I am fairly familiar with the nitrogen cycle in freshwater and I am wondering if the cycle is roughly the same in salt. The main thing I need to know is if water changes are ok while the cycle is going on in salt and if there will be the cloudy water phase that i'm familiar with in fresh to know that cycling is indeed going on.
Nitrogen cycle in salt
- Thread starter Epos
- Start date
lightcs4
Loving to learn
Sadly, I didn't know about any cycle when I had freshwater fish. The cycle for salt (may be the same for fresh) is first ammonia will spike, then nitrites, the nitrates. Use liquid tests to track each stage of the cycle. Yote, of course, can be a great resource.
I hear you on that. I didn't learn about the nitrogen cycle until after I did my first setup...I saw the cloudy stage and went to cleaning the tank every day after I got home from school which just made the cycle worse...did that for a very long time and went on a vacation and came back to find my tank crystal clear after fully cycling. About how long does the cycle take for salt? I know roughly 2 weeks for fresh.
lightcs4
Loving to learn
It all depends on the tank. It can take up to 6 - 8 weeks. I have a 10 gal that is set for only corals (for the kids), but may eventually have *1* fish. It took about three weeks to cycle. My 46 gal took about four weeks with some live rock and live sand. The best thing to do is test it every few days to see where the spikes occur.
Edit: By the way, join a local reefing club if you can. They can add a lot of help and a great way to connect with others that enjoy this hobby.
Edit: By the way, join a local reefing club if you can. They can add a lot of help and a great way to connect with others that enjoy this hobby.
Last edited:
yote
In Memoriam
The cycle basically works the same weather its fresh water or salt.But I have yet to see the the big cloudy water bacteria blooms that happen with fresh.
And like Lights said.The cycle can take anywhere from a day to even a couple of months.Just depends on how much *cured* live rock you start with.
And like Lights said.The cycle can take anywhere from a day to even a couple of months.Just depends on how much *cured* live rock you start with.
reeffreak
Reef pro
The nitrogen cycle is the same with saltwater and freshwater.You have less of a chance of a bacteria bloom(cloudy water) with salt but its still possible.Cycle time varies depending on types of live rock,sand and how much.Generally,it takes from 0 days to several months.You can reduce the cycle time by using plenty of cured live rock and a little live sand possibly never showing ammonia or nitrite.Doing water changes during the cycle will prolong it so the choice is up to you.I would not do water changes unless ammonia becomes to dangerously high or I was curing in a separate vat prior to adding the rock to the display.
