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Unread 01/23/2020, 11:57 PM   #26
ohashimz
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tazdvl100 View Post
I haven't been running a skimmer at all.
Once you add fish start the skimmer cause you will start adding food and have fish waste so its needed.
I just do not want to be misunderstood here, I am not advocating for no skimmer. Skimmer is important, turning it off very early in the cycle will help accelerate the first phase of the cycle that's all. Once you add fish and nutrients you should run skimmer if skimmer is what are tou planning for mechanical filtration..

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Unread 01/24/2020, 12:07 AM   #27
tazdvl100
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No. I have not run lights. Was told it would promote algae growth.


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Unread 01/24/2020, 12:14 AM   #28
ohashimz
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No. I have not run lights. Was told it would promote algae growth.
I think that's a mistake and might prolong the cycle. You are not curing rocks. You ate cycling the system..I think lights are important and if my memory is not fisling me in dr. Tim talk he say bacteria needs the light to metabolize and reproduce..but will let other comment on this. I never ran a cycle without a light.

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Unread 01/24/2020, 05:34 AM   #29
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The bacteria are photosensitive particularly to UV/blue light while in the water column for the first few days. They do not need light..
Its actually recommended to NOT run lights for at least the first few days of the cycling process..

After that you can turn them on and that typically gets the "ugly stages" (diatoms/algae/cyano usually in that order) started and potentially over faster.


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Unread 01/24/2020, 09:59 PM   #30
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Adding fish won't help. The issue is the lack of nitrite-processing bacteria. They will show up given some time, but a few water changes might help speed the process. I agree that running the lights might help a bit, too, by promoting photosynthesis. The photosynthesis will help consume the nitrite.


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Unread 01/24/2020, 10:05 PM   #31
ohashimz
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Adding fish won't help. The issue is the lack of nitrite-processing bacteria. They will show up given some time, but a few water changes might help speed the process. I agree that running the lights might help a bit, too, by promoting photosynthesis. The photosynthesis will help consume the nitrite.
This informstions is not correct I believe.
If there is no fish, not source of amino or carbon..how do we expect bacteria to thrive and build up?
What would it feed on?

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Unread 01/24/2020, 10:07 PM   #32
ohashimz
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Originally Posted by mcgyvr View Post
The bacteria are photosensitive particularly to UV/blue light while in the water column for the first few days. They do not need light..
Its actually recommended to NOT run lights for at least the first few days of the cycling process..

After that you can turn them on and that typically gets the "ugly stages" (diatoms/algae/cyano usually in that order) started and potentially over faster.
Correct just read dr. Tim again and he indeed recommend lights off during the first couple of days untill bacteria establish on rocks.
But i wonder in the case of the op, is it still recomended to keep lights off for weeks?
I think not..

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Unread 01/24/2020, 11:41 PM   #33
tazdvl100
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So maybe run a mini cycle of lights?? I did notice my nitrites went down a tad today. I do have about 20ppm nitrate.


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Unread 01/25/2020, 05:01 PM   #34
bertoni
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If there is no fish, not source of amino or carbon..how do we expect bacteria to thrive and build up?
The "cycle" process in this case is waiting for any organic debris to decay and be processed past the ammonia and nitrite phase. The tank has live rock and live sand, and the bacteria from the shrimp that was added. That'll be enough nutrients, along with organics from the air, to keep bacteria going for quite a while. That's also why skimming can help shorten the cycle, because it removes organic debris. If tanks were started without any debris, and were kept in totally sterile environments with no organics, my approach would differ.


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Unread 01/27/2020, 03:52 PM   #35
Oldreeferman
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It can help to add clean ammonia to a fishless tank in order to keep the ammonia up to keep the process going & growing. This adds no nutrients but keeps the ammonia /nitrites cycle going & more of that particular bacteria growing. I did this on a large arch rock i wanted cycled completely before introducing it in my DT so i wouldn't get the uglys phase it took 3 weeks then i kept adding ammonia daily until the bacteria would completely consume it in a 24 hr. period, which was another week then all i had at days end was nitrates. Nice part was no odors at all going this rout & testing showed all clear to go. So this is also an option you can use to finish the cycling with no fish involved & still keep a bioload going, i also sprinkled just a wee tad of fish flakes at the end just to makes sure it could handle ammonia & food and all tested ok just nitrates. In all it took 4 weeks. I used a heater & 1 powerhead.


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