Did I start a cycle?

[ZACHARYDM]

Hello everyone !

I am new the aquarium world having a 47 gallon bow front with a yellow tang, 6 peppermint shrimp a porcelain crab and a few assorted snails and hermits for a little over one month. Last week I came across a incredible that I could not refuse for a 175 gallon bow front complete system. The woman was going through a divorce and the husband left her with the aquarium, about 70 lbs of live rock, live sand but he had removed all the livestock. This happened about 6 months ago. She still had the tank running when I purchased it so I put the live rocks in 5 gallon buckets with water from the tank. I also used her sand. but drained the rest of the water. I refilled the tank with crystal springs water that I have delivered, and I removed the filter and replaced it with all new media. My concern is when I run my water quality test my readings come back. PH. 8.2 Ammo. .25 NIT. 0 Nitrate 10. What's going on? There is no livestock in the tank. Why the high Ammonia levels? What can I do to get them into parameters that's needed for a healthy tank? What did I do wrong? Please advise.

 

[helen ann]

IMO, the move has created a mini-cycle, you will need to let it complete.
Those with more experience on a tank move will chime in.

By the way ...

 

[spidercrab]

Probably organics were in the sand or rock.

 

[spidercrab]

Also some of the bacteria/bugs/critters in the rocks and sand probably died in the move.

 

[ZACHARYDM]

thanks so probably just let nature take it's course?

 

[ZACHARYDM]

thanks a ton for the quick response I love how everyone is so helpful here

 

[helen ann]

thanks so probably just let nature take it's course?

Yep!

 

[jsker]

Welcome to R2R
There is some very good advice here. My thought would be is to play an extended waiting time and let the die off and cycle complete. By the way, nice score on the system.

 

[angengland]

When you disturbed the sand it changed the balance of the bacteria there and created a mini cycle. The good news is your tank will have a good population of bacteria in it so it shouldn't be much of a cycle or take long for the tank to find a new balance.

Congrats on the find! Your yellow tang will be much happier with the extra space to move.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

+1 to all the above. I would however run an aggressive bacterial Like Dr Tims and run carbon and gfo. if you have a canister filter(or reactors) that would be best imo and get the funk out.
so remove organics with a big diverse band of bacteria and remove metals silicates etc with the chems/carbon gfo.

 

[ZACHARYDM]

Thanks I'm heading to the lfs to get some Dr. Tims. And I'm not sure what GFO means? I have a fluval fx5.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks I'm heading to the lfs to get some Dr. Tims. And I'm not sure what GFO means? I have a fluval fx5.

granular ferric oxide
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=gfo&tbm=shop
Usually marketed as Po binder, media, or miracle cure.(its not) but it is an amaxing compound.
I just run floss during cleaning. you can also use this. I belive its a gfo as well, just called poly filter. not to be confused with floss.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...d=PLA_G_6194&gclid=COOInvvMxNACFdc9gQoda2gE9A