When can I turn on my carbon filter during Cycling ?

thanks for your great and rapid responses.

I'll try that I think I got a can of fish flakes that came with something I bought. How many other days should I do that. Maybe my question is when should I stop putting fish flakes ?

Thanks again

 

Putting a small amount in once should be enough.

 

I just put a small amount in. When should I expect the amonia to spike ?

 

I use fish. I cycled my rock for a couple weeks with damsels, then transferred over the rest of my fish. I also used a bottle of bacteria from the LFS. Done that 3 times now, each time the cycle was barely noticeable. I would start carbon, phosphate remover, etc. right away.

 

it depends on the tank and the amount of bacteria that is already in place on the LR so its hard to say. you should see a spike within 2 days or so but it may be small and it be not last long.
GL!

 

if im not mistaken carbon can provide a good place for the benefical bacteria to colonize. problem is when you change it out you loose it. and things have to balance back out again (waste->bacteria). in an established tank with LR the change is probably not very detecable. on a new tank it could swing alot delaying the intial cycle.


my guess would be to hold off for a bit.