New tank. Bit confused

FrootStick

FrootStick

Member
Hey all
So my tanks been running solid now for 3 days. Had 2 bags of live sand, about 20kg base rock and added 10kg live rock yesterday.

Just did some tests to see what's or if anything is going on. Here is what I got.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0.2
Nitrate 2
PH 8.2

What should I be looking for? It's been a while since my last cycle. I need to wait for ammonia spike and then a nitrite spike I though before I got any nitrates???
Nitrates have appeared so it has me a little confused.
Thanks
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
One way... is just add a raw deli shrimp (prawn) and let it rot...

Watch for the ammonia to rise then fall to zero, then the nitrites rise & then fall to zero, then the nitrates rise, once this happens, do water changes to get rid of the nitrates - tank cycled

Depending on the state of your LR (how cured it was & how much die off it had), in general it will look something like this...


CyclingGraph.gif
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
Take it slow, DO NOT expect the cycle to happen quickly.
Putting a fish in before you give your system time to be ready for it, is NOT GOOD.
The nitrogen cycle varies but 4 to 8 weeks before adding a fish seems to be the time frame. Keep a test results journal and have patience! :thumbup:
 
StevesLEDs

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
Awesome chart!

I personally wait a minimum of 60 days before adding anything living in a new aquarium. It is much more rewarding in the long run because the aquarium will be better adjusted to handle a couple of fish when the cycle is complete. Otherwise if you start out with a damsel or two, you'd just be torturing the damsels, and then you'd have to provide some serious space between the additions.

Jeff
 
FrootStick

FrootStick

Member
Ok guys so still a little confused here.
Added 2 x shrimp to my 350 litre system 4 days ago. Live rock has been in there for 11 days. Been feeding the tank fish food also.
Have had no reading of ammonia and only a small 0.2 of nitrite which is now 0.
Nitrate is still 2
 
mtsully71

mtsully71

Well-Known Member
FrootStick,

Don't rush this OK, it takes a lot of time to cycle a tank. I believe you and I have the same tank. Leave your lights off, run the skimmer and heater only. Let the 2 shrimp you have rot to nothing, as Glenn suggested. Mine was totally gone in about 35 days. I cycled my tank for 45 days. Don't even bother testing for 30 days imo your wasting your time. Cycle it right and you will be a very happy reefer. You cannot miss the cycle, when complete change half your water and then you can get critters.

Remember too, the chart above is a guide, tanks can take sooner to cycle or they may take longer. Based on what I see you put in your tank, you will be longer IMO. Your tank and rock will turn brown then slowly that will go away. So don't freak out. Water changes, time and CUC will assist in the process.

Don't feed fish food.

Damsels fun and cool at beginning, then they turn into a bitch to catch and take out because most are to aggressive to keep with smaller and even some bigger fish.

I know it sucks to wait, but slow down. More experienced members will tell you if you rush, it can and usually does lead to problems down the road. If you take your time cycling, adding livestock and do the basic reefing fundamentals, I think you will be very pleased after 1 year.

Sully

BTW, I still have not moved any fish from my other tanks over yet, I know I can and will soon, but time is your friend. Think of your tank as a fine :crown:let it age a little


Exhibit A :)
9_zpseb1e8ae8.jpg
 
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FrootStick

FrootStick

Member
I'm in no rush as I'm not home from work for another 3 weeks.
It's just strange how after 11 days absolutely nothing has happened. No change in any parameters. Just a bit of brown algae.
 
FrootStick

FrootStick

Member
Yeah as I said I'm definitely in no rush. Just thought I might try and seek some answers as my last tank cycled a lot differently.
Nearing 2 weeks with live rock I thought I should definitely have some results so far.
 
D

Desmond

Well-Known Member
I would imagine your rock has been cured well and there was not much die off. But as you said you had some brown algae in your tank this is another part of the cycle. I turned my lights off for a week and it went away. I think if you wait another 2 weeks and test and results are good you could do a water change and add a CUC. I added mine after 1 month and fish after 2 months and all went well. I did not have any traces of Ammonia either in my tank just a small reading of N02 but i left the tank a bit extra just to make sure all was good :) Looks like you are going well on the cycle :)
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
just one more thought... if you have added any chemical filtration or dosed anything that can mask your test results... it can throw off your readings, this is something we see pretty often...

If not your LR is doing it's job... read the two links above & you will be good to go soon :nessie:
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
that's just a gfo mix - reduces phosphate - would take something like purigen that
controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates - of similar, like Prime or like some "start up" conditioner
 
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