When will the tank be fully cycled ?

[woyeng**]

My ammonia and nitrite are zero.

But nitrate and phosphate high... Is this still part of cycling process ?

I currently have cleaner shrimps, snails and starfish in the tank along with a couple of blue damsels and a foxface. Ich-ing to put in some hardy corals but i want to clear up my nitrate / phosphate issues first...

Can advise when how and when will the nitrate / phosphate levels wll drop ?

I also have a bag of ferric oxide to clean up the phospate and chaeto algae for nitrate in the sump although I am not sure if my lighting for chaeto is strong enough (using small 9W LED shining on a 2.5ft sump)

Also, my skimmer is not exactly big but specs suggests that it supports up to 400gal. My tank is only 270gal.

Still lots of unanswered questions... Suggestions and advice welcomed !

[nicreef]

My ammonia and nitrite are zero.

But nitrate and phosphate high... Is this still part of cycling process ?

How long has it been? but if ammonia and nitrite is zero after a spike, should be finish le ba.

i want to clear up my nitrate / phosphate issues first...Can advise when how and when will the nitrate / phosphate levels wll drop ?

If the spike has ended, common to have high nitrate. can do WC to lower the nitrate (fastest way) or you can run bio pellets/bio sphere etc (slower need around 2 week to kick in). Phosphate can try running rowaphos. filter bag in high water flow area or in FR.

Still lots of unanswered questions... Suggestions and advice welcomed !

i am still pretty bad at this so take my answer with a pinch of salt but since no one reply thought i will just chip in =p

[kraken]

why do you have LS in your tank when you are cycling?

[tropic]

As above.Why...why....why...have LS when cycling.

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[woyeng**]

I put LS only after nitrite is zero la

[kraken]

I put LS only after nitrite is zero la

then in this case, its okay.

When your NO2 goes to zero, NO3 when spike, you need to conduct WC to reduce it. At this moment, your cycling has more or less completed.

Most fishes can take slightly higher NO3 levels, most corals LPS can tolerate also. SPS for sure no.

Adopt moderate feeding to control NO3 and PO4, do not introduce more LS at this point till both NO3 n PO4 levels are reduced and controlled.

Try to add LS the most one per week and monitor the same.

Have fun

[woyeng**]

Thanks for the tip bro.

I m slightly confused regarding this stage because was reading some literature that after nitrite turn zero, the next stage is for LR and DSB (which I use) to develop anaerobic bacteria to assist in de-nitifying process, hence the full cycling will be done only when even the nitrate levels drop to below 5ppm. Is this true ?

then in this case, its okay.

When your NO2 goes to zero, NO3 when spike, you need to conduct WC to reduce it. At this moment, your cycling has more or less completed.

Most fishes can take slightly higher NO3 levels, most corals LPS can tolerate also. SPS for sure no.

Adopt moderate feeding to control NO3 and PO4, do not introduce more LS at this point till both NO3 n PO4 levels are reduced and controlled.

Try to add LS the most one per week and monitor the same.

Have fun

[kanegan]

Some of our tanks never develop that last stage due to lack of life rocks/bacteria homes or overstocking.

So most bros combat the nitrate threat with chemical warfare and/or water change. It depends on your strategy.

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[resser]

Bro,

You can tell if your Chaeto's LED is sufficient by looking at the Chaeto itself, if part of it turns brown and withers, you need better light coverage. It's best to remove the withering bits if you see them, they decay and produce more Nitrate/ Phosphates.

Healthier and bigger bunch of Chaeto and/ or more Granular Ferric Oxide (and flow through it) will result in lower N03 / P04. Test result should be obvious within a day or two.

If you are asking when your system matures (your tank already cycled), it should be between six months to a year. That's when water turns clearer. Provided your maintenance schedule is constant and you do not add or change anything drastically all the time (new livestock/ liverock, etc etc).

[woyeng**]

Thanks for the inputs bros.

My strategy is to have LR + DSB with de-nitrifying bacteria + Chaeto in the refugium.

For the DSB, I have feeling it make take quite some time for this to happen so for now, I am putting in a stronger light source to the refugium for the Chaeto and

take it 1 step at a time although I am a little tempted to try using the ROWA in FR... after reading about the Algae Scrubber, I was also tempted to try that (there appears to be quite a few options), but that said, I agree with bro Sea Cucumber that it may take 1 year for the tank to mature, in fact that is what my friend who introduced me to the hobby said before, so it's all about being patient.

Meanwhile, I also put Phosguard into my sump in the hope that the Phosphate will be reduced somewhat over the next 1-2 weeks although I read that Nitrates reduction require phosphates so that lack of phosphates may make nitrate reduction harder...

Some of our tanks never develop that last stage due to lack of life rocks/bacteria homes or overstocking.
So most bros combat the nitrate threat with chemical warfare and/or water change. It depends on your strategy.

Sent from my GT-N7005 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Bro,

You can tell if your Chaeto's LED is sufficient by looking at the Chaeto itself, if part of it turns brown and withers, you need better light coverage. It's best to remove the withering bits if you see them, they decay and produce more Nitrate/ Phosphates.

Healthier and bigger bunch of Chaeto and/ or more Granular Ferric Oxide (and flow through it) will result in lower N03 / P04. Test result should be obvious within a day or two.

If you are asking when your system matures (your tank already cycled), it should be between six months to a year. That's when water turns clearer. Provided your maintenance schedule is constant and you do not add or change anything drastically all the time (new livestock/ liverock, etc etc).

[kraken]

Thanks for the inputs bros.

My strategy is to have LR + DSB with de-nitrifying bacteria + Chaeto in the refugium.

For the DSB, I have feeling it make take quite some time for this to happen so for now, I am putting in a stronger light source to the refugium for the Chaeto and

take it 1 step at a time although I am a little tempted to try using the ROWA in FR... after reading about the Algae Scrubber, I was also tempted to try that (there appears to be quite a few options), but that said, I agree with bro Sea Cucumber that it may take 1 year for the tank to mature, in fact that is what my friend who introduced me to the hobby said before, so it's all about being patient.

Meanwhile, I also put Phosguard into my sump in the hope that the Phosphate will be reduced somewhat over the next 1-2 weeks although I read that Nitrates reduction require phosphates so that lack of phosphates may make nitrate reduction harder...

Do take note that both chaeto and ATS will take time to kick in, it does not work immediately. Thus to lower your nutrients now is WC.

I would suggest 10-20% every alternate day to bring down the levels fast. continue for 4 - 5 times WC, you would see levels dropping.

However I cannot stress enough that during this time, it is not wise to add anymore LS, else you will have endless fighting with the nutrients.

[resser]

...but that said, I agree with bro Sea Cucumber that it may take 1 year for the tank to mature, ..

Ok lor, call me Sea Cucumber. Hahaha.

[woyeng**]

Ok lor, call me Sea Cucumber. Hahaha.

Hahaha ! My bad... apologies bro Resser !

[woyeng**]

Ok Noted.

Will hold my breath till then....

Do take note that both chaeto and ATS will take time to kick in, it does not work immediately. Thus to lower your nutrients now is WC.

I would suggest 10-20% every alternate day to bring down the levels fast. continue for 4 - 5 times WC, you would see levels dropping.

However I cannot stress enough that during this time, it is not wise to add anymore LS, else you will have endless fighting with the nutrients.