Cycling first tank

[Hardesty8422]

New to saltwater and had some questions on my current cycle. I have a 40b that has been up and running for 3 weeks now with 35lbs of live rock and 30lbs of live sand. My ammonia peaked around 1ppm and my nitrite peaked at .25ppm for only 2 days before dropping to 0 and nitrate is 10ppm. Have been testing with api saltwater kit and was wondering if these were normal cycle numbers while useing live rock and sand. Also have been ghost feeding since day 1 also used seachem stability as directed on bottle.

 

[AutumnReefs]

That sounds good. Ammonia and nitrite at 0 with a decent amount of nitrate is the normal end product. Usually a water change at the end is a good idea or some other means of lowering nitrate (other bacterias, macroalgae, etc.) before the first fish goes in.

 

[Hardesty8422]

That sounds good. Ammonia and nitrite at 0 with a decent amount of nitrate is the normal end product. Usually a water change at the end is a good idea or some other means of lowering nitrate (other bacterias, macroalgae, etc.) before the first fish goes in.

Okay thank you and was looking wondering if I wold be OK to add 2 clowns to the tank at the same time for first livestock and do another dose of the stability before adding them

 

[AutumnReefs]

Okay thank you and was looking wondering if I wold be OK to add 2 clowns to the tank at the same time for first livestock and do another dose of the stability before adding them

You can keep dosing stability when you add them.

 

[Hardesty8422]

You can keep dosing stability when you add them.

Okay thank you

 

[Azedenkae]

New to saltwater and had some questions on my current cycle. I have a 40b that has been up and running for 3 weeks now with 35lbs of live rock and 30lbs of live sand. My ammonia peaked around 1ppm and my nitrite peaked at .25ppm for only 2 days before dropping to 0 and nitrate is 10ppm. Have been testing with api saltwater kit and was wondering if these were normal cycle numbers while useing live rock and sand. Also have been ghost feeding since day 1 also used seachem stability as directed on bottle.

Presuming the readings are correct (no reason really to believe they are not unless the tests are done incorrectly or you are very unlucky and got faulty test kits), then yeah it is looking like it is cycling, as you are reading both a decline in ammonia and a rise in nitrate while nitrite reduced to 0.

If you want to add two clowns at the same time though, it would be better to make sure the tank can handle a decent amount of ammonia. Unfortunately it is probably hard to tell how much ammonia is produced from your ghostfeeding so eh, I can't really tell you when your tank would be 'cycled enough' for fish.

 

[Hardesty8422]

Presuming the readings are correct (no reason really to believe they are not unless the tests are done incorrectly or you are very unlucky and got faulty test kits), then yeah it is looking like it is cycling, as you are reading both a decline in ammonia and a rise in nitrate while nitrite reduced to 0.

If you want to add two clowns at the same time though, it would be better to make sure the tank can handle a decent amount of ammonia. Unfortunately it is probably hard to tell how much ammonia is produced from your ghostfeeding so eh, I can't really tell you when your tank would be 'cycled enough' for fish.

Was wanting to put 2 in together but I think I will stick with 1 for a couple weeks just so I don't over load the tank

 

[Azedenkae]

Was wanting to put 2 in together but I think I will stick with 1 for a couple weeks just so I don't over load the tank

It's not really hard to be able to add both at once. General consensus is a fully stocked tank produces 2ppm ammonia a day from the feeding, so so long as the nitrifiers can handle 2ppm a day, you can fully stock it from the get go.

 

[Hardesty8422]

It's not really hard to be able to add both at once. General consensus is a fully stocked tank produces 2ppm ammonia a day from the feeding, so so long as the nitrifiers can handle 2ppm a day, you can fully stock it from the get go.

Okay thanks for the info

 

[Azedenkae]

Okay thanks for the info

Here's my guide if you want something relatively straightforward to follow.

 

[Magic City Reefer]

Here's my guide if you want something relatively straightforward to follow.

This is extremely helpful! Thanks.