how long after to measure ammonia..

[ReDDeviLs]

after i added in my liverocks..how long do i have to take to measure the ammonia,no2 and no3?

in the past i waited for a day than do the measurement..

by the way,my liverocks are cured..

[FuEl]

I never used a single ammonia test kit in all my years of reefing. Just be patient in cycling. Wait about a month and confirm you will not have any ammonia nor nitrite in harmful amounts.

[ReDDeviLs]

i am told that i need ammonia spike to start cycling,since my liverocks are cured..there will be minimum die off in my tank..but i dont wish to use a market prawn as it will stink the tank..

is there any other way?like adding liquid or anything else?

[FuEl]

Market prawn actually just mainly protein. It will be broken down into ammonia. It's the ammonia that stinks, not the prawn. Any form of protein will end up as ammonia while being broken down by bacteria. Alternatively you could just use lab grade ammonium hydroxide (which stinks more).

Most people use things which can rot as it will give the nitrifying bacteria enough time to build up in population to handle the load. If you use ammonia straight you'll have to use it in slow increments as a large initial dose can basically wipe out everything in your tank.

[ReDDeviLs]

so its better to use market prawn?

i will be putting my liverocks tomorrow..

after scaping,do i dump a piece of market prawn into the tank?

after that when it becomes mouldy i remove the prawn and do a 50% water change right?

[delirium]

Actually if you are using back your own or very cured LR , cycling can be done in just a few days like me. But add your LS in slowly after that.

[aStRoBo|]

wad if u use new sand.. still need to go through proper cycling.. i using market prawn, no stink leh, the whole prawn melted also no smell.. but nitrite is super high.. so i noe cycling has commenced..

[aStRoBo|]

so its better to use market prawn?

i will be putting my liverocks tomorrow..

after scaping,do i dump a piece of market prawn into the tank?

after that when it becomes mouldy i remove the prawn and do a 50% water change right?

i think u do water change after ur whole prawn decomposed.. to remove high nitrates once the cycling is over..

[delirium]

I used cured LR, new sandbed and market prawn when i did my tank cycling. There was a spike but after 5 days ammonia and nitrate is 0. So instead of 1 mth, cycling can be greatly shorten using very cured LR. But make sure to check with test kit 1st.

Sandbed takes 6mths-1yrs to mature. Who likes to look at an empty tank for that long?

[ReDDeviLs]

hi bros..does that mean that after i arrange my liverock later..i add in a market prawn and leave it to melt after like 5days..do a measure on ammonia..after that do a 50% water change and allow ammonia,nitrate and nitrite to bcome 0?

or after measuring ammonia,allow ammonia,no2 and no3 to bcome 0 and do a 50% water change?

[lightningstrike]

IMHO, leave the market prawn in there, dun take it out. wait for ammonia to be present (by testing), wait for ammonia to be zero (test), wait for nitrite to climb (test), wait for nitrite to be zero (test), wait for nitrate to climb (test), switch on skimmer, do 20 to 30% water change and monitor, if nitrate still unspeakably high after a week or 2, do another water change.

juz me 2 cents of doing.......

[ReDDeviLs]

thanks alot bro!

[ReDDeviLs]

hi guys,my market prawn has some white stuffs all around it after i put it into my tank as today is the 4th day,

measure ammonia,the colour is like grey in colour,looks chalky.

by the way im using salifert test kit..

so is there ammonia spike?can i rmoeve the prawn now?

[bwilly]

if u r using old LRs.. then I believe np..

just check on your bioload carefully..

your tank system may need some time to adjust to the new additional

[ReDDeviLs]

its a new tank,with new sand everything new..only liverocks are from my old tank and suppose to be cured as there is no die offs,bristleworm or crabs..

so i can remove the prawn now?

no2 is slightly above 0 ..very light pinkish colour on the salifert test kit.

[hamannbmw]

its a new tank,with new sand everything new..only liverocks are from my old tank and suppose to be cured as there is no die offs,bristleworm or crabs..

so i can remove the prawn now?

no2 is slightly above 0 ..very light pinkish colour on the salifert test kit.

I'm also cycling my tank now... , put a piece of makket prawn yesterday... i'm using new sand, tank, equipments..... but all LR r from my previous tank n fellow reefers, i think wat lightning_strike suggested is much safer...