Should I aerate the water during cycle?
- Thread starter aquaruss
- Start date
I don't really understand what you mean by aerate the rock? Adding bubbles to it. The powerheads you are using should be aerating it plenty, I would think. Most of the aeration done in salt tanks is done by agitating the water surface. That is where most of the air exchange is done (at least that is what I have read).
Frank
Frank
You do want to keep the dissolved oxygen content up in your water as you cycle. Now there are a variety of ways that oxygen gets into water but the most important for a tank is from the atmosphere through surface agitation. Water has surface tension that holds in the carbon dioxide that is released living organisms as they respire, when that surface tension is broken the carbon dioxide can be released and replaced by oxygen.
So you can put at air pump with an air stone on your tank as a way to increase the dissolved oxygen content, but what you have should do just fine. The surface doesn’t have to look like white water just be moving around a little and it breaks the surface tension.
Something that puts atmospheric oxygen directly into the water such as an airstone more a protein skimmer does dramatically increase your oxygen content, but water has a saturation point – it can only hold so much oxygen.
As your tank is you should be fine – if you are ever worried that your oxygen is low, ie your fish look like they are panting they do sell kits oxygen test. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4366&N=2004+113074
Dan
So you can put at air pump with an air stone on your tank as a way to increase the dissolved oxygen content, but what you have should do just fine. The surface doesn’t have to look like white water just be moving around a little and it breaks the surface tension.
Something that puts atmospheric oxygen directly into the water such as an airstone more a protein skimmer does dramatically increase your oxygen content, but water has a saturation point – it can only hold so much oxygen.
As your tank is you should be fine – if you are ever worried that your oxygen is low, ie your fish look like they are panting they do sell kits oxygen test. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4366&N=2004+113074
Dan
The best things to do when cycling is:
Setup and run your tank as if you are not ever going to change anything. The cycling process is natural and we have very little control over it. We can bend the process in a variety of different ways. The point of cycling is to get the water filled with all the necessary bacteria needed to sustain water safe conditions (I.E. Keep ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate down) for the living organisms you will put into the water later. The PEE and POO given off by the animals are generally proteins along with most of the food dropped in the water (thus the purpose of a skimmer...necessary for reef tanks) and bacteria break the proteins down and give off ammonia. Then other bacteria feed on the ammonia and give off nitrite. Then other bateria feed on the nitrite and give off nitrate. Thus we have the process called CYCLING. Turn on your lights, run your filter media, run your powerheads, turn on your air pumps, keep your SG consistent, keep your temperature consistent, and cycle your tank. !~BE PATIENT~! When you monitored the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels with your test kit you will know when it is finished. Be prepared to wait two to three months for everything to stabilize.
Setup and run your tank as if you are not ever going to change anything. The cycling process is natural and we have very little control over it. We can bend the process in a variety of different ways. The point of cycling is to get the water filled with all the necessary bacteria needed to sustain water safe conditions (I.E. Keep ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate down) for the living organisms you will put into the water later. The PEE and POO given off by the animals are generally proteins along with most of the food dropped in the water (thus the purpose of a skimmer...necessary for reef tanks) and bacteria break the proteins down and give off ammonia. Then other bacteria feed on the ammonia and give off nitrite. Then other bateria feed on the nitrite and give off nitrate. Thus we have the process called CYCLING. Turn on your lights, run your filter media, run your powerheads, turn on your air pumps, keep your SG consistent, keep your temperature consistent, and cycle your tank. !~BE PATIENT~! When you monitored the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels with your test kit you will know when it is finished. Be prepared to wait two to three months for everything to stabilize.
Jason, great reply as you outlined it quite well. IMO, The only thing I would change is shut the lights off during cycling. They really aren't needed and can help bring unnecessary algae initially. Once everything stabilizes you should do a 20-30% water change with RO water and gradually begin your lighting cycle in a phased approach.
Mike
Mike
