 2021
Messages
337
I have had a few restarts
From shrimp, to pure ammonia dosing, to adding a live rock from another member,,
And the fastest one was Adding the bacteria and let run for a week.
Shrimp to ammonia dosing it takes time...
Shrimp has to decompose adding a bunch of other stuff polluting the tank not just for ammonia cycle, dosing ammonia is Cleaner still you have to wait for the bacterial flora to form,
Adding Nitrifing a Denitrifing
Bacteria you have skipped part of the cycle
Ammonia- Nitrite-Nitrate,
Personally I would use Prime if nitrite or nitrates are high because it binds the bacteria,
So using it from the start it won't allow a proper developments of the bacteria needed in the tank..
This is just me after reading what it does... yes you can add fish same day..
 
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