need some quick help

[heatherdee]

I have been lurking for quite a while here and trying to read and absorb as much as I can.
I think I have followed everything as well as I can.
I print out all the good back posts and try to see which ones kind of repeat and seem right.
I want to succed at this

Anyway.....
I got my seahorses in the mail today .
5 erectus.
CB.....they look awesome!

I am at my job so they will just stay still and dark in the box till I get off work tonight.

Anyway... I thought my 75 gallon tank was all ready to go.
Amonia reads zero. But last night, Nitrate and Nitrite read really high. I have over 100 pounds of live rock and Im wondering if maybe it was not completely cured and maybe some of it is still breaking down. I am new to live rock...so Im not sure. It looks cool...lots of light green on the surfaces which I assume to be algae. The only things in the tank are a very small percula clown ( which will be removed) 12 snails and 6 blue leg hermit crabs.
Also a cleaner shrimp which Im not sure if I should remove or not.

So Im supposed to QT the horses till the weekend.
I have a newly set-up ten gallon ready to go at temp and salinity with an un-cycled sponge filter. They will stay in there till the weekend with water changes from other un-cycled 10's that are set up just for water changes.

Is there anything I can do to get the tank in line?
I have one packet of refridgerated Bio_spira and I was thinking of getting one more ( the packages said for tanks up to 50 gallon)
The guy at the local store said this shoudl quick cycle the tank , especially since it seems I am not dealing with a completely fresh set-up. And I doubt it woudl hurt anything.

Anyway...I feel like I screwed up , but I will not beat myself up about it. ( I also downt have another cycled tank to draw from)
I will learn from it . I just would like to keep these guys healthy.

Heather

( P.S. I am 24 years old...still live with parents...but I work and can buy supplies and stuff within reason)
Woudl appreciate any advice

 

[heatherdee]

help

help

The more I look at the information about Bio-Spira...seems like the way I should go.

Only i guess from the data...looks like I shoudl wait till Saturday when I am ready to add them to the 75...and add the bio-Spira about 1/2 hour before

 

[ann83]

Heather, go ahead and add the bio spira now and watch the params. Keep feeding the tank a little to add to the ammonia. Provided you do daily (or probably twice daily with 5 SH) water changes on the 10 gallon, the seahorses will be fine in there while you finish cycling the display tank. Wait until you can feed the display tank like you'd feed the seahorses, and then have 0 ammonia AND 0 nitrite when you test four hours later.

It will help to put a sponge from one of your cycled tanks, or a bit of live rock from one of your cycled tanks into the QT tank to help with the bioload, because 5 seahorses will produce A LOT of ammonia. If you plan to train the seahorses to a feeding station, I would go ahead and put the station in the QT tank and start training them while they are in there with less distractions.

 

[heatherdee]

thanks

thanks

Thank you so much.
that was the one part I wasnt really clear about.
I have 4 days till I planned on adding the SH to the 75.....
So I wasnt sure when to add the Bio-spira.

I currently have no amonia. Only Nitrate and Nitrite.
And just the clown in the tank. ( very small)So I doubt he is producing much amonia

And I should add that this is my first Salt water set-up.

Heather

 

[ann83]

Heather, the issue is whether or not you will get ammonia when you add food to the tank. So you need to feed like you will be feeding when you add the SH; and then test 4 hours later for ammonia and nitrite. Ideally, you would do this without the clown in the tank (can you put him in a different 10 gallon) since the ammonia would be toxic to him.

 

[ann83]

Adding the bio spira now gives it time to help process the nitrite and waste and help the tank cycle.

You may have to wait more than 4 days to add the seahorses, depending on how long it takes for your tank to build up enough nitrifying bacteria to handle the seahorse food without showing ammonia or nitrite readings.

 

[heatherdee]

thanks again

thanks again

So for the next week or so...should I actually add frozen Mysis and things as if the Horses were in there?
Makes sense I guess ...but would that be going too far?

 

[ann83]

No, its what you are supposed to do to cycle a tank. If you don't add the mysis, the bacteria doesn't have enough ammonia to eat and it dies and then cannot support the seahorse waste when they are added.

 

[Amadeusb12]

You might want to read up on the nitrogen cycle, it will help explain why you need to feed the cycling tank etc. Good luck with your new horses,

Beth

 

[heatherdee]

Thanks,
My guys are doing great in the 10 for now with 50% changes daily.
Eating really well ...and the ten tests great.

So Im still suspect about my 75 ( Which is actually a 90 I found)

Every day I have been adding a cube of mysis in the morning and evening.
Also I put in some adult live brine shrimp ( small amount )

Still no amonia showing. Very slight Nitrate and Nitrite is off the chart high. Not sure what that means.
I added the Bio-spira 3 days ago.

Couple questions.....tomorrow I think I shoudl change about 30 gallons in the big tank. I have live sand on the bottom ( the kind you buy in the bags so I doubt its live) and I want to stir it up and clean all the pockets in my live rock. Does this harm the good bacteria? Or is it adhered to all the rock? I dont want to screw up the tank...but it reall needs a good vacume all around especially with the feeding Ive been doing. Or is it better to just leave it alone with the water thats in there. Im just not sure how changingthe water affects the possible cycling.

Heather

 

[ann83]

You're right in the middle of the cycle. I personally wouldn't change the water. That being said, if you really feel the need to stir up the sand, you need to stir it now. Although I would prefer that you never stir it, ever. Instead, when you do water changes, hold the siphon a few inches off the sand and suck up whatever detritus is sitting on it. If you have dead spots in the tank that are allowing detritus to settle on the rock and sand, you'll need to add powerheads (covered) or airlines, or some other way of water movement that can prevent the dead spots. The zero ammonia and high nitrites means that your tank has built up enough nitrifying bacteria to convert the ammonia to nitrite, but still needs to grow the bacteria to convert nitrite to ammonia. Once the nitrite also turns up at zero, do a 50% water change and then add your snails, and it will be safe to acclimate your seahorses to the tank.

 

[heatherdee]

Thank you Ann.

So does the low amonia mean that the tanks is actually handling the food I am putting in? Its just not finished building the rest?

This is my first marine tank with live rock...I have definately have tons of dead spots especially in the back behind and around the LR. That was a big mistake. Its trapping tons of stuff back there.
I dont think I have much circulation at all in back

I just wasnt sure how to clean.
Can I move the rocks aside to siphon? Then put them back?

Ann , I can get some powerheads...what do you mean by covered?
I assume so the Sh's dont get hurt...but how do you do that?
I think my dad could help me with that.
Hes been fascinated with them since they got here.