Cycle Question - Move/Purchase of Established Tank

[dhanck]

I have posted before that I recently purchased an established 125 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump (about 30 gallons of water in sump), over 150 lbs of live rock. This tank was up and running for over 2 years before the move. Fish were sold back to LFS to not stress during the move and so I could stock with what my wife and I pick.

We moved the tank on 5/7 and kept about 40 or so gallons of water 50 or so lbs of sand from the previous location. The rock and sand were kept in the old tank water.

We added 60 lbs of new live sand when we moved the tank.

He tried to save some small frags of Korean Tree corals. The corals did not do well with the move and they were in the tank until yesterday when I decided to remove them cause they were dead. I think this caused the ammonia in the tank.

My main question is my ammonia went up (due to dying corals?) and it seems to back on the way down with no movement in Nitrites or Nitrates (my parameters are below). Is it possible that since this tank was previously established that it will process ammonia without Nitrites or Nitrates showing up?

I understand patience and am definitely waiting for livestock until I know the tank is under control.

Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrate all shown in ppm.

5/7
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - 0.0
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

5/8
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - 0.0
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

5/9
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - 0.25
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

5/10
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - 1.0
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

5/11
5/7
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - 1.5
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

5/12
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - 2.0
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

5/14
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - 2.0
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

5/16
PH - 8.3
Ammonia - 0.5-1.25 (definitely lighter in the test kit but couldn't pinpoint)
Nitrite - 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

 

[dhanck]

I think I forgot to mention the dead corals were removed on 5/15.

 

[ladynavyvet]

It sounds like you have the right mindset, go slow unit your parameters are correct, and then slowly add your carefully chosen fish. Congratulations on being able to but and move this tank.

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[ladynavyvet]

It sounds like you have the right mindset, go slow unit your parameters are correct, and then slowly add your carefully chosen fish. Congratulations on being able to but and move this tank.

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Whoops, just saw my typo, that should have been "buy".

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[TYC]

of Korean Tree corals.

Interesting as I've never heard of this coral...r u referring to the Kenya Tree coral?

 

[dhanck]

Interesting as I've never heard of this coral...r u referring to the Kenya Tree coral?

Yes. I am sorry, I had to do some digging to figure out what is through pictures and asking LFS. I did a lot of searching and got mixed up!

 

[TYC]

only 1-2 cups of old sand should've been mixed with clean new sand to help seed it unless the 50 lbs of old sand was cleaned prior to mixing with new sand.

I went through something similar when I recently moved home. If u kept all the live rock, then the tank could have stabilized wihtout having to go through a cycle. U should keep checking the water parameters for next 2-3 weeks to see if there is any spike in Amm, Nitrite and Nitrate to see if tank is going through a cycle.

If Amm does not spike up and remains stable for 2-3 weeks, then ur tank is ready to go.

Please ensure the powerhead is aimed at the rocks always to provide good flow for filtration.

 

[stdreb27]

That tank would have cycled no matter what.

Using old sand, adding new sand wouldn't matter.

Ive moved quite a few tanks. I never was able to avoid a full cycle.




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