Not a newbie but a returning reefer.. HELP

[dbnblynn]

So this sounds so dumb I know.. haha but I have a question about cycling...

We started with a 26g bowfront and then went to a 30g and then upgraded to a 55g predrilled with a 30g sump which ran for 3 years and then recently we had to move and it was a several hour trip (which is murder with a 2 and a half year old) so when we moved we had taken our fish to a reef hobbyist that had a store that had closed. our coral went with them. The tank was drained (all but about 2-3in.

When we moved we moved into a tiny apartment that we didn't presume would be able to handle a tank.. so...... about a month passed of a bucket of sand and water and about 5lbs of live rock sitting.

One day my husband came home and begged to set up a nano reef. (we have an assortment of tanks in storage now 10, 15, 26, 55 etc..) so we set up the 15 with the sand and water and rock that was sitting in a bucket and then added some of our old live rock.. that had since dried out.

NOW HERE'S THE QUESTION... I bought 20 gallons of RO water at the grocery store and I mixed it with our supply of reef crystals... so we hook up 2 power heads and a hang on the back filter (no media.. using it as a refugium with some small live rock and algea and cope pods.) plus its another source of water movement.

So on sunday 11/2/14
ammonia: .50ppm
nitrate: 10ppm
phosphate: 0ppm
alkalinity in the normal range
ph: 8.0-8.2
salinity 1.024

and today 11/6/14
ammonia: 1ppm
nitrate 0-5ppm
phosphate:0ppm
alkalinity in the normal range
ph 8.0
salinity 1.024

so after sunday when the parameters seemed to be almost cycled through I thought "ok our sand and rock kept some stuff alive.. and so we already had semi-cycled..lets add a fish to move along progress"

We went to the Pet Store (i havent found an lfs nearby yet) and got a royal gramma (husbands choice) and a peppermint.. we figured if we would lose fish the cheaper in the spectrum would be better... BUT we didn't want damsels as they get mean so you have to go above $5..

so judge me all you will my question is How can my tank be so far into the cycle and then it seems like my nitrates have vanished and all the sudden we have a ammonia spike again? I have done 2g water changes every day so the fish don't get ammonia poisoning.. but I don't want the tank to NOT cycle either... Today I did 4g which is roughly 25% and those parameters were a few hours later to make sure we had a good mix.

any input?

 

[Eric Boerner]

Unless you don't have a skimmer on it, I'd let that water sit 'as is' until your parameters stabilize. If you keep changing it out, you're just causing more bacteria blooms to occur. The cycle is all about getting a stable pop of bacteria. In general that is going to be hard in a nano, and by changing the water a lot, you won't get that stabilization.

You do need to keep the water clean though. If you don't have the skimmer, do smaller, more frequent changes. Like 1/2 gallon a day for 5 days.

PS. Grocery store RO water is usually worse than city water. It just doesn't have the fluorides and chlorine. It will be really dirty. Those RO membranes get changed out once a decade, if ever.

 

[dbnblynn]

well it wasn't like the big blue bottles at the store it was individual gallons you can buy in the drink aisle.. not that that makes a difference... but anyway I was trying to let it go but I don't want to poison the fish too ya know? :headwally: want a reef aquarium? sure why not....

 

[Xavibear]

Is it ro or rodi water. You want rodi water. Almost cycled isn't cycled.

Slow down, you're not ready for fish yet. Check your water source & correct it if needed. Let your tank fully cycle before adding anything.