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Cycling? (1 Viewer)

MrGemini

MrGemini

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I just finish setting up my tank and had a ? About cycling. My question is should I be running my powerhead during cycling. I have a 55g with about 40lbs of cured live rock I picked up from Kyle one Maple Grove, thanxz again Kyle. Also how long before my tank is clear. Right now very cloudy as I just put everything together. Also should I run my filter.
 
Run the filter as well. Cloudiness should clear up overnight-48 hours. Unless of course if you are using sugar-fine sand and have a ton a flow.
 
Using Fiji pink live sand and supplementing it with a white aquatic sand. Don't think it's sugar fine, but all my lr and equip is covered in white residue. Started to clear up after a few hours but I just messed with the lr formation and changed location of my powerhead.
 
hope you enjoy the rock, hell of a deal i gave ya. patients is a must during the cycle. you may bite all you're nails off waiting. but the rock i gave you should help just start that cycle
 
After you get some livestock in there for a couple months the "almost" sugar fine sand will create a nice solid (not hard, just a layer of stiff sand) surface so it wont blow around as much.
 
What nails. Their already gone, working on my wife's nails now. It just everything got covered in what I believe to be sand. But this morning it was more clearer until I started to aqua scape again. Heres a pic of my tank so far. It's a little dirty on inside glass from when I cleaned it with vinegar a few days before I put it together, didn't wipe well enough I guess so will need to find a sponge of some sort to clean the glass from inside.

PS thanks again Kyle!
 
Oops! Here is the pic!

It won't let me chose a pic from my computer. I'll have to try later.
 
Yes, part of the cycling process requires oxygen so circulation is required. Heat isn't that important right now so just room temperature is fine. No lights either unless you have some Liverock with coraline on it too that your trying to preserve. Only trouble with lights is during the cycling process you will get high nitrates that can lead to algae outbreaks so use sparingly and only if required. Once your cycle is complete do as large of a water change as possible ( near 100% ) to remove all the nitrates that will have accumulated to also lessen the risk of algae outbreaks early on once you start running lights.
 
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ok here we go again. Lets see if this works. Pics of my tank after 18hrs..... :eek2:
 
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Long term you for sure want to mount the powerhead differently. You can't trust suction cups. Secure the cord so it can fall any deeper. If it does let go, prepare for the sandstorm.
 
thanks for the advise on power head mount. i will make sure to mount it or tie it off to something more secure. I did have it mounted to the side of the tank but hated seeing it whenever I sat down in my comfy chair. lol:rotflmao:
 
Cloudy glass looks like just dust from the substrate sticking to your glass. This is normal. Algae magnet will take care of it. You can also wipe it away with your hand.

I would set it up like you are going to run it with heat and power heads. Just use minimal light to keep the algae spike down.
 
I've cleaned the glass so now looks better. Still a little cloudy as I keep making changes in the rock formation. My wife likes it as it is but I wanted to put some towers so it can fill the top of tank as well as it looks a little plain to me. :idea:
 
WELL I DID MY FIRST NITRATE CHK AFTER 4 NIGHTS OF MY CYCLE AND I WAS AT ABOUT 15PPM'S
 
DID NOT CHECK THOSE AS I WAS TOLD NITRATE WAS ONLY PERAMETER NEEDED TO CHECK DURING CYCLE......:frown:
 
Who told you that? Nitrate can be a good indicator of how your cycle is going, but will not tell you when your cycle is done.
 
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