Ceejai777
Active Member
Hi everyone, I am nearly to week 4 of cycling my tank (27th will be 4 weeks) but am unsure of how much of a cycle it has actually gone through. I set it up with the same rocks that were in it in California before we moved back to WA in June. I didn't clean the rocks after taking them out or before putting them back in the tank. I did see an ammonia spike (between 1 and 2ppm). After adding live aragonite (Caribsea) 2 weeks after setting the tank up, I had cloudiness that wasn't clearing up after a couple days and read that can be caused by the minerals in the aragonite and to do a 50% water change which did. After the water change, ammonia and nitrite were at 0 and nitrate was 5-10ppm.
I was afraid the tank hadn't cycled and was advised on here to put a raw shrimp in, which I did. I made the mistake of not testing every day after adding the shrimp. I guess I thought it would take several days to see an ammonia spike so I waited until day 3 before testing the ammonia. Everything was at 0, though the shrimp was rotting. I was advised to out a new shrimp in and test the water every day which I did last night. I tested today and the ammonia is at 2ppm, nitrite 0.
I haven't seen any significant diatom bloom. Just a bit in the back corners of the tank and on the equipment. Everything is stock in the tank, though I did upgrade the intake pumps in one of my tanks...just not sure if it is the one I have set up or the one in my garage. The tanks and stands are identical. I'm thinking I should move my power heads so they are on the glass pointing at each other. Any advise?
Edited to add: pic from my cell phone was too large a file to upload directly on here so I am trying to remember my Photobucket login to add a pic that way
I was afraid the tank hadn't cycled and was advised on here to put a raw shrimp in, which I did. I made the mistake of not testing every day after adding the shrimp. I guess I thought it would take several days to see an ammonia spike so I waited until day 3 before testing the ammonia. Everything was at 0, though the shrimp was rotting. I was advised to out a new shrimp in and test the water every day which I did last night. I tested today and the ammonia is at 2ppm, nitrite 0.
I haven't seen any significant diatom bloom. Just a bit in the back corners of the tank and on the equipment. Everything is stock in the tank, though I did upgrade the intake pumps in one of my tanks...just not sure if it is the one I have set up or the one in my garage. The tanks and stands are identical. I'm thinking I should move my power heads so they are on the glass pointing at each other. Any advise?
Edited to add: pic from my cell phone was too large a file to upload directly on here so I am trying to remember my Photobucket login to add a pic that way
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