Okay I’m not new to reef tanks but it’s been a couple years since I owned my last tank. Here is what I have done and my question.
I setup a 60g tank with 10g sump. I received 60 lbs of old live rock aka dry rock from the previous tank owner. I did a 15 min acid bath and 2 week bleach bath on the rock followed by 2 week de-chlorinating.
When setting up the tank I used Arag-Alive Figi sand, a 6lb piece of life rock, plus I purchased a new bottle of seachem matrix and exchanged the matrix for some that had been well established in my local fish stores system. I also seaded with seachem stability bacteria for two weeks. Week two I added a large container of copepods and have been feeding phytoplankton. They have been doing great and multiplying quickly. Just to make sure bacteria have had enough to multiple and have a healthy metabolism I have about 4 times ghost fed a very small portion of flake and pellet food.
I am now at week three. I have yet to see any Amonia, nitrites, or nitrates. Phosphate is the only thing that has barely showed up on the radar at .25ppm. PH and Calcium have been a little high 8.5 and 550. A small dose of vinegar got PH in check. Alkalinity is 11dkh.
So the question is with no spikes in Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Is my tank just slow to start the nitrogen cycle because starting with so much dry rock or is it possible that with all the other bacteria I introduced early that it is ready to start receiving a bio load?
I setup a 60g tank with 10g sump. I received 60 lbs of old live rock aka dry rock from the previous tank owner. I did a 15 min acid bath and 2 week bleach bath on the rock followed by 2 week de-chlorinating.
When setting up the tank I used Arag-Alive Figi sand, a 6lb piece of life rock, plus I purchased a new bottle of seachem matrix and exchanged the matrix for some that had been well established in my local fish stores system. I also seaded with seachem stability bacteria for two weeks. Week two I added a large container of copepods and have been feeding phytoplankton. They have been doing great and multiplying quickly. Just to make sure bacteria have had enough to multiple and have a healthy metabolism I have about 4 times ghost fed a very small portion of flake and pellet food.
I am now at week three. I have yet to see any Amonia, nitrites, or nitrates. Phosphate is the only thing that has barely showed up on the radar at .25ppm. PH and Calcium have been a little high 8.5 and 550. A small dose of vinegar got PH in check. Alkalinity is 11dkh.
So the question is with no spikes in Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Is my tank just slow to start the nitrogen cycle because starting with so much dry rock or is it possible that with all the other bacteria I introduced early that it is ready to start receiving a bio load?
