Can you answer a couple of questions?

[lovelyepona]

My tank is cycling, yet it did something funny.
My ammonia was a 0 and now its at .50, I haven't added anything still just LR and sand (aragonite).
Why would it do this? My nitrites and nitrates are off the charts. Its Ro water so I don't think its a problem.

Also I recently purchased a skimmer, but I'm not sure I've set it right. I don't understand what dry skimmate is or wet skimmate?

I'm thinking about adding a refugium, can a refugium just be a 10g (my main tank is only a 20L) with some LR and some cheeto? Or should I take my filter and add some cheeto to it?

 

[Dubbin1]

This is just part of the cycle. The LR is what kicked it off

 

[Blown 346]

The tank just started its cycle with the ammonia spike, the tank needed something to start to rot befoe the ammonia would go up. Now your tank started its cycle. Once theAmmonia and Nitrite are zero the cycle is over.

Dry skimmate is when you get a thick milkshake like substance in your collection cup.
That is what you want, you know the skimmer is working to its full potential when you get that type of skimmate.

The wt foam is when you still get the dark murky substance in the collection cup but it isnt thick, it is more watery than thck.
This tels you that the skimmer is set too high and isnt pullin or working to its full benifit at pulling out organics/ nutrients.

You can add a fuge that is a 10 gallon, that would be fine. The only probelm with placing te Chaeto in your filter is it needs light.
It would do a beter job at nutrient export in a fuge, plus you will have a great place to house pods.

 

[lovelyepona]

I'm sorry I didn't explain better.
My ammonia spiked then dropped to 0 (spiked over 8.0). The nitrites came up. Now ammonia is up to .5, nitrites 5.0, nitrates 80ppm, after a 25% water change.

 

[Dubbin1]

Sounds like it is still cycling.

 

[fakename]

IT sounds like something on your live rock died and caused the ammonia to spike to a level beyond what the bacterial load in the tank could process so you had a second cycle....
Aaron

 

[lovelyepona]

OKay quick question why would something die now when the ammonia dropped to 0?
I've had this tank up with LR and everything for three weeks now.