Please Read: New life in tank

darren.funk · Feb 12, 2014

So I've been cycling my tank since January 23rd 2014 & I've noticed ban starfish growing on my glass!

and some copepods darting backwards on my glass as well. The other night I noticed a long hair like strand on my sand bead, it grew over 3 days and broke off & is gone. My question is, is my tank cycled? It's not just one spot, it's all over my tank. And in another spot of my sand bed I believe an urchin is forming? I don't have high resolution camera but I'm pretty happy about my find after a long day at work!!

TriggerThis · Feb 12, 2014

The first signs of life are always the most exciting in a new tank.

However your tank is not cycled yet and it sounds like you still have a lot of reading and research to do. Probably more equipment to buy as well.

For the time being just sit back and watch all those little critters multiply and fully inhabit every inch of your tank.

The more that are in there before you add fish and corals the better. Plus the more stable the tank will be when you add them.

darren.funk · Feb 12, 2014

I have a skimmer, t5 lighting, a great heater that's constant, test kits and a circulation fan. I don't have the skimmer set up and I have the lights on for viewing purposes when I get home from work. I've been reading
8.4 pH
0.50ppm ammonia
0ppm nitrite
40ppm nitrate
Ever since I got my text kits, for the first 2 weeks of cycle I had my water tested at my LFS to see if my tank started to cycle. And I've only topped off RODI when needed.

jayhawk · Feb 12, 2014

Once you start getting stable parameters...ammonia is gone>nitrates near or at zero>phosphates .03 and below...you are good to go. Likely a diatom bloom in your future. If it hasn't happened already. Patience is the key. It's easy to say it but it's hard to practice. I know and have paid dearly for it. As you progress there will be a list of parameters to monitor. Good luck

darren.funk · Feb 12, 2014

Diatoms have come and gone, stuff is now eating the diatoms. I was just wondering if its normal for copepods etc to form when the tank is still cycling since they would just die anyway due to high nitrates. My sponges are growing & my parameters have been constant accept for the slight ammonia spike a few days ago, it was 0 now it's .50 nitrates seem to be lowering but can't really tell/the color is always 40ppm.
More knowledge the better since every tank is different and since I'm working I am patient just like the information so I don't pay dearly.

TriggerThis · Feb 12, 2014

Those little spikes will keep happening randomly for a while plus there are a thousand other chemical and biological peaks and lows that are going on in the tank right now that we don't test for.
Until everything is stable all the time do not add any live stock. Copepoda are tougher than you think. I have a Nano tank that got nuked and those things are still running around like nothing happened when anything else died instantly.
That small ammonia spike is plenty to kill any fish or coral if they were in there right now.
I know it's tough but do not add anything.
This is the crucial time when setting up your tank. This is when it becomes successful or a failure.
And get that skimmer going for sure before any livestock goes in.
What lights are you running?

TJ's Reef · Feb 12, 2014

First off WELCOME Darren, and secondly I think your off to a great start but as others have suggested now is the final and toughest period in cycling a Reeftank. So hold off another week or so and see how things progress on the cycle underway. This is a great time to come up with a 'Stocking List' then educate yourself on each one (fish/invert) before pulling the trigger, so to say. Post up your stocking list and any questions you may have or a link to another thread where this is info is if you have already done so.

Cheers, Todd

TriggerThis · Feb 12, 2014

Great idea TJ!
Darren get some saltwater fish books and start picking out all the fish you like. Then start seeing which ones are reef safe.
Then figure out what order you need to add them in and which ones will get along together. That will take you at least a week lol.

FlyinBryan · Feb 12, 2014

Walk away from your tank for at least another 4 weeks. That's my experience. Don't do anything to it!

darren.funk · Feb 12, 2014

TriggerThis said:
Great idea TJ!
Darren get some saltwater fish books and start picking out all the fish you like. Then start seeing which ones are reef safe.
Then figure out what order you need to add them in and which ones will get along together. That will take you at least a week lol.

I've already done that, that's why I have a cycling tank. I've known what I've wanted in my tank for the past 2 years.

darren.funk · Feb 12, 2014

FlyinBryan said:
Walk away from your tank for at least another 4 weeks. That's my experience. Don't do anything to it!

And if I just walk away and do nothing to it my water will evaporate and my filter will die from not changing it. So that's out of question.

11f150 · Feb 12, 2014

darren.funk said:
And if I just walk away and do nothing to it my water will evaporate and my filter will die from not changing it. So that's out of question.

There is some good advice here Darren. I know the feeling of wanting to jump into your new tank and start filling it up. I didn't read every post here but I caught a few things. If you are showing any ammonia at all...you are not ready and will just kill any livestock you put in there. If you have a brand new skimmer and you don't have it running yet, go ahead and throw it in there and just leave it wide open so it can "break in." It will take a few weeks to get the "new" out of it so it works properly. Good luck.

darren.funk · Feb 12, 2014

11f150 said:
There is some good advice here Darren. I know the feeling of wanting to jump into your new tank and start filling it up. I didn't read every post here but I caught a few things. If you are showing any ammonia at all...you are not ready and will just kill any livestock you put in there. If you have a brand new skimmer and you don't have it running yet, go ahead and throw it in there and just leave it wide open so it can "break in." It will take a few weeks to get the "new" out of it so it works properly. Good luck.

Again: I'm not trying to throw anything in it right now. This isn't my first rodeo.