How long to be "Well Established"

How does one cycle using live fish? Do you do water changes during the cycle? I did the dead fish method and perhaps I did it wrong but I just let it go and tested every few days until all tests were 0. Coming up on a year, still have ammonia at .25 sometimes and have had nitrate spikes up to 160 but usually it is 20 or under. Have lost fish, corals and 1 anemone. But fish was ich and anemone was suspected as a torn foot.

 

I agree with this.

 

I don't recommend ever cycling with live fish.

That being said, if your system is a year old, and you still have ammonia you have problems. Either your test kit is bad, or your filtration is very inadequate.

If you want some recommendations, start by telling us everything about your system including lights, filtration, feeding, etc.

 

That would be a lengthy subject. In the beginning I had a fish die from ich, had a lfs test a water sample. They said it wasnt ich it was the water. Also said not to use the drop tests and to get the strips. Did that but did more reading and seemed the strips were what to stay away from. I replaced my ammonia test when it was completely gone and it seemed to test better. Nitrate I wasnt doing correctly at first, wasnt shaking the 2nd bottle. Was always 0 until I did that. I think I saw 40 and started doing water changes, I think about 10 gal every other day for about a week brought it down to I think 5 or 10. Tried doing water changes every 2 weeks but now do them every week if not more often. At the start I was using tap water, now Im using ro/di water(triple sediment/dual carbon/dual membrane/dual di). Salt started with Topfin, switched to instant ocean, now use reef crystals. Tank Im told is a 73 gal bowfront, cpr cs50 overflow(300gph), aqueon I think model 1(550 gph could be on the small side rated for 55 gal), not sure the return pump. Started with just a small powerhead, switched to 2 wp-25s, then planned to add 2 wp-10s but I used one for another tank so only 1 went in. Thinking of switching to 4 wp-25s. Lights, custom build hood used a current orbit marnine led fixture mostly for illumination and dimming, then 4 48" T5s, 2 ballasts running 2 each. Originally had 2 actinic and 2 10k, switched a actinic for a blue plus and a 10k for a coral plus. Coral plus went bad quick and went with a aqua blue special. Actinic and 10k will be coming up on year old aug/sept. Also have a 24w uv. Run filter socks all the time, change them once a week, in the sump all the time chemipure elite and phoszorb. 80 lbs of fine live sand, 50 lbs of fiji base rock and 30-35 lbs florida live rock(probably a bad decision). Corals everywhere, hard corals dont seem to do very well, I do have a "green slimer" that has done well and 2 caps that are doing well along with a recently added tri color frag. Rose tip, 4 rainbow bubble tips, 4 maxi minis, 9 rock anemones, current fish- black ocell, snowflake clown, yellow wrasse, mandarin, blue line tang. Mandarin has been in the longest, then the 2 clowns and wrasse, then tang. Feeding used to feed corals(meat eaters) and anemones a few times a week. Fish every other day. When I noticed high nitrates I quit feeding corals and anemones. Fish I do smaller amounts every day or they get aggressive. I dose essential elements every other week and coral vite every week. Ive also dosed iodide daily. Weekly dose half dosage alternating between Microvert, chromaplex and coral excel. 8 hr photo period. I recently started 2 part dosing, calcium is good but alk I cant get to increase. Mag is good. Only bad issues, have cyano in some low flow areas but no where near as bad as before, some green here and there also and hair algae, moslty popped up after using chemiclean to fight the cyano.

 

I wouldnt cycle with fish either but was wondering how you do it. I read something that said not to let your ammonia levels get above a certain amount during the cycle, dont remember what it was but mine was alot higher, I saw steady levels of 8.