New 75 gallon start up

[CJRIZZOTTI]

Hey fellow reef people I started a 75gallon reef tank this week! So far I used tap water have a rodi unit on its way I used prime to dechlorinate the water let it cycle for a full 2 days with salt then added live sand my live rock and rodi unit will be here later this week and I'll only use rodi water from here on out! My question is how long should i wait to let it cycle? Should i phantom feed? And most of all do you think ill be ok with the choices I've made thus far? Thanks for reading and all input will be greatly appreciated

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[cmantis]

I would suggest starting with RODI water. Then adding a bacteria such as Dr Tims or FritZyme9 to help get it going. The water hasn't cycled yet and you are better off doing it right.

 

[CJRIZZOTTI]

I would suggest starting with RODI water. Then adding a bacteria such as Dr Tims or FritZyme9 to help get it going. The water hasn't cycled yet and you are better off doing it right.

I'm in nyc average tds is between 20 and 35ppm guy at the lfs said i should be fine to start this way but to only use rodi water from here on out

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[jck16]

Hi CJRIZZOTTI and congrats on starting. Just my 2 cents:

If you ordered a RODI unit, you should have waited to start filling your tank when it arrives. The types of nasties in NYC tap water (e.g. copper, lead) may be present in reefs, but in your closed microscopic 75 gallon system they're concentrated far more than in the ocean.

So I believe you're already starting your tiny slice of the reef off at a disadvantage, and if I were you I'd do a 75-100% water change with RODI water + salt once the unit arrives then start the nitrogen cycle with any source of ammonia ( a piece of raw shrimp is usually enough) and optionally a source of bacteria (I usually use cured live rock) and once you detect nitrates do another 50-75% water change. A bit drastic? Maybe, but imo a good way to learn too there are no shortcuts in this hobby :biggrin:

Good luck and welcome.

 

[theMeat]

Using tap water to start the cycle is not a bad thing since the nutrients will only help start the cycle.

You have to watch the spikes to see when the cycle is complete. Watch this vid
https://youtu.be/AKu-8UWKf40

Adding a quick cycle like Dr Tim's can certainly speed the process

Yes, you should phantom feed, just don't overdo it. And leave the lights and skimmer off till cycle is complete

Welcome to the site

 

[NYCKeith]

welcome....as someone who is also new (March 2017) and trusted the lfs for setting up my tank and all the advise they gave me. Listen to the folks on here. Not sure what store you used but I have been steered wrong multiple times by Manhattan Aquariums to the extent of had to completely start over. I have had great luck since starting over and essentially listening to folks on here or people I meet. I dont have an ROI but use boxed water. I have had great results with this.

 

[CJRIZZOTTI]

Hey fellow reef people I started a 75gallon reef tank this week! So far I used tap water have a rodi unit on its way I used prime to dechlorinate the water let it cycle for a full 2 days with salt then added live sand my live rock and rodi unit will be here later this week and I'll only use rodi water from here on out! My question is how long should i wait to let it cycle? Should i phantom feed? And most of all do you think ill be ok with the choices I've made thus far? Thanks for reading and all input will be greatly appreciated

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Thanks guys for the input I'll wait for my rodi unit and do it right

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[CJRIZZOTTI]

Hi CJRIZZOTTI and congrats on starting. Just my 2 cents:

If you ordered a RODI unit, you should have waited to start filling your tank when it arrives. The types of nasties in NYC tap water (e.g. copper, lead) may be present in reefs, but in your closed microscopic 75 gallon system they're concentrated far more than in the ocean.

So I believe you're already starting your tiny slice of the reef off at a disadvantage, and if I were you I'd do a 75-100% water change with RODI water + salt once the unit arrives then start the nitrogen cycle with any source of ammonia ( a piece of raw shrimp is usually enough) and optionally a source of bacteria (I usually use cured live rock) and once you detect nitrates do another 50-75% water change. A bit drastic? Maybe, but imo a good way to learn too there are no shortcuts in this hobby

Good luck and welcome.

Should i just drain the water and leave the live sand in or restart all together?

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[brooklynreefers]

Should i just drain the water and leave the live sand in or restart all together?

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yup just drain the tank and restart, no need starting the tank with elevated phos.
you might get crazy hair algae during your cycling process.
just start with RODI, might take a few extra days but its worth the wait

 

[CJRIZZOTTI]

yup just drain the tank and restart, no need starting the tank with elevated phos.
you might get crazy hair algae during your cycling process.
just start with RODI, might take a few extra days but its worth the wait

But leave my sand alone and just swap the water

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[brooklynreefers]

yup leave the sand no point swapping that lol
good luck with your build buddy

 

[CJRIZZOTTI]

yup leave the sand no point swapping that lol
good luck with your build buddy

Thanks buddy I'll leave it alone till all my stuff gets here then swap out! But one more question i have a sump with a protein skimmer should u run them while doing this? I read a few mixed reviews on this i hear to run it so it too gets the needed bacteria then i hear don't what would you suggest

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[brooklynreefers]

i would run the protein skimmer while you have the rocks in there, it will help you skim out all the junk organics that dies off the rocks during the curing process. or recycling process if you are using live rock. just phantom feed if you want, or dont if you dont want to lol. i feel like you since you are using live rock you already kick started to process. so just keep testing your water to see when the cycle is finished. just dont rush the cycle process, its different time frames for everyone. although if you are gonna run the skimmer maybe phantom feed a little bit.

 

[theMeat]

Crazy talk
Needs nutrients to start cycle. Tap water is fine. That's why you should leave skimmer off too.

Leave tank lights off and you won't get algae growth. With or without rodi

 

[CJRIZZOTTI]

Crazy talk
Needs nutrients to start cycle. Tap water is fine. That's why you should leave skimmer off too.

Leave tank lights off and you won't get algae growth. With or without rodi

I keep my lights off 24/7 but been running my sump and skimmer i tested the tds it was at 27ppm when i originally added the water and prime waited a day then added salt waited another day then added live sand

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[brooklynreefers]

Crazy talk
Needs nutrients to start cycle. Tap water is fine. That's why you should leave skimmer off too.

Leave tank lights off and you won't get algae growth. With or without rodi

if he leaves the lights off now, what will happen when he turns them on ? what is absorbing the phosphate from the tap water while the lights are off?
it doesn't just disappear overtime. unless of course he doesn't run lights over his tank ever. just common sense, he needs nutrients. he doesn't need excessive phosphate that comes with with tap water

 

[jck16]

Crazy talk
Needs nutrients to start cycle. Tap water is fine. That's why you should leave skimmer off too.

Leave tank lights off and you won't get algae growth. With or without rodi

The goal of the nitrogen cycle consists of 2 primary parts: you want to culture the bacteria that convert ammonia (NH3 and NH4) into nitrite (NO2) and then you want to culture the bacteria that converts that converted nitrite (NO2) into nitrate (NO3). The nutrients you speak of in tap water (namely phosphates (PO4) and nitrate (NO3)) will culture organisms (other bacteria species including cyano and algae) that have nothing to do with the bacteria species you want to culture to "cycle" your tank. Don't worry, they're going to bloom once the cycle is over anyway

Plus, I want to reiterate that tap water contains copper and lead as well as these "nutrients". Which will ALL be present in your system until they are diluted to natural seawater levels (an order of several 1000-10000x less than the concentration in tap water in NYC).

Please do not use tap water within your reef system at all.

 

[CJRIZZOTTI]

The goal of the nitrogen cycle consists of 2 primary parts: you want to culture the bacteria that convert ammonia (NH3 and NH4) and then you want to culture the bacteria that convert nitrite (NO2) into nitrate (NO3). The nutrients you speak of in tap water (namely phosphates (PO4) and nitrate (NO3)) will culture organisms (other bacteria species including cyano and algae) that have nothing to do with the bacteria species you want to culture to "cycle" your tank. Don't worry, they're going to bloom once the cycle is over anyway

Plus, I want to reiterate taht tap water contains copper and lead as well as these "nutrients". Which will be present in your system until they are diluted to natural seawater levels (an order of several 1000-10000x less than the concentration in tap water in NYC).

Please do not use tap water within your reef system at all.

So should i drain it or let it cycle I'll use rodi water from here on out of course

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[jck16]

Should i just drain the water and leave the live sand in or restart all together?

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Just my suggestion: leave the live sand, drain all the CONTAMINATED water above it, and refill with RODI + salt.

There will be a lot of things that just happen to be out of your control in a closed system like a reef tank. Why make the contents of the water you're adding to it one of them?

As for skimming during the cycle, I honestly don't think it matters unless you're using fresh rock from the ocean where a number of organisms continuously die off which will slow down the nitrogen cycle simply because the decay will cause less dissolved oxygen for the aerobic nitrifying bacteria to use to thrive. You'll be doing a large water change after the cycle anyway to remove any other compounds that may have built up during the cycle and to replenish depleted ions (I'm in the camp of not doing any water changes during the cycle unless you made the mistake of adding in livestock before the cycle was complete).

 

[CJRIZZOTTI]

Just my suggestion: leave the live sand, drain all the CONTAMINATED water above it, and refill with RODI + salt.

There will be a lot of things that just happen to be out of your control in a closed system like a reef tank. Why make the contents of the water you're adding to it one of them?

As for skimming during the cycle, I honestly don't think it matters unless you're using fresh rock from the ocean where a number of organisms continuously die off which will slow down the nitrogen cycle simply because the decay will cause less dissolved oxygen for the aerobic nitrifying bacteria to use to thrive. You'll be doing a large water change after the cycle anyway to remove any other compounds that may have built up during the cycle and to replenish depleted ions (I'm in the camp of not doing any water changes during the cycle unless you made the mistake of adding in livestock before the cycle was complete).

Thanks for the advice

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