Using ammonia to cycle a tank can take from 3 to 6 weeks. You will literally be adding pure ammonia to the water. Make sure that you purchase unscented ammonia that doesn't contain any additives. Using a dropper, add from 3 to 5 drops of ammonia for every ten gallons of water on a daily basis. The goal is to maintain a level of 5 ppm. In the initial phase there won't be any nitrites in the water. Continue adding the ammonia and testing the water until it shows a nitrite reading. After there is nitrites in the water reduce the daily dosages of ammonia to 2 to 3 drops for each 10 gallons of water.
You will need to continue this regimen until both the nitrite and ammonia tests reach 0 ppm. Once you have the correct reading start reducing the temperature. If you have access to a saltwater aquarium that is already established you can greatly reduce the time it takes to cycle a new tank. You simply take bacteria from the established tank and introduce it to the new tank. You can accomplish this by using the floss or foam insert in the filter of the established tank and putting it into the filter of the new tank.
You can also use gravels, or substrate if the tank has an undergravel filter. Keep in mind that if there are any diseases in the established tank, they will also get transferred to the new tank. One of the best ways to cycle any new saltwater aquarium is with live rock or live sand. Organisms and bacteria that live in and on the rock die when the rock is transported from the ocean to the dealer.
Adding this rock back into the water triggers the nitrogen cycle when the dead organic matter starts decomposing. The decomposition process produces ammonia that is very beneficial to the bacteria.
While this is one of the best ways and one of the fastest, it has a major drawback. During the first 2 to 4 weeks in the tank the live rock will cure.
The curing process is when the majority of the dead matter begins to decay and rot all at once. Depending on how much live rock you add to the tank and how much dead matter is in the rock, the odor can be quite strong. To track the process you can utilize some test kits and test the water for Ammonia, nitrite and finally nitrate. First, you will see the ammonia level rise and then start to fall when nitrites become present.
Finally you will see a rise in nitrates and the ammonia and nitrite levels will be zero, this means the cycle has completed and both types of bacteria are present in your aquarium.
There are a couple of things you need to do in order to get the cycle started inside a new tank. Seed the tank with bacteria and provide a source of ammonia to feed that bacteria. You can add a few pieces of seasoned live rock or live sand from an established aquarium. The downside here is you run the risk of introducing pests. But, cycling an aquarium with seasoned live rock is still a widely- practiced and very common method.
If using live rock or sand, you only need a little bit to seed the aquarium with bacteria. It is perfectly suitable to fill your tank with DRY rock and sand then add a small piece of LIVE rock or small scoop of sand to introduce the bacteria.
As long as you provide an ammonia source, this bacteria will soon grow and populate onto all of the surfaces in your tank, including the dry rock and sand. Not all liquid bacteria products are made equal. Some formulations contain microbes and enzymes that will take time to grow and become abundant in an aquarium, such as Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter7.
This is one of our favorites. If you wish to really jump start the cycle process, you might look at Dr. Tim's One and Only or Fritz Aquatics TurboStart because these contain live nitrifying bacteria that will immediately go to work in your tank. These product will work so long as ammonia is present, and these products can help to shorten the length of time it takes to make the aquarium safe for the addition of fish.
Each of the instructions are are indeed different and will contain different concentrations and species of microbes. This is because you really want to do everything you can to start a diverse and healthy population of bacteria in the aquarium as quickly as possible.
Get bacteria from various sources and larger amounts will only help the process. Some aquarists add a live fish and let it produce ammonia naturally. Feed the fish sparingly and monitor the ammonia and nitrite. Levels should moderately rise and fall as discussed earlier, indicating the aquarium has cycled. This can however, put that fish at risk of ammonia or nitrite poisoning.
Some aquarists drop in a piece of shrimp or phantom feed fish food. As the food decays, ammonia is released. Another method involves adding a prepared ammonia solution to the tank. It can take around 6 weeks for the aquarium to complete the cycle, depending on the vitality of the seed bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria are relatively slow growers.
They respond to ammonia and nitrite by dividing and forming larger colonies. Just let the bacteria do their thing. It is important to remember that when you add more livestock, the bio filter has to adjust and grow to meet the higher ammonia levels produced by the new marine life. Keep an eye on ammonia and nitrite levels every time you add more aquatic life.
Do not add fish if the ammonia or nitrite levels are high. Gather the following items when you're ready to cycle your saltwater tank:. Seed sources are usually obtained by removing them from another saltwater aquarium that is well established. Ideally, the seed source should be at least six months old.
It should also be disease free, meaning that it is not suspected of having a disease or is undergoing treatment for a disease of any kind. Good sources for seeded live rock are a local fish store, if rock that has been in a functioning saltwater aquarium is available, or a friend's tank that has been running for a period of time. Many fish stores sell cultured live rock or coral sand as a way to seed new aquariums.
There are also commercially prepared live bacteria products available at fish stores that can be added to a new aquarium to get the beneficial bacteria growing. These are not as good as adding live rock to the aquarium, but do help to reduce the time it takes for a new aquarium to cycle. When transferring the live rock from the established tank, many people will scrub the rock to remove any algae and dead or decaying material.
While removing as many unwanted "hitchhikers" such as bristleworms or mantis shrimp as possible is a good idea before transferring the rock, it is usually best to not scrub the rock to remove all of the algae as this will remove a lot of the beneficial bacteria, which will defeat the purpose of using the seeded rock.
Be sure the live rock stays wet or the beneficial bacteria can die, and do not use chlorinated water to rinse the rocks. Other tank materials such as live sand or coral sand substrate or even aquarium decorations from another established saltwater aquarium can also be used to transfer live bacteria and establish the biological filter bed in a new tank.
These materials will carry the same bacteria as the live rock and will help cut the cycling time of the new tank. Once the live rock is transferred to the new tank, the bacteria will require a food source ammonia in order to reproduce and populate the surface areas in the tank. While it is safe to place a few fish in the tank to provide the ammonia source, it is best not to load up the system with livestock too quickly as this will produce more ammonia than the relatively small population of bacteria can immediately handle.
When the ammonia and nitrite levels are normal, you can safely add a few more fish. There are a number of other sources for the ammonia required to feed the bacteria, other than just fish. Invertebrates such as hermit crabs, snails, and shrimp that you are planning to add to the aquarium will consume food and produce ammonia. If you don't want to use media from another tank or don't have access to a natural seeding source, you can also start the cycling process by adding drops of pure ammonia to your tank.
To make sure there are no detergents in your ammonia, shake the bottle before using. If bubbles start to foam after shaking, it means detergents are present and you'll want to find an alternative ammonia source that's pure.
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