Cycling Questions

[ReefinND]

So I'm on week 3 of cycling and was just kind of curious if I was on the right track?
My readings are :
-PH 8.2
-Amonia 0
-Phosphate 0
-Nitrate 50 (I think, it doesn't really match the other colors but is a much more intense color so I assumed higher?)
-Nitrate .1 or 0
-Salinity 1.022-1.023
-KH 9

Not sure if I hit a cycle or not, I haven't seen an ammonia reading since day 5. I've been ghost feeding all along, and did the red sea startup kit.

I also have a rather large amount of, im assuming, diatoms (little brown hairs when you look close). Also getting patches of green on my rocks and sand, I've since stopped turning the lights on but it's been two weeks and I haven't seen a noticeable reduction.

Last Friday I did my first 10% water change, and wasn't sure if I should do another one this week or wait?

Just trying to see if everything's about where it should be, thanks.

 

[ReefinND]

Forgot to add, I have dry pukani rock and live sand in it. The tank is a 90 gal.

I'm not in a rush to get it cycled, my two little clowns I have, still have 3 weeks of quarantine jail so....I just want to make sure that the readings sound about right.

 

[reef thief]

You're headed in the right direction. Keep doing what you're doing. 3 more weeks will be more than enough.

 

[ReefinND]

Think I should continue doing a weekly 10% water change or should I hold off and do it every two weeks still its done cycling?
Thanks!

 

[Ron Reefman]

If you don't have fish in the tank, don't do any water changes until you are cycled. Doing water changes just slows down the process of growing the bacteria you need. Once it's cycled and ammonia and nitrite are zero, then do a water change... maybe even 2.

 

[ReefinND]

ok thanks!

 

[scooter31707]

How did you jump start the cycle? Did you see the ammonia spike at the beginning of the cycle. Base on the numbers you posted, you close to completing the cycle.

 

[AK707]

How did you jump start the cycle? Did you see the ammonia spike at the beginning of the cycle. Base on the numbers you posted, you close to completing the cycle.

not trying to be rude but did you even read his post?
all your questions are answered in his first post.
red sea start up kit and ghost feed to kick the cycle off and he hasn't seen ammonia since day 5

 

[scooter31707]

not trying to be rude but did you even read his post?
all your questions are answered in his first post.
red sea start up kit and ghost feed to kick the cycle off and he hasn't seen ammonia since day 5

Yeah, they sure did. I think my mind was on something else. My apologies.

 

[ReefinND]

Hey all, so I was a week off on my dates. I'm now on week 6! Last night my readings were as follows.
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Salinity 1.025
My nitrates were still quite high I'm assuming

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[ReefinND]

I should be safe to do a few water changes and introduce my two little clowns at this point not?

 

[thegrun]

Looks like your cycle is complete, congratulations! I would make a very large water change, 100% if possible to bring down the nitrates and then you are free to start adding livestock. I like to start with the easy to grow corals and then fish, but many others start with fish. I would strongly recommend you quarantine your fish before adding them into your tank or you risk starting with disease which can be very discouraging and much easier to treat in a quarantine tank.

 

[ReefinND]

100% change....how would one go about that, leave the rocks exposed or ? I'm thinking what I could realistically/easily do is 20 gal (by emptying sump and taking some from the display but could maybe figure something out to get to around 50 gal?

My two little clowns are on week 3.5 of quarantine jail after being dewormed and copper treatments; looking good and ready for freedom.

Assuming I get the nitrates down; I would like to add my little clowns this week. Also make a LA order for a small CuC, two corals (toadstool and cabbage), for the DT and also a pearly jawfish to stick in quarantine. Hopefully towards the end of this week or next week.

But......

It's currently 0 deg. here....with 30 mph winds and the interstate is shut down so ordering this week is probably out......lol. I think they would be ok? if the roads were open and they could actually be delivered (my post office lady knows the drill with live stuff, I get baby chicks all the time) but now I think they would just be sitting in a truck, a warehouse, or some other place slowly turning to fish-icles :sad2:

 

[roostertech]

Partial changes are ok, but then it won't be as good at removing that nitrate.

If you do 50% and then 50% you would still end up with 25% of the original nitrate.

 

[Betaktical]

Just do as much as you can while leaving some water above the sand. The rocks will be fine


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[thegrun]

+1, as long as you don't leave the rocks exposed to air for more than 10 minutes you will be fine.

 

[ReefinND]

Well, I got 25 gal changed. (that was all the RO water I had) Will test again tonight to see if it had much of an impact.

 

[ReefinND]

So yea.....it didn't appear to do much

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[ReefinND]

Going to pick up another big trash bin to collect some RO water, right now all I have is a 32 gal and some 5 gal buckets. Maybe by Saturday afternoon or sunday I can get enough to make at last a 64 or more (if I move some of the water to the 5gal buckets.

 

[ReefinND]

Well I did a 50 gal water change on Saturday and got the nitrates down to 20! I went ahead and added my two little clowns instead. I used up all my RO water and the quarantine tank was due for a water change again so....

They seem to be doing good in there, they do look a little lost though poor guys. Go from small all their lives to the "ocean"! Going to do another 10 gal again tonight.