My First Aqurium (marine)

[Georb]

Just Finished setting up my first marine aquarium. Nuvo 40g Skimmer, and reactor are in the back pods.

Just pulled the numbers after I put in the live rock.

PH 8.3
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Calcium 380
Ammonia .25
Kph 179
Phosphate 0
Temp 78.6

I want to put in corals, Shrimp and a few fish. My concern is the .25 ammonia, Do I have to wait until that number is a hard 0 before I add anything to the tank?

I used Carb live sand and Imagitarium sea water. The ammonia was in the water before it even went into the tank, is that something common?

I was told to wait at least 3 weeks before I can put anything more in it. Is this true?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[oneofmany]

Yes, definitely wait until the Ammonia reaches zero before you add any livestock to the tank. Once you do so go slow... Maybe add a couple snails and see how they do for the next couple weeks or so. If all is well then go ahead and add a fish or perhaps a shrimp and then wait again.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.htm

 

[scooter31707]

Just Finished setting up my first marine aquarium. Nuvo 40g Skimmer, and reactor are in the back pods.

Just pulled the numbers after I put in the live rock.

PH 8.3
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Calcium 380
Ammonia .25
Kph 179
Phosphate 0
Temp 78.6

I want to put in corals, Shrimp and a few fish. My concern is the .25 ammonia, Do I have to wait until that number is a hard 0 before I add anything to the tank?

I used Carb live sand and Imagitarium sea water. The ammonia was in the water before it even went into the tank, is that something common?

I was told to wait at least 3 weeks before I can put anything more in it. Is this true?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I bet you are using API test kits? if so, they are known to give that false reading for ammonia. I suggest finding a better test kit or dosing pure ammonia into the tank up to 2-3ppm and if it goes back to zero in 24 hours than your tank is cycled.

 

[Georb]

Thanks for the tips, I will pick up another Ammonia test kit. I am using the API stuff.

 

[Georb]

2 weeks later

Everything dropped to 0

About 25 pounds of live rock and 3 pounds of cured rock. My triple light shelf is staged for future coral needs.

I went and picked up a cleaning crew 1 turbo 1 emerald crab and 5 little hermits (5 for 5)

I am very nervous because what I read about CUC dying because of starvation. I have added a few little algae cubes every few days to build up some life. I also will be designing a rear micro refugium.

Here is the pic of the custom stand and the nuvo 40.

Should I be worried about the cuc? I don't plan on grabbing fish for about 2 weeks, but I don't want my crabbies to die or stave...

 

[heathlindner25]

I would move your power heads towards the top of the water line

 

[Georb]

Yes, I used a cycle in a bottle stuff from insta reef. Seemed to work really well. The cuc is running around and moving all over the tank picking at the algae tabs the emerald crab bear hugged one and killed it, Kinda funny. The turbo snail hasn't moved much.

After 24 hours the only movement was the NO3 at 7.0 did a gallon water change. So far so good.

Do powerheads at the top make a difference?