Water results
- Thread starter craigpaterson
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recess62
Well-Known Member
I also question whether you have cycled. If you have not done a water change you should be seeing some nitrate as your tank has not yet developed the needed anaerobic bacteria to help bring down your nitrate level. You can ghost feed or add some ammonia to the tank
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
I like the ammonia method because you start with a known amount of ammonia and can follow how fast it gets converted
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
I like the ammonia method because you start with a known amount of ammonia and can follow how fast it gets converted
recess62
Well-Known Member
Have you seen any nitrate? Did you see an ammonia spike?
The nitrifying bacteria need food to grow and reproduce. If you have not added any food then I suspect you will not have enough bacteria to handle any livestock. Adding livestock to a tank which has ammonia is cruel IMO
Fwiw it took me 6 weeks to cycle my 90. However that was with dry rock and live sand My Biocube took 4 weeks with live rock and live sand
recess62
Well-Known Member
Get a small shrimp from the grocery store. Throw it in the tank and test daily for ammonia. If you tank has cycled and you test there should be no ammonia and you should start to see some nitrate
Yah, personally I would slow down a bit, I would not stock two clowns right away. I would start with 1 fish and allow your tank to keep building up its bacteria. Running tanks without skimmers is doable but for someone new to the hobby it can be very difficult.
Ghost feed a couple more days, after you feed you should see a spike in ammonia, than the next day you should see that level go down, it should go down to zero fairly quick. I think its best to bring you Ammonia up to 4 ppm and make sure in 24 hours it goes down to zero.
Get a inexpensive fish, something that you can return to the store later if you want, start with a few snails 1 hermit crab, even though you have crap on your rocks its not enough to sustain a massive clean up crew.
This hobby is very expensive and the last thing you want to do is crash your tank right when you start, youll want to spend your hard earned bucks on upgrades.
Ghost feed a couple more days, after you feed you should see a spike in ammonia, than the next day you should see that level go down, it should go down to zero fairly quick. I think its best to bring you Ammonia up to 4 ppm and make sure in 24 hours it goes down to zero.
Get a inexpensive fish, something that you can return to the store later if you want, start with a few snails 1 hermit crab, even though you have crap on your rocks its not enough to sustain a massive clean up crew.
This hobby is very expensive and the last thing you want to do is crash your tank right when you start, youll want to spend your hard earned bucks on upgrades.
When you add shrimp it will break down, and release ammonia, what your looking for in this case is basically no trace or very little trace of ammonia, that means that the ammonia that is being leeched off is being converted. This is a couple day process as the shrimp will degrade over time. If your taking tests and your reading ammonia everyday for the next 4-5 days than it most likly doesnt have the bacteria to support a fish pooping everyday and you feeding it everyday.
You can always pick up a bottle of ammonia at a grocery store and raise it yourself there are calculates online that will tell you how much to dump in the tank. After you dump it test Ammonia 24 hours later and it should be gone.
recess62
Well-Known Member
Inwould leave it until you se your nitrate start to increase. Then you are good to go
recess62
Well-Known Member
No. Nitrate will not go back to 0. You will need to export the nitrate either my water changes or other means
You can begin to add livestock when you are seeing 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and your nitrate will begin to rise. If your tank is cycled then you will not see an ammonia rise. In fact in a completely cycled tank there should be 0 amonmia. A cycled tank will be able to convert all ammonia to nitrate
I recommend starting to reed everything you can about marine aquariums
Here is a great place to start
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/
You can begin to add livestock when you are seeing 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and your nitrate will begin to rise. If your tank is cycled then you will not see an ammonia rise. In fact in a completely cycled tank there should be 0 amonmia. A cycled tank will be able to convert all ammonia to nitrate
I recommend starting to reed everything you can about marine aquariums
Here is a great place to start
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/
craigpaterson
Community Member
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Right so looks like my ammonia is going up so as you all suspected my tank don't look like it's cycled hear are my results this morning. And also is this bit of prawn too big it was uncooked when it went in I can cut it smaller tonight when I get back in from work if it is ?
My suggestion since you havn't added fish yet - I would consider investing into a QT. (quarantine)
I wish I just did it from the get go, and luckily had no losses, but after introducing a pair of clowns, I discovered ich 2 weeks in - so have to run fallow for 76 days, and treat them in a non coral non LR QT system for 30 days.
They are completely done w/ medication (copper for ich, prazi for worms), and fallow clock ends on April 8!! Almost there
But ya, it would save you the 2.5+ months headache (if your fish do have something, which if you're getting them from a LFS, they most likely do), and allow you to make sure they're ich free!
Best part is you can literally start it now & get your fish asap! It cost me about $50
10gal tank - $10
HOB Filter - $10
50w Heater -$10
PcV tubes for hiding - $5
Cheap Light - Free (came with other tank, and wasn't in use)
Bio-Spira $5-10 (optional, but recommended)
Nitrogen cycle in a QT is not the same as in a DT, as most medicine will mess w/ the bacteria. Instead, you control the water condition by more frequent water changes. But as said, you can literally have it set up in the morning, add fish in the afternoon/evening
And by end of the QT period, hopefully your DT is al cycled and ready to go!
---
Sorry for the bombarding & opinionated suggestion you didn't even ask for... I just WISH I listened to all these suggestions before adding in my clowns in the DT & regretting it 2 weeks later instead of properly doing quarantine.
I can't even say I wish someone told me, cause they did... I just wish I listened xD
I wish I just did it from the get go, and luckily had no losses, but after introducing a pair of clowns, I discovered ich 2 weeks in - so have to run fallow for 76 days, and treat them in a non coral non LR QT system for 30 days.
They are completely done w/ medication (copper for ich, prazi for worms), and fallow clock ends on April 8!! Almost there
But ya, it would save you the 2.5+ months headache (if your fish do have something, which if you're getting them from a LFS, they most likely do), and allow you to make sure they're ich free!
Best part is you can literally start it now & get your fish asap! It cost me about $50
10gal tank - $10
HOB Filter - $10
50w Heater -$10
PcV tubes for hiding - $5
Cheap Light - Free (came with other tank, and wasn't in use)
Bio-Spira $5-10 (optional, but recommended)
Nitrogen cycle in a QT is not the same as in a DT, as most medicine will mess w/ the bacteria. Instead, you control the water condition by more frequent water changes. But as said, you can literally have it set up in the morning, add fish in the afternoon/evening
And by end of the QT period, hopefully your DT is al cycled and ready to go!
---
Sorry for the bombarding & opinionated suggestion you didn't even ask for... I just WISH I listened to all these suggestions before adding in my clowns in the DT & regretting it 2 weeks later instead of properly doing quarantine.
I can't even say I wish someone told me, cause they did... I just wish I listened xD
