What to do while you cycle... - Page 2

Nirvana · 05/01/2012, 09:59 PM

My question is if i wanted to start a QT tank while my curent tank is just starting to cycle, would i just ghost feed the QT tank to start a cycle? I am doing a 180G build that should be up soon. However while my main tank is cycling I also want to start my QT tank, so 4 weeks into my Main tanks cycle i can QT my first fish for the main tank.

Reefer_Madnes · 05/07/2012, 10:47 AM

Very good info for a noob like me

Sk8r · 05/07/2012, 11:38 AM

I don't recommend a cycled qt unless you are a) really sure your fish source is not going to send you a fish with ich in the first place, and b) you're going to be using it for a series of fishes, particularly fish like wrasses, angels and dragonets that dont' do well in bare qt. Reason: if you then have to treat, you've got contaminated rock and sand that makes it even harder to get rid of parasites, so you can't use it for anything BUT the qt and it's a pita. I prefer an oldfiashioned airdriven rig for a qt, with meticulous attention to filters and constant monitoring for ammonia.

MAMPE · 05/07/2012, 10:20 PM

Hi everyone iam new on the marine tank hobby and i really can use any good advise in the process of set up of my new tank,
this i what i have done so far:

55 gal tank, marineland 400 biowheel filter(400 gal/hr), reef crystals salt mix, 80% live sand + 20% crush coral bed, key largo live rock, 1 marineland maxijet 1200 pro, 200 watt thermometer,

i have been running it for 2 weeks now, and i tested it and all my levels are normal exept for ph wich iam going to try and fix with a water change tomorrow, is about 7.4,

the help:

How often i need to change water?
How long before my rock is cycled and how would i know?
What do i have to look for in the mid time?
And most importantly how long before i start adding fish and or corals?

Thank you all in advance and god bless you

MAMPE________ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED IN THIS THREAD: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2075632
READ ALL STICKY THREADS FROM THE TOP. Most info is in the first post.

mrjake · 05/26/2012, 01:26 AM

Hi and thanks for all of this wonderful advice. This is my first post and my first tank of any type.

I have a question, since I am currently waiting for my tank to cycle, and the advice has been given to quarantine a new fish for several weeks before adding it to my tank.. does it make sense to go ahead and get a fish or two into my quarantine tank while I'm waiting for the main tank to cycle? It seems like it would make sense to do both of those things at the same time and they'll both be ready at about the same time. Is there a reason not to do that..?

Thanks!

hollister · 05/26/2012, 01:36 AM

Depends on if your also getting corals. If yes then whene cycled add your fish wait 1 week and add a coral and a few crabs , then wait and add a fish and a few more crabs.

Nick87James · 05/26/2012, 10:28 PM

Save Money, You'll Need It

jagr200 · 05/27/2012, 10:50 PM

Great post. Everyone should read this.

klwheat · 05/31/2012, 08:32 AM

wow...amazing amount of info for newbies. I've been running tanks for a couple of years now and learn something new EVERY time I read one of these. Thanks!

Gandolfe · 06/07/2012, 12:05 PM

Get pretty damn good at Modern warfare 3 on playstation...LOL...You can use a piece of shrimp as a "ghost fish" by the way..i cuycled a 45 G with some live rock, sand and a piece of shrimp in about 2 and !/2 weeks( thats when ammonia was gone, nitrites gone and nitrates started showing up

kungfukid · 06/19/2012, 10:56 AM

keep testing it every other day
while waiting for the tank to be cycled. working on the fish list that you want to get

JFizzle · 06/22/2012, 12:31 PM

Ok, I understand the ammonia cycle and feeding the tank from experience with FW, but in a SW tank that has only live sand in it, should I be feeding it some flake? Or should I wait for my live rock before I really worry about that? Currently my nano has been up with the live sand in it for about 2 weeks now, and I'll probably be getting live rock in the next week or so. Any advice is great and I'm really loving all of the info for getting started in SW!

AZBigJohn · 06/22/2012, 09:59 PM

I am currently cycling a new 29 gallon tank using live rock, and biding my time (tough to do, but I think I got the hint).

My question involves my existing swim tank. I have a long-standing standard size 55 gallon tank. It has has a sump and skimmer, and good water quality for a swim tank, and my biological filter should be fine. I upgraded the lighting to reef-quality and I added some live rock to it, and am going to watch for any spikes in water issues, but how should I go about building it into a reef tank?

At what point can I start looking at adding in a couple of corals? What are some good beginner corals to start with?

Thanks for any advice. I am following your advice to the letter with the new tank, but am confused on how much "cycling" a 5+ year swim tank needs to start supporting a reef.

VectorAKA · 06/26/2012, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

poo into that sandbed and break it in gently

LIES!....there's nothing gentle about the amount they are putting off, lol

divinmike · 06/26/2012, 10:50 PM

Awesome post thanks sk8r

Bigsteve · 06/30/2012, 12:21 AM

The sooner you get a clean up crew the sooner your tank will be cycled for the real important residents of your tank, anything that eats pees and poops will help cycle your tank, snails are pretty resilient anyways they will be okay as long as you have live rock.

A_CoupleClowns · 06/30/2012, 08:59 AM

Very useful information thanks!

alexmduffy · 07/11/2012, 11:01 AM

very helpful, thanks

Bajie · 07/19/2012, 01:14 AM

Hello, yet another noobie with a question regarding quarantining fish ... be gentle

Firstly, thanks Sk8r for an excellent thread.

I have an Elos 120 which I will start putting together over the weekend.
I am considering either five Spotted Cardinalfish or Blue Reef Chromis as my "brat pack".
When the time comes, assuming I can acquire five at the same time should these be quarantined together?
Will the size of the quarantine tank if it is small cause the fish distress?

maneherrera14 · 07/23/2012, 04:14 PM

i applaud you that was an amazing post

jm23 · 07/28/2012, 09:31 PM

Could you recommend a filter to use for a QT? I am not quite sure what a floss type filter is, so a linl or name of filter would be helpful for me. Thanks for all the great info.

cloak · 07/28/2012, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm23

Could you recommend a filter to use for a QT? I am not quite sure what a floss type filter is, so a linl or name of filter would be helpful for me. Thanks for all the great info.

Any of the HOB filters on the market will work. Media is just media as long as it's submerged. (rubble, bioballs, sponges, ceramic, etc)

wabooth555 · 07/29/2012, 04:54 PM

Waiting is the hardest part of this hobby. Waiting for cycles, waiting for new equipment, waiting for new corals, waiting to get 50 posts....

Paul B · 07/29/2012, 05:10 PM

Quote:

waiting to get 50 posts

What happens when you get fifty posts?

wabooth555 · 07/31/2012, 04:07 AM

From what I've read, if you have 50 posts, you are able to see the buy/sell/trade forum. I know a lot of people seem to be really concerned about that. I really don't care either way. It's probably best that I don't see it.

I just enjoy reading and learning from everyone.

05/07/2012, 11:38 AM	#28
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 23,198 Blog Entries: 54	I don't recommend a cycled qt unless you are a) really sure your fish source is not going to send you a fish with ich in the first place, and b) you're going to be using it for a series of fishes, particularly fish like wrasses, angels and dragonets that dont' do well in bare qt. Reason: if you then have to treat, you've got contaminated rock and sand that makes it even harder to get rid of parasites, so you can't use it for anything BUT the qt and it's a pita. I prefer an oldfiashioned airdriven rig for a qt, with meticulous attention to filters and constant monitoring for ammonia. __________________ Sk8r "Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale, not meq/l; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp abt 80, nitrate/ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal will not rise if mg is low. Alk reading far more imp't than PH; WATER QUALITY MATTERS!" "If anything CAN go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible moment."---St. Murphy. "For beginners---nothing good happens fast on an ice rink or in a fish tank." Current Tank Info: 105g, kalk, 250mh 10000; AquaCEV120; Iwaki 100, bsemnt sump/fuge; hermits, snails, mandy, scooter, blue chromis, azure damsel, starry & tailspot blennies, firefish, royal gramma, redstripe goby, YWG pair, lps;

05/07/2012, 10:20 PM	#29
MAMPE Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 4	Hi everyone iam new on the marine tank hobby and i really can use any good advise in the process of set up of my new tank, this i what i have done so far: 55 gal tank, marineland 400 biowheel filter(400 gal/hr), reef crystals salt mix, 80% live sand + 20% crush coral bed, key largo live rock, 1 marineland maxijet 1200 pro, 200 watt thermometer, i have been running it for 2 weeks now, and i tested it and all my levels are normal exept for ph wich iam going to try and fix with a water change tomorrow, is about 7.4, the help: How often i need to change water? How long before my rock is cycled and how would i know? What do i have to look for in the mid time? And most importantly how long before i start adding fish and or corals? Thank you all in advance and god bless you MAMPE________ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED IN THIS THREAD: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2075632 READ ALL STICKY THREADS FROM THE TOP. Most info is in the first post. Last edited by Sk8r; 05/08/2012 at 10:31 AM.

05/31/2012, 08:32 AM	#34
klwheat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 301	wow...amazing amount of info for newbies. I've been running tanks for a couple of years now and learn something new EVERY time I read one of these. Thanks! __________________ Check out my live feed of my Stingray tank! (listed as my homepage) login is wheatstingray password is stingray 280 gallon shallow reef system with California round stingray and Australian marbled cat shark among others :)

06/07/2012, 12:05 PM	#35
Gandolfe Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Odessa,Florida Posts: 679	Get pretty damn good at Modern warfare 3 on playstation...LOL...You can use a piece of shrimp as a "ghost fish" by the way..i cuycled a 45 G with some live rock, sand and a piece of shrimp in about 2 and !/2 weeks( thats when ammonia was gone, nitrites gone and nitrates started showing up Last edited by Gandolfe; 06/07/2012 at 12:20 PM.

06/22/2012, 09:59 PM	#38
AZBigJohn Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 98	Flipping to a reef from Swim tank I am currently cycling a new 29 gallon tank using live rock, and biding my time (tough to do, but I think I got the hint). My question involves my existing swim tank. I have a long-standing standard size 55 gallon tank. It has has a sump and skimmer, and good water quality for a swim tank, and my biological filter should be fine. I upgraded the lighting to reef-quality and I added some live rock to it, and am going to watch for any spikes in water issues, but how should I go about building it into a reef tank? At what point can I start looking at adding in a couple of corals? What are some good beginner corals to start with? Thanks for any advice. I am following your advice to the letter with the new tank, but am confused on how much "cycling" a 5+ year swim tank needs to start supporting a reef. __________________ Of all the things I've lost (and spent) in this hobby, I miss my mind the most... Current Tank Info: 55 gallon tank with 30 gallon sump/refugium, slowly converting to a reef tank, and a 28-gallon self-contained bullet-shaped tank

05/01/2012, 09:59 PM	#26
Nirvana Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 231	My question is if i wanted to start a QT tank while my curent tank is just starting to cycle, would i just ghost feed the QT tank to start a cycle? I am doing a 180G build that should be up soon. However while my main tank is cycling I also want to start my QT tank, so 4 weeks into my Main tanks cycle i can QT my first fish for the main tank.

05/07/2012, 10:47 AM	#27
Reefer_Madnes Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Yukon, OK Posts: 70	Very good info for a noob like me

05/26/2012, 01:26 AM	#30
mrjake Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Chicago Posts: 17	Hi and thanks for all of this wonderful advice. This is my first post and my first tank of any type. I have a question, since I am currently waiting for my tank to cycle, and the advice has been given to quarantine a new fish for several weeks before adding it to my tank.. does it make sense to go ahead and get a fish or two into my quarantine tank while I'm waiting for the main tank to cycle? It seems like it would make sense to do both of those things at the same time and they'll both be ready at about the same time. Is there a reason not to do that..? Thanks!

05/26/2012, 01:36 AM	#31
hollister Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 1,777	Depends on if your also getting corals. If yes then whene cycled add your fish wait 1 week and add a coral and a few crabs , then wait and add a fish and a few more crabs.

05/26/2012, 10:28 PM	#32
Nick87James Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 4	Save Money, You'll Need It

05/27/2012, 10:50 PM	#33
jagr200 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Montana Posts: 76	Great post. Everyone should read this.

06/19/2012, 10:56 AM	#36
kungfukid Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 32	keep testing it every other day while waiting for the tank to be cycled. working on the fish list that you want to get

06/22/2012, 12:31 PM	#37
JFizzle Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 26	Ok, I understand the ammonia cycle and feeding the tank from experience with FW, but in a SW tank that has only live sand in it, should I be feeding it some flake? Or should I wait for my live rock before I really worry about that? Currently my nano has been up with the live sand in it for about 2 weeks now, and I'll probably be getting live rock in the next week or so. Any advice is great and I'm really loving all of the info for getting started in SW!

06/26/2012, 10:50 PM	#40
divinmike Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: pembroke pines, florida Posts: 78	Awesome post thanks sk8r

06/30/2012, 12:21 AM	#41
Bigsteve Moved On Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 82	The sooner you get a clean up crew the sooner your tank will be cycled for the real important residents of your tank, anything that eats pees and poops will help cycle your tank, snails are pretty resilient anyways they will be okay as long as you have live rock.

06/30/2012, 08:59 AM	#42
A_CoupleClowns Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 72	Very useful information thanks!

07/11/2012, 11:01 AM	#43
alexmduffy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: West Deptford, NJ Posts: 21	very helpful, thanks

07/19/2012, 01:14 AM	#44
Bajie Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Yokohama Posts: 13	Hello, yet another noobie with a question regarding quarantining fish ... be gentle Firstly, thanks Sk8r for an excellent thread. I have an Elos 120 which I will start putting together over the weekend. I am considering either five Spotted Cardinalfish or Blue Reef Chromis as my "brat pack". When the time comes, assuming I can acquire five at the same time should these be quarantined together? Will the size of the quarantine tank if it is small cause the fish distress? __________________ Soon baby ... Soon!

07/23/2012, 04:14 PM	#45
maneherrera14 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 2	i applaud you that was an amazing post

07/28/2012, 09:31 PM	#46
jm23 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 60	Could you recommend a filter to use for a QT? I am not quite sure what a floss type filter is, so a linl or name of filter would be helpful for me. Thanks for all the great info.

07/29/2012, 04:54 PM	#48
wabooth555 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 83	Waiting is the hardest part of this hobby. Waiting for cycles, waiting for new equipment, waiting for new corals, waiting to get 50 posts....

07/31/2012, 04:07 AM	#50
wabooth555 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 83	From what I've read, if you have 50 posts, you are able to see the buy/sell/trade forum. I know a lot of people seem to be really concerned about that. I really don't care either way. It's probably best that I don't see it. I just enjoy reading and learning from everyone.