14g Biocube my first reef tank!!

bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
Ok so new FTS you can see the new nano koralia and also adjusted the aquascape a tiny bit (opened up the middle a little more) and also tried a top view. The pictures are kinda crappy took them with my phone.

photo.jpg


photo2.jpg



New water parameters today:

Temp-77.6
Ammonia-1.0
Nitrites-5.0
Nitrates-20.0
Salinity-1.021
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
Ok so water parameters today:

Temp-76.4
Ammonia-.25
Nitrites-1.00
Nitrates-10.00
Salinity-1.022
PH-7.8

Ok so my Nitrates dropped? is this possible or did I just get a bad reading from my test kit? It looks like it has dropped from 25 two days ago. Ill be going to the LFS later today when they open to get them checked.
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
ok so I tested Nitrates again this morning (those readings i posted were from last night) and now Nitrates are readings 5ish.....?
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
yes if you read back in the thread I placed the deli shrimp in my tank.... ammonia spiked off my testing chart so 8.0+ has now dropped to 0-.25 Nitrites also spiked off my testing chart 5.0+ and have now dropped off to 1.0 Nitrates however got as high as 25-30 on my testing chart but has since dropped to what I read yesterday as 10 and now this morning 5?
 
yungreefer2410

yungreefer2410

Well-Known Member
it seems like your cycling is almost done. wait for ammoia to reach 0 then do a water change and after a few days get your first fish
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
Ok so I took my water to LFS


Nitrites-.2
Nitrates-50.00

Could my test results really have been this far off? I have done the test the same as every time before if this is accurate could I really be nearing the end of my cycle? I have seen the Ammonia spike then drop the Nitrites spike and drop it has only been 2 weeks though..... help please?
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
ok so I come home test my water twice and my nitrates read 5-10 at the most when the guy read the testing chart at the store the color matched
5.00 on the low end and 50.00 on the high end he told me it was the high end 50.00 did this guy just make a mistake or is something messed up with my test kit all of a sudden?
 
astiesi

astiesi

Member
I started a 14g cube about 3 months ago. I waited about 3 weeks before adding a CUC but I saw very similar results as yours. The cycle only seemed to take about 2 weeks. Every tank is different though.

I would wait for ammonia and nitrites to zero out, then start your water changes to bring the nitrates down. Then, go get a CUC. Just take it slow and you should be ok.
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
astiesi said:
I started a 14g cube about 3 months ago. I waited about 3 weeks before adding a CUC but I saw very similar results as yours. The cycle only seemed to take about 2 weeks. Every tank is different though.

I would wait for ammonia and nitrites to zero out, then start your water changes to bring the nitrates down. Then, go get a CUC. Just take it slow and you should be ok.
Click to expand...

I understand about waiting for ammonia and nitrites to zero out and then bringing the nitrates down with a water change I also know some cycles can go by much quicker especially when using cured live rock but where im lost is how my nitrates went from 20-30 2 days ago to now I test 5 times and all 5 times im getting 5-10 for my nitrates yet when I took my water to the LFS he told me it was 50.00
 
novanosis

novanosis

Member
read the test kit correctly, it can sometimes be a pain.

I still think you should wait for Ammonia and Nits to hit 0 and Nats should not be higher than 20.

the lower the better.
 
novanosis

novanosis

Member
OH HELL!

Do one more water change and get a CUC. Do not get more than 5 hermits. Get about 10-15 snails.

So what are you planning to keep? Very good to know.
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
novanosis said:
read the test kit correctly, it can sometimes be a pain.

I still think you should wait for Ammonia and Nits to hit 0 and Nats should not be higher than 20.

the lower the better.
Click to expand...

I re-read directions and its the same way I have been doing it all along and I have seen the Nitrates slowly start rising up to 25-30 since the nitrites spiked and now all of a sudden I am getting a reading of 5.0
and of course im going to wait for nitrites and ammonia to hit zero im just kinda stumped at the moment thank you for the help guys!
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
Ok so Ammonia and Nitrites hit 0 so I did a water change and picked up a CUC 5 snails and 5 blue leg crabs after water change nitrates were around 20 when I got home I tested again ammonia and nitrites 0 but nitrates were at 30-40 again I see a lot of what looks like dust sitting on rocks and sand bed would this be whats creating nitrates to spike? if so how can i get rid of this?
 
yungreefer2410

yungreefer2410

Well-Known Member
don't know. are you running the bio-balls? an old filter pad or sponge? thst might be causeing it? are you using ro water?
 
bskinn77

bskinn77

Member
no on bio balls. in chamber 1 I have just the biocube filter I have been keeping it clean nothin in 2nd chamber and just pump and sponge in chamber 3 and I clean sponge often I have used pre mixxed lfs water
 
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