Tank cycling?

[CoralsComeInMoreColors]

I am new to saltwater tanks and decided to try making a reef aquarium, I made the mistake of putting in life stock before my tank finished cycling but tried speeding it up by adding live rocks. I’ve been keeping tabs on how everything is acting and how my parameters are. My corals started opening up again so I thought I was getting better, but when I tested the water parameters my phosphate was the same (1 ppm) my salinity was 1.025, my nitrate increased to 80 (previously 40) and I’m not sure what else to do. I lost two fish so far, and I understand everything in the tank can die. Any advice? Also, seeing some color shades is kind of hard for me, can someone confirm these water parameters?

 

[BaliReefBox]

I am new also but to get the NO3 down do a 50% water change...they are super high and I would add some of a nitrifying bateria like Dr Tims quick start...

 

[CoralsComeInMoreColors]

I am new also but to get the NO3 down do a 50% water change...they are super high and I would add some of a nitrifying bateria like Dr Tims quick start...

I was told in another thread to avoid big water changes as it takes out a lot of nutrition and beneficial bacteria

 

[jabberwock]

I can't really reliably read a test from a computer image, and at this point it does not really matter. You need to slow way down my friend. It might take a few weeks before you would be ready for 1 fish, and then a few more before ready for 1 more, and months before you get to corals. This all depends on the tank size, cycle, biological, and mechanical filtration. Study more and do less for now. This hobby is rewarding, but challenging and a critical requirement is patience.

 

[jabberwock]

I was told in another thread to avoid big water changes as it takes out a lot of nutrition and beneficial bacteria

You probably have very little of both of those at this point. How old is the tank, how many gallons? Bacteria don't live in the water, they live in the rocks and sand.

 

[CoralsComeInMoreColors]

I am new to saltwater tanks and decided to try making a reef aquarium, I made the mistake of putting in life stock before my tank finished cycling but tried speeding it up by adding live rocks. I’ve been keeping tabs on how everything is acting and how my parameters are. My corals started opening up again so I thought I was getting better, but when I tested the water parameters my phosphate was the same (1 ppm) my salinity was 1.025, my nitrate increased to 80 (previously 40) and I’m not sure what else to do. I lost two fish so far, and I understand everything in the tank can die. Any advice? Also, seeing some color shades is kind of hard for me, can someone confirm these water parameters?

Here are pictures of my corals, most of them are partially blooming, my GSP started opening more polyps, my leather Toadstool started being more bumpy on its cap, clove started opening up and my flavia still colorful. None of them have turned to a white color so I think none are dead. The current fish I have in my tank are:
Emerald crab,
1 oscarillis clown ( used to have two but one died along with a blue damsel)
A cardinal fish
An engineer goby.

 

[CoralsComeInMoreColors]

You probably have very little of both of those at this point. How old is the tank, how many gallons? Bacteria don't live in the water, they live in the rocks and sand.

The tank size is 20 gallons, the age of the tank is a little more than a month. If I where to do a water change, any ideas of any potential supplements I should be using to help with the cycling?

 

[jabberwock]

The tank size is 20 gallons, the age of the tank is a little more than a month. If I where to do a water change, any ideas of any potential supplements I should be using to help with the cycling?

Don't be afraid of water changes. You do not need "supplements", you need time. The tank takes time to achieve stability.

 

[jabberwock]

I am Groot

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I was told in another thread to avoid big water changes as it takes out a lot of nutrition and beneficial bacteria

100 % false.
The "nutrition" you are removing are the high nitrates. There is not much beneficial bacteria in the water column

 

[CoralsComeInMoreColors]

I am Groot

its really cute i got it for 11 bucks off amazon heres the link if u want it:

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I can't really reliably read a test from a computer image, and at this point it does not really matter. You need to slow way down my friend. It might take a few weeks before you would be ready for 1 fish, and then a few more before ready for 1 more, and months before you get to corals. This all depends on the tank size, cycle, biological, and mechanical filtration. Study more and do less for now. This hobby is rewarding, but challenging and a critical requirement is patience.

Agree.
@NewToSaltwater2 , please read some of the excellent information in the sticky threads on this forum. They will give you a better idea of what is needed to successfully start a saltwater tank.

And you showed a phosphate test in your first post... What is your ammonia level? Ammonia and nitrate are the main things to test for when cycling. (I assume it's obvious to keep temperature and salinity at proper levels too)

 

[Kevinmj70]

https://youtube.com/c/MyFirstFishTank

Watch all of these. Lots of information out there. This is a good place to start

 

[CoralsComeInMoreColors]

Agree.
@NewToSaltwater2 , please read some of the excellent information in the sticky threads on this forum. They will give you a better idea of what is needed to successfully start a saltwater tank.

And you showed a phosphate test in your first post... What is your ammonia level? Ammonia and nitrate are the main things to test for when cycling. (I assume it's obvious to keep temperature and salinity at proper levels too)

its around 0.3

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

its around 0.3

Ammonia?? You should have 0 ammonia. Please do a large (30-50%) water change as soon as possible.

Coral uses ammonia (and nitrate, among other things) for food, but ammonia is toxic to fish and invertebrates. You need to get the ammonia down, and it's a good idea to lower the nitrates too.

The standard way of cycling a tank is to test until ammonia is zero and at that point, if nitrates have gotten too high (because the "cycling" bacteria is doing its job), then do a large water change to reduce those. THEN think about adding fish.
Since you already have fish in the tank, you need to make the water safe for them. Adding bacteria like Dr. Tim's, Biospira, or Fritz Turbo Start is going to help the cycle work, but at this point you really need to manually reduce the ammonia with water changes

 

[Sean Clark]

its around 0.3

Your tank is not cycled yet. The ammonia is what your problem is. Your nitrate is also likely over reported due to the ammonia and nitrite that is still in the water.

 

[dstockwell]

I have been cycling for 18 days, just did a 20% water change because of phosphate (no RodI)

Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, PH 8.0, Posphate 2.0, so looking into a Phosphate reactor.

I started with SmartStart Complete and still have no ugly phase issues. Am I doing something wrong. Lights are on 12 hours 60 blue 15 white. No signs is algae.

 

[Sean Clark]

I have been cycling for 18 days, just did a 20% water change because of phosphate (no RodI)

Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, PH 8.0, Posphate 2.0, so looking into a Phosphate reactor.

I started with SmartStart Complete and still have no ugly phase issues. Am I doing something wrong. Lights are on 12 hours 60 blue 15 white. No signs is algae.

I would test again. Phosphate of 2.0 is most definitely a testing error.