5 month no cycle?

[haninja]

I have a 20 gl tank that I have started about 5 month ago. I started it as fish only with 20lb live sand and 15lb base rock. I let the tank sit for about 2 weeks before putting some fish. At the time I was a complete rooky and didn’t do much water tests based on (bad) advise fro the LFS.
The base rock gradually began to be coated with green algae and for the last couple of month I have been fighting red slime. Also the sand is turning brow…
2 weeks ago I replace the base rock with 25lb live rock introduced in stages. It was quite noticeable that the older LR was getting coated with brown stuff.
I have never seen any coralline algae forming.
I started monitoring the levels recently using master test strips. (I know, I should buy the real liquid test). Haven’t seen any spikes of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate.
I still have the same fish I started with 5 month ago: 1 clown, 2 damsels and 1 cardinal.
I wasn’t doing many water changes at the beginning. In the last month or so I was doing 5gl 2-3 times a month.

Can it be that the tank never cycled in 5 month???

Here’s what I have:
20Lb LS
25LB LR
Fluval 104 with carbon, phosphate sponge, biomix
No skimmer
5 black snails
1 clown, 2 damsels and 1 cardinal
4 new turbo snails
3 new hermit crabs
2x65w compact 10K and actinic.

I also want to turn it into a reef. Any recommendation how to move forward? I got some purple-up by carib-sea to “encourage” coralline.

Thanks.

 

[sunfish11]

I have a 20 gl tank that I have started about 5 month ago. I started it as fish only with 20lb live sand and 15lb base rock. I let the tank sit for about 2 weeks before putting some fish. At the time I was a complete rooky and didn’t do much water tests based on (bad) advise fro the LFS.

Are you only using the live rock and sand for filtration or do you have some other type of filter attatched to your system?

2 weeks ago I replace the base rock with 25lb live rock introduced in stages. It was quite noticeable that the older LR was getting coated with brown stuff.

Coraline isn't based on cycling it is going to grow based on your alk and calcium levels. You need to test these and get these levels where they should be and you should see coraline begin to grow. Also, if you used base rock and live sand and didn't introduce coraline to the tank you wouldn't see it grow because it was not present to begin with or very little was present.

started monitoring the levels recently using master test strips. (I know, I should buy the real liquid test). Haven’t seen any spikes of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate.

Bad deal. You need better test kits. It is probably that you didn't spike much because the rock didn't see much die off or not enough to cause a spike which leads to your other question...

Can it be that the tank never cycled in 5 month???

Of course it cycled otherwise all your fish and inverts would have died in their own waste by now.

I also want to turn it into a reef. Any recommendation how to move forward? I got some purple-up by carib-sea to “encourage” coralline.

Not worth the money IMHO. You need to first test your alk and calcium levels and get them where they should be. alk 7-11 dkh and 400 to 450 cal. These levels are more important (in my opinion) than most of the other stuff commonly tested for. When you get this where it should be then you will see growth in your coraline. Corals are also going to need this to be right in order to thrive. Do your water changes they also will help replenish these levels when performed regularly.

Lisa

 

[papagimp]

If the tank had never cycled, your fish would be dead by now. The tank did cycle while you were not testing for anything.

Coraline will take some time before you notice alot of it growing. Before that, you'll see other various forms of algae popping up, from the brown diatoms you see coating on rocks and the sandbed, to hair algae and bubble algae everywhere. Then expect to notice some coralline.

fwiw, those 4 fish in that small of a tank is asking for trouble. Especially if you expect to turn it into a reef later on, which will cause you to loose much swimming space for corals. The clown and cardinal should get along, but I'd ditch the other damsels or get a larger tank. I'd probably avoid the turbo snails as well. Small tank with little algae growth will cause em to starve. That and they're awesome about tipping over corals and frags and anything else small enough for them to tip.

Just be patient, sounds like the tank is doing well so far. No ammonia/nitrite/nitrates is a good thing.

As for turning the tank into a reef, you may need more flow in there than what the fluval can push out, but the liverock/livesand is good, lighting will be sufficient for many great corals and inverts, probably not much SPS but definatly on the softies/leathers/zoo's/some LPS. Also, ditch the master test strips as they are a joke and get as a minimum the aquarium pharmacutical brand sold by petsmart/walmart and whatnot. They're crap too, but not as crappy as the test strips. You also will need calcium and alk tests as well. Be vigiliant with your testing and water changes. Get into good habits now, it'll benefit you and the tank in the long run.

 

[BradsOcean]

i dont think it is possible to not cycle.

 

[haninja]

Thanks for the quick responses.