Cycling tank test results. What next?

[gemini9]

So my tank has been cycling with 2 pounds live rock and 14 pounds of dry rock. The shrimp is pretty much gone. I stabbed it a few times to help break it up along the way lol but I tested my water and here's what I have.

Ammonia: Between 0 ppm and .25... hard to read these things...
pH: 7.8 or 8.0
Nitrite: 5.0ppm (as high as my kit can read)
Nitrate: 160ppm (as high as my kit can read)
Salinity: 1.021-1.022
Temp: 77 farenheit

I don't see much growth in my tank. I have a couple seashells I threw in there for the fun of it and they have a very faint shade of green but that's about it.
I'm going to the LFS to get a few more pounds of cured live rock and tonight I'm going to order another 10 pounds of dry rock.

So my questions are
1. Since my ammonia is so low, can I pick up a few shrimp or anything? cmon I gotta have SOMETHING in there to look at LOL
2. Should I do a water change now? If so, how much? 10%? 20?
3. Should I replace my filters/carbon?
4. Anything else I'm missing?
Thanks!

 

[anizato]

How long have you been cycling?

I've read that every time you add more rock, you go through a mini cycle, so you are prolonging your cycle.
As I have understood, you must have Ammonia undetectable for a couple of days, as well as Nitrite, which you have a **** load of, and Nitrate is incredibly high.
Pull the decaying shrimp out. Then you should wait until your Ammonia & Nitrate disappear, and your Nitrate is around 5-10 for a couple of days in a row. Water change of 40% then your CUC.

I have been at AM 0 Ni 0 Na 40 for two days now. I started using my light, about 4-6 hr a day, once my Nitrites disappeared and Nitrates started to go down almost immediately.

 

[gemini9]

I've had the water in the tank for about 4 weeks with the 2 pounds of live rock. I put the shrimp in it last week. It's all but gone. So I guess I'll do a few water changes then. Do you recommend replacing the filters/carbon now?

 

[anizato]

No, I have read it is beneficial bacteria. Let that **** grow.
I would hold off on the WC until your water environment matures. Let everything process.
I added shrimp as well, but only allowed rise of 1.0ppm, went down in a day, just wait for your Nitrites to disappear, theres a lot of bacteria.
Me allowing 1.0ppm will allow me to add fish in a more paced manner. If you let it cycle with that amount of bacteria you have created naturally, biofilter, will withstand more bioload, allowing your tank too handle a lot of ****!

 

[CoralReeforrest]

Patience is key. But I'm not gonna preach to ya about it! Currently you would not want to add inverts, they don't tend to handle nitrites well. Secondly if you're adding new live rock that came from a LFS and was then put right in your tank you aren't going to see much die off and thus no "mini cycle." Once your nitrites drop to 0 your tank is done cycling, due a large water change to help get those nitrates down and begin slowly adding stuff. If you have a QT (definitely want to have one) you can get it going and start quarantine of your first fish. If you have your lights already you can get some good hardy corals to start with, ie. zoas/Palys, torch, Duncan, hammer, leathers/shrooms etc etc. good luck!

 

[gemini9]

Good advice. Thank you. No corals yet. I just want some hardy fish to start until I get the hang of things better. For now I just have a basic fluorescent light

 

[gemini9]

Well I retested my water today and here's what I've got now:
I added API Proper pH which brought my pH up to 8.2
Ammonia is between 0 and .25 ppm
Nitrite came down tos between 0 and .25 ppm (been for 2 days)
Nitrate is still above 160 ppm
Salinity is 1.022
Temp is 76

I have 14 pounds of dry rock on the way from BRS which will put me up at about 25 or so pounds in the tank. I don't see any algae, diatoms or cynobacteria in there. I haven't done any water changes and I haven't changed the carbon based filters yet. I ordered a 400gph circulation pump. What should I do next? Anything? Or should I keep waiting?

 

[CoralReeforrest]

Well I retested my water today and here's what I've got now:
I added API Proper pH which brought my pH up to 8.2
Ammonia is between 0 and .25 ppm
Nitrite came down tos between 0 and .25 ppm (been for 2 days)
Nitrate is still above 160 ppm
Salinity is 1.022
Temp is 76

I have 14 pounds of dry rock on the way from BRS which will put me up at about 25 or so pounds in the tank. I don't see any algae, diatoms or cynobacteria in there. I haven't done any water changes and I haven't changed the carbon based filters yet. I ordered a 400gph circulation pump. What should I do next? Anything? Or should I keep waiting?

Your cycle is finishing up. I'd say you may wanna cure that dry rock your getting in just to leach out any phosphates or invest in a gfo reactor. Do a nice big water change then in a week if your nitrates aren't down all the way do another. But cycle wise if you can throw food in and t doesn't raise the ammonia your done and cycled!

 

[gemini9]

I have a small HOB filter from a 10 gallon tank I'm running now for more circulation. Someone mentioned briefly I can turn that into a gfo reactor somehow? How do I do this?

 

[CoralReeforrest]

I have a small HOB filter from a 10 gallon tank I'm running now for more circulation. Someone mentioned briefly I can turn that into a gfo reactor somehow? How do I do this?

Wouldn't reccomend it as the flow through it wouldn't be enough to properly work. The gfo would just clump up and be useless. The two little fishes phosban reactor is 35 bucks and well worth it. Love mine

 

[Sea_Monkey]

I usually add in a few chromis in my empty tank with only sand and lr, after about a month I add in a few more different fish. I check them for signs of illness, if none are there and they are still kicking and eating. I then test my parameters, if the results turn out good, I add corals. Hope that help.

 

[gemini9]

I don't have a pump system in my tank. Just a Marineland 350 with biowheels. The phosban reactor, is that a HOB? If so, I'll grab one

 

[CoralReeforrest]

I don't have a pump system in my tank. Just a Marineland 350 with biowheels. The phosban reactor, is that a HOB? If so, I'll grab one

No it needs a small 80-150 gph power head to pump water through it. Do you not have a sump?

 

[CoralReeforrest]

I usually add in a few chromis in my empty tank with only sand and lr, after about a month I add in a few more different fish. I check them for signs of illness, if none are there and they are still kicking and eating. I then test my parameters, if the results turn out good, I add corals. Hope that help.

You should quarantine new fish for at least 4 weeks. The first fish you get in that has ich in your display tank will mean you have to go fallow for at least 12 weeks. Looking for signs of illness in your DT is going to lead to issues. Secondly as long as your params are all good after your water change and you have lights which are sufficient you can start adding coral and getting some color in there! =D

 

[gemini9]

No it needs a small 80-150 gph power head to pump water through it. Do you not have a sump?

I don't have a sump yet. I will eventually, but that probably won't be until mid summer. I just want something basic and simple for now. Fish only. After I'm more comfortable with what I'm doing, I'll put together a sump and start planning some corals, but not right now. I still have much to learn about aquariums and don't feel I have the know how to do a sump setup yet.

 

[CoralReeforrest]

I don't have a sump yet. I will eventually, but that probably won't be until mid summer. I just want something basic and simple for now. Fish only. After I'm more comfortable with what I'm doing, I'll put together a sump and start planning some corals, but not right now. I still have much to learn about aquariums and don't feel I have the know how to do a sump setup yet.

Well just do alot of reading and research and you'll be set!

 

[anizato]

Thanks!

I got my Wheeler Goby today along with the Candy Pistol Shrimp. They paired and dug a cave in my tank already!
I also received a pack of Snails and 3 coral frags: Polyp, Ricordea & Gorgonea.

 

[Mufasa31]

Depending on how much you feed you may have problems with nitrates with your biowheels. They can be nitrate factories.

 

[gemini9]

About the biowheels... what do you recommend I do? I had assumed the biowheels were beneficial. Should I take them out? When and how often should I change the carbon filters?

 

[Mufasa31]

I probably would not take them out now.

Just if you do all the things everyone is talking about to reduce your nitrates and you still are sky high, then you may want to look into the biowheels. If you go fish only, it will be much less of an issue.