Water discolored during cycle?

[PREC0GNITIVE]

Hey there, first timer just wanted to ask a couple of questions:

My tank is a 1 gallon and I am cycling it with dry rock. Have been adding Seachem stability daily. I am at day 27

Two questions:
1) I noticed my water isn't 100% clear anymore, is this normal? It has a slight tinge to it. Is this a sign something has gone wrong or right? The rock has a slight brown tinge now whereas it was bone white when I started

It isn't cloudy or anything and this lighting makes it look worse than in person to be fair

2) my ammonia has just been parked at this level for weeks, do I just keep waiting? I got some salifert tests and that showed less than my api tests. Pictured are the salifert ammonia and nitrates tests. The api, same tests but with some spare salt water as control

Thanks for all your help!

 

[blaxsun]

Are you using an RODI system for mixing saltwater? A slight yellow tinge to the water is normal. The rocks changing to a slight brown is also normal.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Are you using an RODI system for mixing saltwater? A slight yellow tinge to the water is normal. The rocks changing to a slight brown is also normal.

And you can run carbon to fix discolored or cloudy water.

 

[PREC0GNITIVE]

Are you using an RODI system for mixing saltwater? A slight yellow tinge to the water is normal. The rocks changing to a slight brown is also normal.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.
I have an RODI system on order - in meantime I am using filtered water from supermarket as suggested by the local fish store.
Am I right in expecting that my Ammonia test colour should eventually match the control's?

And you can run carbon to fix discolored or cloudy water.

Thanks I have ordered some to put in my little box filter at the back. Just a reminder this tank is very very small:

 

[blaxsun]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.
I have an RODI system on order - in meantime I am using filtered water from supermarket as suggested by the local fish store. Am I right in expecting that my Ammonia test colour should eventually match the control's?

Yes, after your system fully cycles the ammonia should drop down to the lowest levels.

 

[brandon429]

A one gallon pico is all I’ve kept for a long time now, I like them because they’re cheap and to relocate one you just pick it up and move.

Once truly tuned, you can keep a thousand dollars + of coral in there, very long term top shelf corals.

Maritza the vase reef has a one gallon bowl on YouTube that’s nine years old and probably has three grand in top shelf sps in it, considered the nicest pico on the planet - lots can be done with these. Just not any fish. inverts though…amazing stuff can be done in one gallon setups.

here’s the exact status of your pico:

your cycle is done by day 27 it doesn’t matter what approach you used, they’re all done by then, any common cycling chart also shows this time duration overriding rule. Your water changes tint as secondary microbial communities arise after ammonia control sets in. The change in tint is the signal you’ve been cycled a while now. If you make no changes, light cyano growth and diatoms and a little algae is coming next phase, tertiary producers.

do a full water change and siphon out any growths during the ramp up time. Start clean. So you have less algae


begin your reef, add some coral frags and begin reefing. Feed the tank well just before you do a major water change weekly and you’ll never need to test for any params other than temp and salinity starting right now.


just to summarize: most reefing is an endless series of water testing using gear that doesn’t read the same when compared to other kits. You can choose to spend literally hundreds of dollars in kits and endless tests like big reefs do.

or


you can use what already works and that’s weekly water changes 90%, big feeding of very high quality frozen reef food right before the water change, and no testing for any param beyond temp and salinity. The second way works, and you can’t grow more coral any better using the optional endless testing option, that’s for large tanks plus you don’t have room to grow more coral than we already grow lol

Pico reefs just run on water changes and will grow any frag you put under the light. If you want to test all details that way too is fine, I just didn’t want you to think it is required or that testing gets any better results than not testing and going feed heavy.


all reef tank cycles are done by day 27 and no cycling chart ever made has ammonia control taking past day ten for a reason. Those ammonia tests above mean nothing, I have an eight page thread where Red Sea is misreading all over the place. The status of your pico is certain, it’s ready to rock.

 

[brandon429]

All your tests above are passing by the way…as is, those are literally passing ammonia levels but none of that matters. even if api showed .5 it wouldn’t change the rule. These are non digital testers, they read all over the place thread to thread. Due to number of days underwater compared to all cycling charts, you’re cycled and the water hazing is a handy secondary verifier timed exactly the same as all the other secondary growth changes we chart in dry start tanks. Your system meets every other cycle perfectly, done.



*we see here no mention of feed loading, ammonia or fish food


it’s still cycled. day 27 allows natural feed to kick in. its an open topped heated circulated water system inoculated with a bunch of liquid bacteria- it’s a sticky microbial food trap 27 days running. You already got two gnat wings in it u haven’t seen yet


anything you can stock isn’t going to overload the ammonia control relative to that rock surface area. No snails or crabs yet, too barren of a tank. You can do candy cane frags and zos and mushroom corals and a brain coral frag right now though. Your tests above are of no benefit to know if there hasn’t been ammonia loading, but given this long it’s not required. all cycle issues even out in the first month, all cycling charts are closed for all params by day 30 and there are no cycle charts made showing it taking longer (university studies, of course aquarium testers submit new cycling charts all the time they all report .25 on api in running tanks under load)


the fact your ammonia is going to rise to .25 when you stock and feed the tank is only going to confuse you further, so I recommended stopping testing right now.

 

[brandon429]

those dosed bacteria eventually fill up the water, surfaces only hold so much. That tint change I’ll bet is suspended unused dosed bacteria more than anything. Change all the water and start clean. Get a couple frags, some quality feed, begin reefing.

 

[PREC0GNITIVE]

Due to my RODI system being on order still - I am using bottled filtered water.
For my 90% water change you mention I should do, I should just mix that to my wanted salinity, scoop out 90% water in tank and replace. Just like that? Do I continue dosing the Seachem Stability until its finished?
EDIT I also have some SeaChem Prime, I could also use that in absense of my RODI for now?

 

[brandon429]

No prime was mentioned above solely the water changes

no more dosing of bacteria was mentioned, solely change water, add frags and feed and then wait a few weeks before adding more as you practice topoff control and temp stability along with feed and water changes weekly.


yes to that portion about water changes prep, for about eight straight years 2002-2010 I did water changes this way: get distilled water from anywhere. add in salt close to level of .025 but not exactly required

then set the mixed gallon of saltwater in a warm sink bath halfway up the container a few mins. When it’s 78 pull out, retest salinity and add salt or more distilled to make it .025 salinity and use that water for the change. You’re stocking only a few frags for a few weeks of practice. Little things like not getting the air bubbles off the salinity meter need time to work out so that you’re hitting 78 degrees and .025 salinity and the system will simply never need any other testing. You need to allow room for procedural or measurement error the first few weeks before adding more stuff, the cycle is no longer in need of assist or measure because your system is 27 days old.

 

[brandon429]

I don’t use that way any longer. Current best way: I take a five gallon water bottle to my local pet store. They sell made water. I bring it home, heat to 78, then adjust salinity up or down a little and use that way since 2010. That one container lasts for a month of changes, I go once a month to pet store to buy pre mixed change water. I keep my own salt at home to add in case they’re low salinity.


brand of salt does not matter. Mixing brands doesn’t matter. I’m using Kent salt at home, my lfs uses Red Sea. I top Kent off into Red Sea water, it’s fine.

 

[PREC0GNITIVE]

I don’t use that way any longer. Current best way: I take a five gallon water bottle to my local pet store. They sell made water. I bring it home, heat to 78, then adjust salinity up or down a little and use that way since 2010. That one container lasts for a month of changes, I go once a month to pet store to buy pre mixed change water. I keep my own salt at home to add in case they’re low salinity.


brand of salt does not matter. Mixing brands doesn’t matter. I’m using Kent salt at home, my lfs uses Red Sea. I top Kent off into Red Sea water, it’s fine.

Check you PMs I have messaged you a few questions. Thanks for all this information!