How can I make my water cycle faster?

GermanShepherdGirl · Post by **GermanShepherdGirl** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:04 pm

I just set up a new 150 gallon. I bought it from a guy on mbrk a month ago. Well all the rock and sand he gave me died...the house started smelling like rotten eggs so it had to go outside and we dumped out all the water. Well it got bleached by the sun so now its all white. I still used 95% of the rocks and even all the dead sand. I put all my live rock from my 75 gallon in it and the sand from my 75 is in the new sump for the 150. It's up and running but I have to wait for my ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites to go away. They aren't really high...just slightly above what they should be. I have an ETSS 600 skimmer, filter bag, and I put some carbon in a filter bag in the sump. I did put some snails and hermits in the tank...who are all still alive even though I just dumped them in there instead of aclimating them like I probably should have.

Any suggestions on what I can do to make the water cycle quicker? I'm ready to put my fish and corals in the 150...but the water isn't ready yet. I'm so impatient!!!!

KrazyPlace · Post by **KrazyPlace** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:19 pm

One trick I use is to turn the temperature up a little. I ran mine around 84. This will speed up the bacteria's growth rate.

I would also pull the rock out after about 1 week and shake off the detritus in a tub of saltwater then return it to the tank. Live rock will have a lot of loose material on it the first couple of weeks. This detritus will add to the organic load.

After the ammonia and nitrites are gone (you should only have nitrates), do a couple of big water changes. The carbon will come in handy about then.

Good luck!

GermanShepherdGirl · Post by **GermanShepherdGirl** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:34 pm

Cool...thanks for the tips! I've got my RO/DI making more water...slowly but surely and plan on doing a water change soon.

KrazyPlace · Post by **KrazyPlace** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:01 pm

Don't do a water change too soon. You want the ammonia and nitrites to be consumed by the bacteria and not just removed with water changes.

GermanShepherdGirl · Post by **GermanShepherdGirl** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:25 pm

Gottcha!

Dys · Post by **Dys** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:04 am

Bio-Spira, some great stuff for a quick cycle. This is the stuff that is used for quick 24 hour setups. It works and works well, we tested it in house with a few of our (now old) new systems, we gave them 3-4 days before fish went in but had great success with it.

NM354 · Post by **NM354** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:47 am

This stuff works wonders.