Too much conflicting advice !!!!

I have never known a hobby or pastime where there is sooooooo much conflicting advice. Its an absolute minefield of info and to be honest you just dont know what to believe.

Some people say cycle tank for weeks some say for months. More and more people are saying dont even bother more than for a couple of days as live rock needs animal waste ect to get going. For a newbie it is VERY confusing and trial and error doesnt seem fair on the fish ect.

Does it really have to be as complicated as I am finding it ??

PS I am in no way saying I am not greatful for all of the help you guys have given me but there is so much contradiction out there it s making my head hurt!!!

 

lol, yea that's what happens when you dive into a hobby that is so complex. and situation oriented, that's one of the reason i got into this, that is all the trial and error. there is just so much we don't know about the marine world, it is almost impossible to give advice when there are so many different variables. we can only guide given our own personal expericenes and knowledge. you just have to try and adapt the advice to your situation. i mean come on we are kind of playing god here.

 

ya know what they, "opinons are like arseholes and everybody has one" , in this hobby, same rule applies, everybody has their way of doing things and its usually different then everybody elses.

 

Sorry to hear about your furstrations Ricky, but length of the cycle time shouldn't be something that so open to debate. There's no magical length. When the water parameters read correctly, the tank is cycled. It could be two weeks or two months. When you decide on how to proceed based on those water tests there really shouldn't be any question.

Good luck to you. It's a great hobby.

 

You are correct. There are more and more ideas and ways of going about things. Some you will find heated threads about.

To offer yet another opinion: cycling a new tank isn't about time. It's about the levels of Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the water. with out the LR being able to convert these elements your tank is not cycled. How you go about doing it is where opinions come to play

J

 

Yes Ricky, is frustrating. Allot like religion.

What has worked for one of us, may not work for another.

Or what we find, might be opposite of what another does.

Just because a person has lots of experience, he may not necessarily be wiser.

Lots just has to be learned on your own.

Best advice - find a couple, few people you have faith in. Trust their judgement...and ignore all else...

There is much combined wisdom here on 3Reef.

Good Luck!

Scott

 

What do you think about putting 1 or 2 fish and some corals into a 3 day old system

 

I think it would be fine as long as they were small fish and the water parameters were in line with established liverock.

I think if you just put the liverock in and it wasn't cured then the water will not yet have had much chance to foul and I would advise against adding anything alive. This include "clean up" type of items. People always add them when cycling a tank thinking they will be fine. Yes, most of those animals are hardy, but not indestructible. They too need proper living conditions to thrive.

 

3 total days old? or 3 days after the cycle has completed? what kind of fish and coral?

 

I personally think if your Ammonia, nitrite and Nitrate levels have not been stable for at leat a week. You are just killing the fish and corals.

Many people use fish to cycle their tanks. This give a steady level of nutrients for your LR to convert. But aside from a 'Cycle" fish adding anything is a bad idea

J