Extremely Confused....New At This

[churro-fish]

Hey guys! Let me start by saying "great site". I've been reading the Newbie Corner....lots of info and some funny stuff.

I'll start by describing my set up and I'll ask my questions ok?

46 Gal. tank. 5 Weeks old. Still cycling.
AquaC Remora
Heater
Penguin Bio-Wheel carbon HOT filter
Nova Extreme 36" T5HO
Koralia #1
18 lbs. LR
40 lbs. LS
Additive treated tap water for initial tank fill-up.
I use RO water now from a water specialized store.
IO salt.
No sump, no refuge.

Ok, so I'm very confused, my tank's been cycling for over 5 weeks now and I still haven't seen any results.

I started with 40lbs of LS, and only 9 lbs. of LR, two weeks later I added 9 more lbs. of LR...all NOT cured.

3 weeks into the cycling I added 27 lbs of dead lace rock.
4 weeks into the clycling I added 16 more lbs of dead lace rock.

My HOT filter has been running since day one

My skimmer however was not in place until 4 weeks after starting the cycling. (1 1/2 week ago)

Water parameters are:

pH 7.8 it won't go up. (Tomorrow I will do the water aeration test to see if pH goes up).
Alk 3.6
Nitrate 2.5 low range
Nitrite .05
Ammonia 0.25 in color chart. After doing equation related to water temp and pH, Ammonia is 0.0149.


Ok, so, I have a few questions now. The first is about the skimmer and carbon filter, this is where I'm the most confused. I have heard/read people tell me that I do not need a skimmer during the cycling and I don't need a carbon filter at all. How true is this? Many claim that by running the skimmer during the cycling, even with not cured LR, I'm actually removing elements needed for the cycle, etc. So, at this point I truly do not know what to believe/follow.

I know that adding the LR at that rate and so far in between, could've contributed to the slow progress of this tank, but you tell me if I'm wrong or right.

I had a Diatom breakout, but last week I had an incident witht he aquascaping that forced to rearrange it and so I had both my arms inside the tank for almost 3 hrs. After that, the Diatoms seem to have disappeared, or not reproducing as much. I don't know if my arms being int the water for that long stirring the sand around would have any effect in the cycle at all.

I didn't start using my T5s until the day before yesterday. I run the actinics and 10ks for a few hours a day. Another doubt about this, many have told me to kee the lights to a minimum, so I must ask you, how accurate is this?

I have 2 damsels in the tank, and have had them since week two of starting the cycling. I plan to take them back to the store this Saturday, 'cause IMO I don't think they do any good for the cycle and it's not fair to them to be in such conditions. They were given to me by my wife so I didnt have the heart to take them , but after a long conversation with the promise of a foot massage every evening, the little fellas are going to the LFS for a better life.

That's about it. I don't know where to turn. Just about know I'm ready to sell everything and forget about this hobby. I'm truly confused/frustrated. I know I know, patience is a MUST, but it's very hard when so many people tell you so many different things. So please, I need some info/advice/pointers on what to/not to do. I appreciate your help and the time you've taken to read my post. Thank You.

 

[tcwayne]

it actually sounds like your really not doing that bad but like you said, patience. Just do not start adding livestock until you have a real comfort level. I'm far from expert but perhaps more flow,what's the temp?, I think you'll have a hard time with nitrates in the future with that biowheel, I did when I had a double biowheel on a 46 bowfront when I first got into salt. Relax and read as much as you can. There is no stupid ?'s, believe me, I once asked a guy if I took a mushroom home, would I need to keep in water? And when your actinics are off how come their not blue? I think back and say to myself boy what a dork.

 

[FUA]

yeah, you're on the right track. I would run the skimmer while you are cycling just because you are starting with uncured rock and there is usually a lot more dead organic stuff than is needed to cycle a tank. I think the HOT filter is unneccessary, because you have all of the live rock. I definately would get more koralias, like a couple #2's or something. If all you are running is a #1 and a HOT filter that probably is not enough flow. I don't think that your lights are neccessary until the cycle is done, they probably will just feed undesireable algae growth. As for the fish for the cycle, with all the uncured live rock, you probably don't need them. When cycling a tank I usually just throw a little flake food in every couple of days with no fish, it seems to work for me. I good luck with your tank and be sure to post some pics. I would definately take it slow and get a handle on water quality before adding any difficult to keep corals, like what tcwayne said. Oh and about the ph it might start to raise once your cycle is over, it should go up once you start to run your lights and the ammonia, nitrite leave the water. good luck and happy reefing.

 

[zotzer]

Wow...I have almost the exact same set up, but no biowheel, and the remora pro (versus just the regular one)

I'd remove the HOB (or you could take the biowheel out and just use it to run carbon or other media), and add another koralia (I have two #1s in mine)

Also, the medium sized CPR HOB refugium is the perfect size for the tank. It will help with the nutrient export and water movement as well.

Hang in there, you are on the right track. Adding rock in stages like that has most likely dragged out your cycle. The wait will be well worth it!!

Tracy

 

[Shagsbeard]

Your skimmer will require a break in period of two weeks to a month before it really does anything. Don't fuss with it... just let it run dry.

Catching those two damsels is going to be quite a task. It's not as easy as it looks in the store.

Realize that there is a huge difference between RO and RO/DI. Get the RO/DI if possible. In both cases, you should ask the water store for a TDS reading. It's simple, and they're obligated to do it. A TDS of 1 ppm is acceptable and easily achieved with RO/DI. The problem with RO water is that the impurities in it don't evaporate... they build up in your tank over time. Frequent water changes keep them from going through the roof, but they still accumulate. You really don't want to put anything you're not testing for in your tank.

 

[nauticac4]

(IMO)

Run the skimmer all the time.

Not sure about the filter but if there is a biowheel remove it. It will become a problem later.

I ran my lights that way I had planned on running them from day 1.

Ive had a problem with low pH it seemed to have balanced itself but drops every so often and I buffer that and my alk.

Go slow and use Ro/DI water. Seems like your on the right track.
If all else fails do a small water change. The dead rock you used in the tank is probably contributing to the length of your cycle.

 

[hugodboss]

hang in there i think we all went thru something like that one time or another...i know i was doubting my decision to go with salt but now for me it was well worth it. good luck

 

[mikewise1]

I'm new to the hobby also, but i've been at it for a couple months now so i'd be glad to give you the benefit of my experience so far.

I'm thinking the slow cycle process you've seen is due to several factors.

the staggered introduction of uncured LR is probably a big culprit. uncured rock means there is a lot of dead and dying animal matter being introduced. each time you introduce more, you add more decomposing matter that will slow the cycle, but it's in the best interest of your system in the long term because the remaining life on the rock will grow to compensate and thrive over time. Also remember the 19 lbs of LR isn't a lot to start out with, but over time it will be able to handle your system's waste with increasing efficiency.

re pH: I initially filled my system with all RO/DI water. and over the last few weeks i was seeing a gradual decline in pH from 8.2 to 8.0 to 7.8. When i had the LFS test my water i learned that the issue was low hardness due to the purity of RO water that i had used exclusively. the real process of balancing buffers is very complicated and i don't entirely understand it, but one simplified way of measuring and maintaining hardness is through degrees of calcium hardness (dKH). you can measure it with a KH test kit and treat your water gradually with calcium bicarbonate. I'm figuring out how much i need to add to 5 gallons of salted RO/DI water so that i can moderate it with each water change. i brought my dKH up to 11.5, which is typical of ocean water, and helps buffer the water for being slightly alkaline and the pH has stabilized at 8.1. Maybe the gradual replacement of your more buffered tap water with less buffered RO water is softening your water and keeping the pH down. On a side note, i would reiterate that tap water in a lot of areas is unsafe and might contain copper or other detrimental elements. i wouldn't use it unless you have it tested at a water authority first.

I've been running my skimmer since day 1 with no observed adverse effects. it didnt even produce any skimmate till i added mollys.

you're probably familiar with all this information and hope it isn't patronizing, just trying to help out by reporting my adventure so far. please hang in there! i've been really frustrated along the way, but solving problems and seeing life thrive in your tank really makes it all worthwhile!