New tank, starting cycle - questions

[jaydub]

Just started to cycle my new 34gal tank (RSM 130D), and have a few questions:

- I started by preparing the saltwater, then rinsed and added sand, then left for a week before adding live rock. I've been reading some suggestions to add the sand last (after the cycle) to keep it clean. I'm assuming both methods eventually work, but now that I have already added sand, is there any extra care to the sand bed I should pay attention to after the cycle is complete?

- My ammonia seems to hang around at 0.25ppm, Nitrite and Nitrate is 0ppm, after adding live rock, and even has been that way since I added sand (and before the live rock). The live rock I've added is from the LFS, and supposedly cured. The LR only took a 5 min trip home, and was put into the tank right away. Should I place a shrimp in to kickstart the cycle or wait a bit longer? It's been nearly 48 hours since the LR has been introduced. The skimmer seems to be producing some thicker and darker foam though.

- I haven't added any additives into the water. Would something like Nitrobac be beneficial?

 

[SwivleHead]

Throw shrimp in now. I did the shrimp thing... worked pretty good for me. i waited about 2 weeks and threw some damsels in there. Didnt lose anything. Cycling a tank can take awhile just be patient. Itll pay off in the long run. good luck! Dont just listen to me thou... Most of these guys know more than i do.

 

[lcstorc]

I'm surprised you had ammonia before you added the LR. Was it live sand or something? I guess it really doesn't matter, just a bit odd. Go ahead and throw in a shrimp or two to kick the cycle into high gear and monitor your results. I suggest not adding the damsels unless you really want them long term. They are aggressive fish and are really hard to catch to remove. Plus with your size tank you are going to be fairly limited in your bio-load capacity.

 

[AJK]

Hi friend,
I just started last weekend I've read the same about sand, seems different type of sand is a contributing factor, some sand make more of a mess then other brands. I used Caribsea, which looked like baby powder. Poured in tank. What a mess. Filter cleaned up sand, but I cleaned/rinsed filter freqently, approx every 30 min to an hour, for a day or two, tank is almost crystal clear. Took approx a week.

I was told by LFS, elevated Ammonia levels is normal in a cycling tank. I had read, during cycling not to add any chemicals. Patience is the key. Which I do not have very much of, Lol !!!! I'm doing my best to relax and not freak out about chemical test levels, till after cycling. Just make sure all levels are in check after cycling, before adding fish.

I'm having water temp consistency issues.

Wishing you well on your journey friend.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

+3 Throw shrimp in... go slow & :read: :read: :read:

 

[jaydub]

Going to try the shrimp this weekend.

AJK: I got a ReefKeeper lite, and my temperature is really stable. I did also upgrade the stock heater that came with the tank which I think also contributes to the stability. I'm using a 100watt with a 34gal tank (which is an acceptable size according to Ebo Jäger), and with this wattage, it heats more gradually than a higher wattage heater. the ReefKeeper usually shows the temp. +/- 0.1F most of the time and max +/- 0.2F as the. heater cycles on and off

 

[jaydub]

lcstorc: I am questioning the ammonia too, and wondering if it's my test kit. I'm using the API test kits, and it comes out a pale green with a touch of yellow (0.25ppm), 0ppm is yellow, and 0.5ppm is pale green with no yellow.

I'm using caribsea aragonite, with RO/DI water, and the 0.25ppm registered just a day or so after adding the sand to the SW, and it's been like that since. Anyway, the shrimp will probably change things this weekend.

 

[jaydub]

Just did another test, and it looks like I have nitrates now, 3 days after adding LR. The strange thing is that there is still a trace of ammonia, no nitrites.

Here are the numbers:
pH 8.2
Ammonia less than 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5ppm

I've never found nitrites in any of my tests. I did discover I wasn't testing nitrates properley the first time, as I was supposed to shake the solution bottle #2 with the API test kit though.

Could this be an indicator of a completed cycle?

And is 5ppm time to call for a WC in a new tank?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Could this be an indicator of a completed cycle?

11 day old tank.... depending on the state of the LR which is very hard to define... much better to be safe - imo - add the deli shrimp & start testing daily

Here what you want to see...

Ammonia will raise then drop, followed by the Nitrites raising and then dropping, then the Nitrate will soar - once the ammonia & nitrites are gone, then do water changes to reduce nitrates.

Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate

two good reads:

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...something-cycling-breaking-new-reef-tank.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...ners/20945-just-exactly-what-cycled-tank.html

 

[Reefmack]

Another good read if you have a lot of desirable life on the rock and the ammonia gets too high with the decomposing shrimp:

Reefkeeping 101 - Bogus Information - by Tom Murphy (aka WaterKeeper) - Reefkeeping.com

 

[fishstink]

do the shrimp, and remember there are many ways to keep no3 down, like dsb's, cheato, mangroves and ats.....so many out there i could go on forever.... =)

 

[superfrog]

Like others have said, patience is key...

The cycle will only be complete when ammonia and nitrite are at absolute zero. I just read through the whole thread an I would suggest trying a different test kit. Maybe ask a friend to test your water for you and compare the readings. Sounds like that test kit may be dodgy (especially when it read ammonia in the newly added water).

If you can rule out a faulty test kit, then it's just a matter of waiting until the ammonia and notrite drop down. Won't be long...hang in there...

 

[jaydub]

Have had the shrimp in there for about 5 days now. The ammonia didn't spike very high; it only went to about 0.25-0.5ppm at the most. Ammonia is now back down to trace levels between 0-0.25ppm

Nitrites on the other hand have been building since the 3rd day and has reached 1.0ppm (up from 0 ppm). Nitrates are hovering at 5-10ppm, but is not due to the shrimp - the nitrates have been like that from the beginning.

My question is, is there any chance that I did not have enough ammonia to create a big cycle? Or is the LR that I previously added helping me regulate the ammonia in the cycle?

When should I remove the shrimp? Will there be a point that equilibrium is reached and ammonia and nitrites go to 0ppm with only increasing nitrates, or will the shrimp give off increasing levels of ammonia?

After removing the shrimp, do I need to add a bio-load asap? I read somewhere it had to be 48hrs, but is it that critical?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

My question is, is there any chance that I did not have enough ammonia to create a big cycle? Or is the LR that I previously added helping me regulate the ammonia in the cycle?

I would guess that latter... see what others say... but what I did was... I mushed up the shrimp & let it disintegrate... then keep testing you are getting closer

 

[jjmoneyman]

Don't worry it is not a race, take it slow and easy. I added shrimp, didn't see enough reaction then added more a couple weeks later. My shrimp dissolved to nothing at the end. You should start seeing diatoms later in the cycle and that should tell you that you are getting close. Just take it slow and easy.

 

[jaydub]

Just tested this evening, and ammonia and nitrites are barely detectable (<0.25ppm). The nitrites dropped the most from about 1.0ppm to almost nil.

Nitrates have spiked to about 30-40ppm (from about 10ppm). I'm also seeing diatom bloom on my LR; it's actually been there for about 2 days and growing, but I thought it was coralline. There is also some green colored algae starting to grow on some LR.

So does this mean the cycle is complete, and safe to drop some cleanup crew such as snails/crabs in?

If stocking CUC is ok, should I do a WC before doing so? If yes, what should I target my nitrates to be after a WC at this moment?

 

[superfrog]

I wouldn't add any livestock in untill the ammonia and nitrite is zero. However, When I was using the the RedSea test kits, i always had trace readings of ammonia. Switched over to a different brand of test kit and I couldn't detect any. I've found the RS test kits to be a bit dodgy IMHO. Try a different test kit as you might be getting false positives when your cycle is in fact over.

In any case, even after the cycle is 'complete' I would wait another week and then do a water change before adding livestock. At that point you can start with your CUC and take the stocking slow from there so as not to overstress the bioload.

You should try to keep nitrates as close to zero as possible. Once my tanks are cycled, I usually dont bother with testing nitrates unless something funny starts happening. I just stick to my water change schedule (15% weekly)

Algal blooms will happen during the early stages of your tank's development while it matures. Your best preventative measure for future problems is to stick to water changes and don't overfeed. Keeping nitrates and phosphates low will help you keep your tank looking good...