Skipped cycle?

[ahiggins]

Hello all!
After 5 days of running (all equipment minus skimmer) my 25 gallon with live rock and live sand, here are the parameters:
Ammonia-0
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-5ppm
Specific Gravity-1.024
pH-8.0
Alkalinity-12 dKH (or 4.3 meq/L)
PS. no fish/inverts at this time.

Did I skip the first cycle? Or do I not have any ammonia for the nitrites/trates to eat? I do have little bits of algae starting to grow on my rocks, stringy not clumpy.

Why is my Alkalinity so high? How do I lower it-do I have to if Im only starting with fish?
Other than salt (and a few pieces of fish flakes) no other additives were put into the system.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ahiggins]

Oh, and my temperature is at 82-83. Im thinking I may need a chiller for the summer :/

 

[Waters]

Are you currently feeding the tank ammonia in any way? If the rock is fully cured and came from an established system, you might never see the initial cycle. The only way to know for sure is to feed the tank ammonia. I don't think a few pieces of flake food is enough to do anything.

 

[ahiggins]

Other than a pinch of fish food at the beginning, i have not put in any ammonia.
The rock was bought from my LFS as "cured" although it didnt come from a system per se.

What would be a good add to know for sure?

 

[brandon429]

This explains in gross detail lol why you skipped the cycle
http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...d-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/

If you waited 100 more days adding nothing to the tank, still cycled on day 101

If you dosed ammonia to verify, even though you shouldn't since you have live tiny animals in tow, it's still cycled. (A little feed is harmless and was good for the animals brought in on the rock)

If you truly have group b rock from above and live wet pack sand, it's as cycled now as it ever will be

Once cycling bacteria are set, you have to do things to kill and remove them...it's not that we have to feed them to keep them alive. What aquarists do to/for bacteria is just a guess run, they are fine even if we don't feed because they are the toughest organisms in our tanks

Once established on marine substrates they get all feed needed.

 

[brandon429]

Algae


Has nothing to do with cycling. Rid your tank of all early algae growths or take chances with your tank.


Alk

The tests you are using are likely API and the alk readings cannot be trusted, it's only a base reading. If you didn't dose anything to get it that high, ignore and proceed

That's how you deal with all API readings, ignore verify/proceed

All salt mixes mix up to varying alk levels and no salt mix is lethal due to param variances. Only certain detail systems with rare approaches to coral growth need to detail alk. A typical reef doesn't need to chase alk just do normal water changes

 

[nelson69]

Just put a small fish like a clown fish

 

[Duke4Life]

I wouldn't add any fish but would add a cuc (hermits and/or snails).

 

[ahiggins]

This explains in gross detail lol why you skipped the cycle
http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...d-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/

If you waited 100 more days adding nothing to the tank, still cycled on day 101

If you dosed ammonia to verify, even though you shouldn't since you have live tiny animals in tow, it's still cycled. (A little feed is harmless and was good for the animals brought in on the rock)

If you truly have group b rock from above and live wet pack sand, it's as cycled now as it ever will be

Once cycling bacteria are set, you have to do things to kill and remove them...it's not that we have to feed them to keep them alive. What aquarists do to/for bacteria is just a guess run, they are fine even if we don't feed because they are the toughest organisms in our tanks

Once established on marine substrates they get all feed needed.

Thanks for the link! Ive heard of skipping but wasnt sure.
I use the red sea kit for testing because I heard API is crap.

 

[ahiggins]

I wouldn't add any fish but would add a cuc (hermits and/or snails).

Do I have things for a CUC to eat? I know that might sound dumb but other than live rock/sand it a brand new tank.

 

[brandon429]

Zip em a shot of reef food they'll be ok

 

[ahiggins]

This explains in gross detail lol why you skipped the cycle
http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...d-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/

If you waited 100 more days adding nothing to the tank, still cycled on day 101

If you dosed ammonia to verify, even though you shouldn't since you have live tiny animals in tow, it's still cycled. (A little feed is harmless and was good for the animals brought in on the rock)

If you truly have group b rock from above and live wet pack sand, it's as cycled now as it ever will be

Once cycling bacteria are set, you have to do things to kill and remove them...it's not that we have to feed them to keep them alive. What aquarists do to/for bacteria is just a guess run, they are fine even if we don't feed because they are the toughest organisms in our tanks

Once established on marine substrates they get all feed needed.

The rocks are definitely group B

 

[Duke4Life]

Zip em a shot of reef food they'll be ok

+1 to this and they will be just fine

 

[ahiggins]

hmm reef food..
Any suggestions on specifics or do I just ask for "reef food" lol
Would there be anything wrong with adding 2 baby ocellaris clowns and 2 hermits? or is that too much at once...

 

[Duke4Life]

hmm reef food..
Any suggestions on specifics or do I just ask for "reef food" lol
Would there be anything wrong with adding 2 baby ocellaris clowns and 2 hermits? or is that too much at once...

Reef food = whatever you will feed your fish

Do you plan on quarantining fish you get?

 

[ahiggins]

Thats a good question....Ive heard pros and cons for both.

 

[Duke4Life]

I'd add about 10-15 hermits and add, then get the clowns and quarintine.

 

[Duke4Life]

Thats a good question....Ive heard pros and cons for both.

From personal experience I highly recommend as some diseases don't show for weeks. Here's my most recent example: my most recent purchase looked fine at the shop but within a day of being in my observation tank I noticed flukes. If I didn't quarantine my whole dt (125g plus sump) would have. A quarantine tank doesn't have to be permanent.

 

[ahiggins]

Thats a crap ton of hermits! I was thinking 2 or 3 hahahah

 

[Duke4Life]

Thats a crap ton of hermits! I was thinking 2 or 3 hahahah

You shoulda seen the look on my face when I was suggested 50+ for mine lol.