Cycling question

[BoneXriffic]

So i finished filling the 90 and shes running great. Tank sat 2 weeks with 20gal of old watee from my water with a stick on filter keeping it aerated. I added a small piece of live rock too it. All otger rock was dryOver last 3 days ive filled the remainder up with fresh mixed salt.

Ibhave yet to get amonia test but figure what the heck ill test nitrates with an old strip i had. Show .05 or less nitrite and 20ppm nitrate... so i tested nitrates with a kit...got about 20 ra ge with that.

I fed the tank once, obviously with out live stock...

My question is why do i already have the presence of nitrates?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Live rock. Tank water and food id say. Should be getting stinky this week or next.
Always interesting how it starts.

 

[BoneXriffic]

Live rock. Tank water and food id say. Should be getting stinky this week or next.
Always interesting how it starts.

I just thought the presence of nitrate was odd... all though i guess adding the stuff i added probally has allowed some bacteria to colonize generating nitrate?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I just thought the presence of nitrate was odd... all though i guess adding the stuff i added probally has allowed some bacteria to colonize generating nitrate?

What's the most quick effective form of nitrate reduction?

 

[BoneXriffic]

What's the most quick effective form of nitrate reduction?

Water changes i would say

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yup and now it's in the new tank.
IMO it's a good thing.
I did the same thing recently save the live rock. All dry lr and sand tank water in a bucket w powerhead. Fiji mud too.
Took 2 weeks to stink week three no stink week four no ammonia.

 

[BoneXriffic]

Well ill get some amonia testers this week and give it a go. You know the impatient feeling as well as i. Im sure. Lol suppose i could.work on my stocking list... i plan to get all the fish i want. Which isnt many. And let this tank be the qt. Once all is well there i can move over the few fish inhave in old tabk. Theb corals probally 8months from now...stabilizing the tank is way tougher than cycling lol

 

[jsker]

WC is a good start, but you need to figure out what is causing the nitrates. WC are a temporary fix

 

[BoneXriffic]

WC is a good start, but you need to figure out what is causing the nitrates. WC are a temporary fix

The fact that i feed an empty tank lol...nitrates is a good sign and i wont be doing a water change for a while.

Besides nitrates mean the tank is functioning properly and is there is no negative cause here...i like to keep current tank at 10ppm nitrates so i overfeed to keep it up

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Fwiw as life happened I left the bucket in my basement for six months I only fed it once or twice with a liter or so of more old tank water. Parameters were all in check.
Rinsed in NSW and put it in the new tank. Check my started threads.

 

[BoneXriffic]

No signs of amonia....granted i used api....but nothing. This is odd. Ive fed 3times thus far

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

No signs of amonia....granted i used api....but nothing. This is odd. Ive fed 3times thus far

weird. I wonder is has cycled.

 

[BoneXriffic]

weird. I wonder is has cycled.

None of the common signs yet like diatoms or the uglies....i added a larger hermit from my existing tank thats been bullying my acros....4hours in so far and hes happy lol