Cycle Question

[WaterChallenged]

I set up my first fish tank 10g a little over 3 weeks ago. I have a modded AC110 as a Refug with heater. Currently the only things in the tank are roughly 2 inches of live sand and 12lbs of live rock. The tank was also set up using RO/DI water and IO salt. I added a dinner shrimp to increase ammonia about 5 days after setting up the tank. I had to remove the shrimp after several days as the smell was horrible. I also did about a 20% water change two weeks in. Up to last night the only things I was testing was ammonia as this is the first part of the cycle(I know I should have been testing all param) After the water change the ammonia tested zero. So I tested the Nitrites which read 0 and Nitrates which read 40. Does this sound right? thought the nitrites would be next. There are several mushrooms and other live things on the rocks that seem to be doing well(not that this means much) Please help me in the right direction. Thanks

 

[4MB]

The nitrites should happen now. So wait a week to see what happens. Also a side note that my LFS told me when I started my first tank was not do water changes. When you do water changes you take bacteria out of the tank that does the whole nitrogen cycle. And you need those bacteria especially now when cycling. I had a clean up crew in before I ever did a water change. And my first one was the day before I added my first fish. Just to make sure that the levels would hold.

 

[Randall_James]

Nitrates at 40 everything else at 0 is a good sign. Cycle has completed and you probably have a decent bacteria colony going.

What kind of tank is this going to be?

I would at least get the clean up crew in at this point so that you maintain some bioload (read waste to feed the bacteria) if you are not ready for that I would put a couple sprinkles of fish food in the tank so that there is some biomatter (not much just a little)

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7358090#post7358090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 4MB
Also a side note that my LFS told me when I started my first tank was not do water changes. When you do water changes you take bacteria out of the tank that does the whole nitrogen cycle. And you need those bacteria especially now when cycling.

i wouldn't say this is correct. when doing a water change during a cycle you may take out a little bacteria but not much to notice a differance, as most of your bacteria lives on the rock and sand and not in your water colum. water changes won't slow your cycle down but it will help your animals survive during the cycle.

 

[Randall_James]

Sorry I did not see that part Kau.

I think I would take anything else the LFS with a grain of salt and research before purchasing or acting.

 

[MiddletonMark]

Sounds like you're going the right direction

I would also go for the water change, it will help drop the Nitrates and likely remove some of the non-testable nasties released during curing rock.

 

[WaterChallenged]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. The tank will be mostly softies and maybe one or two very small fish. So I should be safe to do another water change and retest everything, if the param seem within the safe zone I can add a clean-up crew?
Also do you think this looks like a decent clean-up crew for a 10g reef with a 2 inches of sand 2 nassaius snails
(2) nassaius snails
(2) cerith snails
(2) nerite snails
(2) astrea snails
(2) scarlet hermits
any other suggestions? Thanks

 

[Randall_James]

Looks right to me