14th day of dr tims

[chrisgold]

On the 14th daynof fishless cycle and nitrate is still at 100 is this normal. Ammonia is 0 and has 2 clown fish i added on the 9th day

 

[vetteguy53081]

On the 14th daynof fishless cycle and nitrate is still at 100 is this normal. Ammonia is 0 and has 2 clown fish i added on the 9th day

Take a water sample to a trusted LFS and have them test the water for you to verify readings and to compare with yours

 

[elorablue]

I used the Brightwell equivalent but same thing really, and my nitrate averaged around 80 ppm from day 7 to day 16.
I then did an 80% water change , nitrate dropped to 10 and has been around there ever since. I didn't add fish until a week after that.

 

[Dytrix]

On the 14th daynof fishless cycle and nitrate is still at 100 is this normal. Ammonia is 0 and has 2 clown fish i added on the 9th day

why did you add clownfish on 9th day?

cycle is longer than 9 days so its no longer a fishless cycle

 

[chrisgold]

why did you add clownfish on 9th day?

cycle is longer than 9 days so its no longer a fishless cycle

 

[chrisgold]

why did you add clownfish on 9th day?

cycle is longer than 9 days so its no longer a fishless cycle

?

 

[chrisgold]

I used the Brightwell equivalent but same thing really, and my nitrate averaged around 80 ppm from day 7 to day 16.
I then did an 80% water change , nitrate dropped to 10 and has been around there ever since. I didn't add fish until a week after that.

Aye i think ill do a water change today myself n see what happends

 

[chrisgold]

Take a water sample to a trusted LFS and have them test the water for you to verify readings and to compare with yours

The lfs around wer i live dont even test ther own water mate

 

[Dytrix]

?

i did the red seas mature reef kit in 21 days but still didnt add anything till well after 21 days, tank is most likely still cycling

 

[chrisgold]

Aye i think ill do a water change today myself n see what happends

When did you turn skimmer on?

 

[elorablue]

When did you turn skimmer on?

Not sure if that was for me , but I don't have a skimmer so ...never.

 

[Uncle99]

On the 14th daynof fishless cycle and nitrate is still at 100 is this normal. Ammonia is 0 and has 2 clown fish i added on the 9th day

Likely cycled in 2-4 days with Dr. Tim’s.
50% water change will drop her to 50ppm.
50ppm, fish don’t care.
The add on the ninth was fine.
You’ll need to manage both N and P from this point so pest algae is kept to a minimum through the next few months.
You can manage your 50ppm nitrate by either increasing your hard surfaces, and/or carbon dosing as a couple of examples.
For new systems less than one year old, Nitrate 2-10ppm, phosphate 0.03-.1ppm.
Stabilize all chemistry before adding corals, then consider softies first, LPS next, then SPS.
With no skimmer or fuge to mop up nutrients, you’ll need more frequent water changes to compensate.

 

[chrisgold]

Likely cycled in 2-4 days with Dr. Tim’s.
50% water change will drop her to 50ppm.
50ppm, fish don’t care.
The add on the ninth was fine.
You’ll need to manage both N and P from this point so pest algae is kept to a minimum through the next few months.
You can manage your 50ppm nitrate by either increasing your hard surfaces, and/or carbon dosing as a couple of examples.
For new systems less than one year old, Nitrate 2-10ppm, phosphate 0.03-.1ppm.
Stabilize all chemistry before adding corals, then consider softies first, LPS next, then SPS.
With no skimmer or fuge to mop up nutrients, you’ll need more frequent water changes to compensate.

Thanks finally some decent info . How coukd I increase hard surfaces? I will post a pic of the tank so far. I have a tunze 9004 and a tunze algae reactor with cheto but not turned on yet. By n and p do ypu mean nitrate and phosphate? And tips on how to do this?

 

[chrisgold]

Likely cycled in 2-4 days with Dr. Tim’s.
50% water change will drop her to 50ppm.
50ppm, fish don’t care.
The add on the ninth was fine.
You’ll need to manage both N and P from this point so pest algae is kept to a minimum through the next few months.
You can manage your 50ppm nitrate by either increasing your hard surfaces, and/or carbon dosing as a couple of examples.
For new systems less than one year old, Nitrate 2-10ppm, phosphate 0.03-.1ppm.
Stabilize all chemistry before adding corals, then consider softies first, LPS next, then SPS.
With no skimmer or fuge to mop up nutrients, you’ll need more frequent water changes to compensate.

 

[Uncle99]

By hard surfaces I am referring to things like rock or marine pure blocks which provide “homes” for your best friend beneficial bacteria.

Marine pure, if you have any free sump area provide an astonishing amount of living area for what is the backbone of the reefing system, do this right and it reduces problems.

Over the next 6 months or so, these good guys will “war” with the no so good guys (the pest algae’s and Cyano) and at one point, will “win” the battle. It’s important to keep both nitrate and phosphate both in the range AND, somewhat proportional to each other, ie, zero reading in either can aid the pest algae’s.

I would bring that reactor on-line first and see how much nitrate and phosphate it can absorb. You want to moving towards the 2-10ppm range in nitrate, and 0.03-.1ppm phosphate. I might go a month and see how low your rock and reactor can drive these numbers, but, never lower than the minimum.

Your goal is to slowly increase the load by adding fish and watching closely that your filtration can keep up with the increased load.

If after a couple of months, or, if the nitrate is continuously rising, consider something like dosing Nopox which over a month or so, can reduce your nitrate to say 5ppm. I’ve been dosing Nopox for 5 years and it keeps my nitrate pinned at 5ppm.

So find that equilibrium between import (food and fish) and export functions like fuge, reactors, skimmers and so forth.