Help!!!!!

[The55reef]

Hi I started a new 72 gallon reef tank but I think I must up when I started?
I got the tank from a lady that said the tank had been up and running for at lest 8 years I tore the tank down myself and brought it home and re started it without cleaning the rock or substrate (whoops) so I'm in week 2 of cycling my ammonia is at 2ppm nitrite 0 and nitrate 40ppm. So my question is am I ok to keep cycling or should I do a 50% water change? Thanks in advance.

 

[mcgyvr]

keep going till ammonia/nitrites are 0.. probably take a month total or so..

 

[The55reef]

So I'm ok even though I didn't clean the rock or substrate?

 

[Sk8r]

Yes. It'll certainly have enough die-off to fuel a cycle, and then start cleaning itself up. Keep the pump running, but don't start the skimmer until the cycle completes.

 

[Goatonfly]

Could you have kept the rock wet and set it up right after break down and avoid a cycle?

 

[Sk8r]

If a functioning tank is generally disturbed, ie, most rock moved, sand disturbed over more than 10% of the bed, you may get a cycle---it's often short, as short as 5 days after setup---but disturbance pretty well equals cycle, even if it's all done in one tank never broken down.

 

[Green Chromis]

Hi I started a new 72 gallon reef tank but I think I must up when I started?
I got the tank from a lady that said the tank had been up and running for at lest 8 years I tore the tank down myself and brought it home and re started it without cleaning the rock or substrate (whoops) so I'm in week 2 of cycling my ammonia is at 2ppm nitrite 0 and nitrate 40ppm. So my question is am I ok to keep cycling or should I do a 50% water change? Thanks in advance.

:fish1: I would start over, take the rock out and put in containers full of tank water, remove the sand, throw it away, and buy some new sand, clean it, unless you buy live sand then get it ready to put into your tank. You can then add a little new salt water to the tank, clean the rock, in the old tank water, if needed and put it back in the tank, add the new clean or live sand, fill the tank with new saltwater, turn on the pumps, protein skimmer, and whatever else you would normally run with your tank. Give it time to cycle, hopefully it won't take too long, but if you leave that old sand in your system, you will be asking for trouble from the get go. After a few weeks you should be ready to start adding new life to your system, go slow, patience is a virtue in this hobby. :fish1:

 

[OldReefGuy]

Agree with SK8R (and not because he has a million posts).
Keep it as is. You should see a very little spike in your Nitrite and then should be ok....
do 10-15% water changes after that till Nitrates are down

 

[Diana A]

Leave it alone and let it cycle

 

[The55reef]

I appreciate it you guys are a huge help on this site. I have one more question I have a mh with 2 150watt. How high should i hang it above the tank or should it sit right on top?

 

[Diana A]

i have mine 12 inches above the tank