Cycling a Reef Tank

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Most popular comments
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Harun Arrasyid - 6 years ago

Damn tank. I just look the back of you dude LOL

Troll Doll - 7 years ago

I frickin' love this guy!!!!!!!

Lemon Lime - 7 years ago

good advice

Starving Reefer - 7 years ago

alientech86 if you do a 100% water change you would be starting from step one. leave the tank alone cor the next 4 to 5 weeks add fish food once in a while to help the ammonia cycle or add bio spira to move faster.

Raees Usman - 7 years ago

How is the first ammonia spike formed when you first cycle your tank? There's no fish or waste in your tank to introduce ammonia, so how is the ammonia so high?

alientech86 - 7 years ago

beside water change, is there anything else that can reduce nitrate ?

Jerrold Dean - 8 years ago

This guy really needs to sneeze

reef junkies - 8 years ago

ok If I put my damsel in my tank but I am going to take them out and put them back in another tank do you still recommend cycling with them

Jon Windle - 8 years ago

FOCUS ON CORAL?! THIS IS THE BEST NEWS IVE HEARD ALL MONTH...

10. comment for Cycling a Reef Tank

Tbomb - 8 years ago

how high the ammonia do you need for cycling the tank?

Alek Bettes - 8 years ago

started my new 36 gal bowfront reef tank with dry rock and live sand about 3 weeks ago. my ammonia got to about .5 ppm my nitrite got to about .25 ppm and my nitrates got to 5ppm about a week ago. I dosed a bottle of bio spira at the beginning and have been phantom feeding everyday. The past 3 days my ammonia has been between 0 and .25 ppm my nitrite has been at 0 and my nitrates have been at 0. is my tank cycled or is something wrong. started seeing a big diatom bloom about a week ago and 3 or 4 days after that green algae started growing. now the diatoms are starting to burn off. is this normal?

moors4572 - 8 years ago

hi can i put a prawn in to cycle my tank instead of shrimp let me no thanks

Jinhyuk Ju - 8 years ago

Vivid Aquariums is the best way to get and fish and good tips

Achillies - 8 years ago

Is the biological filtration on my aqua clear 50 filter to small for my 46 gallon reef tank?

Donna Deniston - 8 years ago

Thanks for all these great videos. I have learned a lot!!

bjrn2010 - 8 years ago

Dave is awesome.

Scale Modeling Mania - 8 years ago

Do I need to do water changes during the cycling process? If so when? Thank You.

alientech86 - 7 years ago

after the cycle is complete, should i do a 100% water change ? How many % of the water should i change ?

Mitsos Mux - 8 years ago

+Vivid Aquariums hey man can u go through the thinking of not doin water changes ??

Scale Modeling Mania - 8 years ago

+Vivid Aquariums Thank You Dave. Will do. Appreciate you answering my question.

Vivid Aquariums - 8 years ago

+Jeffery Jones I don't recommend doing water changes during the cycling process. I would do the first water change after the cycle is complete. Maybe around the 4-5 week mark.

Dave

Weezing818 - 9 years ago

How did I just find out about this store? So close to home and I never knew! Thanks!

rockstar - 9 years ago

Finally started my tank cycle and it's been 5 days. I am using microbacter 7 since day one and threw in a dead shrimp. No sign of ammonia or nitrite but slight increase of nitrate. .is this normal?

20. comment for Cycling a Reef Tank

rockstar - 9 years ago

Hi Dave , quick question, during new tank cycling period, do I need to have the led lights on? Or can it cycle at total darkness?

shawnriv9 - 9 years ago

I would definitely keep the lights off. When a tank is cycling it may go through an algae bloom. Algae blooms are usually caused by the lights being on. I always cycle my tank with lights off and only turn on when I add coral.

David P - 10 years ago

Hi Dave, my question is. If I start my cycle with a shrimp, when can i remove it from my aquarium? my tank ammonia levels are at 0.5, 1.0 and nitrite 1, 2.

Chris Radici - 10 years ago

Should I add coral or fish first after the cycle?
Also, should I quarantine corals like fish before putting in the DT? If yes, do I need to have good lights in my QT for the corals?

Feroz Reef - 10 years ago

thanks alot.... always love ur videos an help me so much

Vivid Aquariums - 10 years ago

Yes you need to add RODI (filtered fresh water) to lower the salinity.

Feroz Reef - 10 years ago

Need big help..my salt water level is 1,30 how can i drop it down ? Is it safe to add fresh water ?

Vivid Aquariums - 10 years ago

Yes you can use the skimmer during the cycling process. It is not necessary but we usually do run the skimmer. In the very beginning it will not do too much as there is not much waste for it to remove.

Joe - 10 years ago

Great, I had some siversides left over, so I used 2 of them. Also is it safe to use a skimmer during the nitrogen cycle?

Vivid Aquariums - 10 years ago

You can raise the ammonia by adding some fish food into the aquarium and letting it create waste which will break down to create ammonia. A piece of shrimp works well.

Joe - 10 years ago

Hey there. Great vids!! I have a 3 day old 28 gal nanocube, with 40lbs of live sand/25 lbs of live rock. I accodentally used a dechlorinator that removes ammonia. How can I raise the ammonia levels safley for the cycle??

30. comment for Cycling a Reef Tank

Yuhan Shao - 11 years ago

Using old water is a nice + Good thinking

flexstone2k11 - 11 years ago

Can running carbon affect the nitrogen cycle?

Miz Tiggah - 11 years ago

This man is a genius when it comes to sw fish and supplies

oneofspades - 11 years ago

Think bacteria lives on surfaces not floating in water. Don't think old water will make a difference. The substrate will harbor the bacteria

Tom Lukie - 11 years ago

When upgrading an old tank is using old water beneficial or should I use new

DrMattzilla - 11 years ago

Thanks

209bdawg - 11 years ago

so i cna cycle

209bdawg - 11 years ago

hey is ok when you first put saltwater water in the tank can i be bought form the fish store or it has to be made at home by your own

KongregateBadgeQuest - 11 years ago

So my tanks been running just over a week now with 2 lbs live rock + 8 small hermit crabs. The nitrate is crazy high, like over 100ppm... Now do a water change and add fish/more live rock or let it sit and it will naturally go down? The tank is 10g.. Fish wise, if i get a pair of clowns what other fish could i add in? Thanks

NapFloridian - 11 years ago

During the Cycle, what are the expected Ph rates ? thanks in advance guys

GalaxyRN - 11 years ago

I just place live sand with cured rock in the tank. I had it up and running for over a week. I never had any spikes of ammonia. I added 2 pieces of raw shrimp to my 55 gallon tank today. after several hours the ammonia level is between 0.25-0.5 PPM. Do i continue to leave the shrimp in the tank or remove it?

4thGloryMonday - 11 years ago

So I don't need to add anything to the tank but saltwater and dead shrimp such as a cube of frozen brine? Nothing else to buy that will start the cycle and finish it thanks

TheFishTank Doc. - 11 years ago

Great vid, but the nitrate will not drop at the end of the cycle, as you said you remove it by water changes. The fish will alter, the ammonia and nitrate build ups the most, when cycling your tank, so add the fish first, before the corals to ensure you have enough bactria, to cope with the fish waste. your tank is only fully cycled, when all the fish are in. corals can be very sensitive to small build ups of ammonia except of zoa's ans mushrooms!!!.

ljusta - 11 years ago

I Cycled my first saltwatertank for 3 month added the snails after the first month.Realy intresting to see what grows just from the rock.It came from Bali and i got alot of growth on Zoas,mushrooms and alot of nice macro algeas.Atm i got 3 saltwatertanks and im setting up 3 more this summer.1 Of them is an experiment i will document here on youtube.DSB and some fresh imported rocks nothing else no snails nothing and video it every month and see what happens in a year.Great episode tho Reg.Ted

David Niswonger - 12 years ago

are those 2" drains in the back of the tank for a close loop system?

About Cycling a Reef Tank

The "Cycling a Reef Tank" video is part of the reef tank, salt water category, which contains similar videos like this one.