Cycling Help Needed!!

Ok guys so it's now been 2 weeks since I'm cycling my 29 gallon fowlr tank...

I have roughly 35lbs of live rock in it and live sand... Also have been adding Biozyme daily to help bacteria growth..

Lights have been off for the most part except sometimes when I want to look at the tank..

Today I noticed a verry little bit of green algae growth in the tank.. on a rock or two but it isn't much..

My Question is this: Is this good/bad... also how much longer do you think before my tank is done cycling and I can add my first fish (probably a small O.Clown)

My levels are:
PH: 7.8-8.4 (hard to tell from my kit)
Amonia: 0
Nitrate: 40
Nitrite: 0

 

algea bloom is a normal part of the cycle if i was you i would stop with the bacteria boster jmo. you still have about another week or two before i would add fish

 

Why do you recommend me stop using biozyme? (Not that you are wrong but I'm just curious) Also when if at all should I change my filter?

 

I have never used any bacteria supplement and just good LR

 

what filter are you running?
whats in the filter?

if its foam/ sponge/filter matting etc = it will require rinsing in aquarium water during water changes to keep it clear of detrius build up (wont be very dirty at present as its a new tank)

if its ceramic or sintered glass type rings - as per above, remove baskets and just rinse these in old tank water at water change time

stocking - I would probably start with half a dozen snails as this will help mature your tank and also help prevent the algae overpowering your set up

I would leave it another couple of weeks with just the snails or maybe hermit crabs
then perform a 10 percent water change and clean the filter at that time

monitor the nitrates as you want to make sure they dont continue increasing


Steve

 

I would bag the biozyme as well

Cycling has different types of bacteria that need to build up... the ones that convert ammonia to nitrite... another kind that turns nitrite to nitrate and yet another anerobic kind that turns nitrate to nitrogen. Your readings of Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate = 0/0/40 mean that you have enough of the first two types of bacteria, but not yet enough of the third.

Hears the deal though, as soon as you add livestock and increase your bioload, they will start producing ammonia... the bacteria will need to catch up. Just add stock SLOWLY... to give the bacteria a chance to stay in sync.

Also, the nitrate-to-nitrogen bacteria are anerobic.... i.e. no-oxygen bacteria.... i.e. deep in your sand bed and deep inside your live rock. Don't disturb your sand bed, etc. or you'll mess up those anerobic zones.

All that said, biozyme ain't putting anerobic bacteria underneath you sand bed and inside your live rock... I doubt it's helping you at all. Probably ain't hurting, but not needed in my opinion.

Hope that helped.

Mark

 

Steve: Thanks for the great info!

It's just your standard filter that comes w/the aquarium tank. Nothing special, I'm guessing its a sponge like filter... (so your suggestion is to not change the filter yet and only rinse it in the aquarium water when I do a water change in about a week or two after adding the snails/crabs, correct?)

Also as far as snails / crabs go, is there any specific ones I should be looking for?

NASAGEEK: Thanks for the in depth info, and I plan on stocking as slowly as possible, 1 fish at a time and my first fish will probably be a small baby O.Clown and next fish not for a few weeks after that...