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How to speed-cycle a tank (1 Viewer)

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rlpardue

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What is current best practice on speed-cycling a tank? Is Dr. Tim's still the way to go? What are people's experiences with Dr. Tim's, Prodibio, and dosing ammonia? I'd like to have the tank up and running a week or two before receiving "The Package" from Tampa Bay Saltwater. (Would rather not mess with his two-shipment process.)

I'm finally almost ready to set up the tank again (house + tank were nuked in Harvey).
 

Cody

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Nitrifying bacteria such as biodigest, plus carbon dosing, such as vodka, vinegar, or sugar. However, if you're ordering the package, you're more or less going to have an instantly cycled tank. You might have some die off from invertebrates, but your tank will be cycled within 72 hours, max.
 

EvenFurther

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I used Bio Spira and dosed Tim's ammonia, cycle took 3 weeks. With Marco dry rock and dry Mesoflakes in the tank.
 

fogcutter

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I've had mine cycling for a week now with Dr. Tim's. I had my wife add some Dr Tim's ammonia a couple of days ago and it's still not back down to 0 so I've got a little ways to go. Anyone know if you can add more bacteria to help it along? Is there such a thing as too much? I'm content to wait but I'm not sure I used enough to begin with.....I didn't really account for the sump water in my gallons calculation.
 

EvenFurther

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Here's a Dr. Tim youtube link about dosing the ammonia. The new Dr Tim ammonia is 4 drops per gallon, old bottle was 1 drop per gallon when video was done. I followed this video dosing 3 times. I would follow the drops per gallon, wait unitl zero, then go thru the steps two more times. That's how I did mine.

I also took my DT volume and added half my sump normal water volume to determine the total drops.

 

Attydelvalle

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I've had mine cycling for a week now with Dr. Tim's. I had my wife add some Dr Tim's ammonia a couple of days ago and it's still not back down to 0 so I've got a little ways to go. Anyone know if you can add more bacteria to help it along? Is there such a thing as too much? I'm content to wait but I'm not sure I used enough to begin with.....I didn't really account for the sump water in my gallons calculation.
I have added bacteria - fritz 900 afternoon Dr Tim and it worked.
 

NEWBISH

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I tried a seachem following instructions exactly and had no luck with it but many others have had good success. My tank really only cycled once I used smart start complete and fritz ammonium nitrate i have like the whole tub left if you want It, you just need the bacteria.
 

phhoth

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I tried a seachem following instructions exactly and had no luck with it but many others have had good success. My tank really only cycled once I used smart start complete and fritz ammonium nitrate i have like the whole tub left if you want It, you just need the bacteria.

Nebish, agreed........Smart Start Complete is the best.......I use it every week per instructions and water is crystal clear, no cyno which i could not get rid before
 

NEWBISH

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Nebish, agreed........Smart Start Complete is the best.......I use it every week per instructions and water is crystal clear, no cyno which i could not get rid before

Same i use it with my water changes it makes the water so clear i can always tell the next day.
 
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