What method did you use to Cycle your Tank

[Cpage101]

Tell us what method you used to cycle your tank and what you did throughout to confirm it was happening and completed. Also how long it took and what were your first additions.

 

[GasGuzzler]

I used the Brightwell cycle kit with some modifications. Instead of dosing the ammonia I used a pair of clowns, a purple firefish and a scooter blenny to keep things moving. I also dosed Microbacter 7 along with the XLM and Clean the kit comes with. I tested 2x times daily from day 1, until nitrites and ammonia read 0 for 4 consecutive tests, which took 6 days total. Then, I added 4 jars of pods from Algae Barn, a flame fin tang and a flame angel. Ammonia continued to be 0

 

[Drichards]

IM 25gal Lagoon
I used a fish less cycle, utilizing Dr Tim's ammonium chloride for my ammonia source and a whole bottle of microbacter start xlm. I started the tank with carib sea special grade sand and carib sea arches. I ran the tank very hot at 83° so the bacteria could multiply faster. Lights out the entire time, the complete cycle took just under 3 weeks. The first week I let things simmer testing ammonia and nitrite. By week two nitrates were showing up at 34 PPM. Then I knew I was in business. Finally on third week nitrates had dropped on its own to 10 parts ppm, ammonia zero and nitrite zero. It's go time. This weekend I will be trying to track down to long fin clowns. I find raising the temperature is key in this process. Just don't forget to turn it back down for your livestock. 4th tank, here we go!

 

[Seadna]

I used ocean water from Quincy and live rock that was also cycled in ocean water from Quincy that was it, back in august of 2022

 

[dilligaf29]

I cycle with live rock live sand and bio spira most times done in 2 days just just set one up last week already cycled and has fish and corals now

 

[Mike Lemming]

I have tried a few different methods. The one I liked the best was just dropping in a frozen shrimp as well as a couple bottles of bacteria. It took a while but, worked well. The quickest way for me was just a couple clowns and some bacteria while monitoring ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels. They both work, it just depends on how you feel about using fish as "guinea pigs" or if you have patience to wait for the natural method to conclude.

 

[MikeG]

For my current display, fishless cycle dosing ammonia, adding several brands of bottled bacteria for about a month and adding copepods from algae barn. Just measured and kept ammonia as specific concentration. Was cooking rock while doing my build so it stayed like this about 2 months.

For all my qt tanks I either set up using established media from my display or dose a ton of botted back into the filter section of a HOB filter for a few days then add fish.

Both have been successful.

 

[Sdeluca10]

For my display (125 gallon display w/ 60 gallon sump) I used the API quick start bacteria. I put the recommended amount in to start and I added a little more ever couple of days for about a week. I did score a large amount of cycled live rock so that helped a lot. I added 2 clowns, a yellow goby and a pistol shrimp on day 4 or 5 (got them in a cheap package deal). All are still alive and healthy.
I was eager to get started, didn’t have the patience to wait

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

The system that I have running is a culmination of multiple tanks dating back to 2014, biocube 14 to biocube 29 and standard 29 then to 40 breeder and finally 80 frag with 100 dt. I've used Brightwell microbacteria 7 and their rock bacteria at some point. Also, I do dose Prodibio Bio Digest every few days.

Originally the bio cube 14 was started the old fashioned way with some rotting shrimp from the market.

 

[Chris A.]

I did the dr Tim’s but any new tank I will be doing it with a shrimp until ammonia goes down and then adding fish.

 

[Skmaiden]

I typically use biospira and a piece of shrimp. Give it a month with testing and then start adding hardy soft corals.

 

[Pat02026]

I added a few baseball size pieces of “seeded” rock and bio brick from established systems to ~140 gallon system along with ~60lb dry rock. Used a bottle of Dr Tim’s one and only, and followed the Ammonia dosing schedule and recommendations for two weeks, ammonia and nitrite was undetectable by day 21. I added a pair of clowns, a few softies and some Zoas, mushrooms, and euphyllia on day 24 and a month later all is good and I have next fish additions in QT as we speak. Quickest and easiest cycle out of the last 4 systems I’ve started up from scratch.

 

[MarkSzy]

Because of problems I had in the past I went with all dry rock to keep out all pests and nuisance algae, Then live sand and fritz turbo start.I did have clowns and had to dose phytoplankton for for months. Needless to say startup sucked but after a year my tank is still pest algae and invert free.