Cycling of a tank

• Will a tank cycle without all the spikes in ammonia, nitrates, & nitrites?
• About how long is a normal cycle period?

 

1. No
2. That depends on the setup and how you cycle the tank. It can take anything from a few weeks to a few months.

 

Kick start the nitrogen process by adding 1 to 1 1/2 cup of urine. Works best when its Florescent Orange. Happy reef keeping

 

Ewwww. Not what I would recommend to start a cycle but it's a subject that has been discussed

 

No way to avoid a cycle, though their are ways of speeding it up a little bit. Your best bet is to take it one step at a time and go slow! This way you are ensured that your tank is nurtured with the beneficial bacteria to handle the bioload. Then, and only then, will your tank be ready to add livestock, once again S L O W L Y!!! to enable the bacteria level to increase to handle the increased population!

 

Thanks, have been going real slow.

 

Added a sand sifting star, think I made a mistake...

 

Yes, you probably did. Take it back

 

I like the piece or two of shrimp idea. Were you put some shrimp in the tank and let it rott, it will simulate a fish in the water and get the bacteria growing. Then youll be good to add a fish or two every 2 weeks to a month after the ammonia and nitites have come back down to 0. The best thing to do is not add more than one or 2 fish at a time. It will take a few weeks for the bacteria to build back up to handle the fish. You will see it in a test. The nitrates will go up for awhile. Like everyone said, go slow. Easier said than done, lol.

Michael

 

Yeah, a sand sifting star is not what you want or need at this stage of your tanks maturity. Your Star will die due to insufficient food in your substrate.
What are you using to start the cycling process? Or is the cycling process complete? Is that why you purchased a Sand Sifting Star?
I would go with Yellow tail damsels or the vibrant Green or Blue Chromis' for the cycling process if it isn't started yet. They are beautiful, quite tranquill and will be a welcome addition to your tank and don't have to worry about destroying your tank to remove a boisterous damsel like a Domino or 4-stripe from your tank after using it for your cycling...only to learn that they are way to aggressive.
I like your tank set-up by the way!
Best of luck!