Some Newbie Questions

[Reefvette]

5.5 Gallon tank FOWLR....

I added live rock to tank that i was told was cured but it wasnt... I tested the water this morning and came up with

Amm 1.2
Nitrate 50 ppl
Nitrite .2

I test the water this afternoon
The readings i got are different...

Amm .5
Nitrate 50
Nitrite .8

Is this just spike cause of the live rock?
No critters in the tank and the water was perfect before the Live rock.

 

[jiggy]

yeh.. its going through a cycle cuz of the rock

 

[steve68]

yeah but dont worry its only 5 gallons it should drop real fast like in a week or so.

 

[Reefvette]

I bought some bio spira

I bought some bio spira

i added some marine bio spira to the tank about 3 ml. tommrow i am going to test again at night and if things are not better ill dose with 6ml.... i cant beleive they sold uncured rock....

 

[Reefvette]

Diatoms and Testing

Diatoms and Testing

I thought it was diatom algea but it was just some peice of rock... Still doesnt help with my spike in ammonia... Hopefully the biospira can help to transform the ammonia...

I am so ****ed about this...

 

[MadTownMax]

Unless you get rock straight from someone's established tank, it's going to go through a cycle - no reason to be mad, that's just the way it is.

Since your levels are already coming down, you're on the right path- just give it some time.

Make sure there aren't any dieing sponges or other rotting stuff deep in the holes in the live-rock, that will prolong your cycle.

 

[Reefvette]

Thanks

Thanks

Guys im sitting in my office going nuts wanting to test my tank so badly... I dosed with Bio Spira and hoping it helps....
The store sold it to me as fully cured and i expected some die off but not a complete spike.....

 

[blange3]

Since the title is newbie questions, let me give you the newbie mantra to repeat:

Patience, patience, patience!!!

If the tests come out OK, what are you planning to do next?

Answer: Wait a couple of days and test again!

 

[Reefvette]

If the test come out good

If the test come out good

im going to wait a week and keep testing them put something in there

 

[MadTownMax]

Now is a very important time - if you let your rock cycle without any fish in there for a month you will have creatures in your tank that otherwise will never have a chance once you add a fish (they will eat them all)

down the road, this means you can leave your tank for a few days to a week without feeding (I can leave mine for a week and a half) as there are loads of micro-crusteaceans such as mysis shrimp and 'pods that have developed.

At least a few more weeks to allow everything to become stable will pay off in spades in the coming months - adding fish too early will probably give you and your wallet (read dead/diseased fish) a headache



I won't do any more preaching, as I'm sure you're pretty tired of it by now.

 

[Reefvette]

Ran Some Test

Ran Some Test

Ammonia .4 with one kit
Ammonia with other kit .25
Nitrate 10
Nitrite .3

 

[dppitone]

Don't test it. Don't add anything. Don't look at it. Don't walk by it. Your only contact should be a one to two gallon water change each day for seven days. That should keep levels below anything that could harm the live rock. Put a towel over it. Cover it with anything. Make sure your back is to it. Forget about it for a week.

 

[REEFBRONCO]

Thanks

Thanks

Dip.... Thanks for the advice. Im not a newb but i just got so fustrated and angry the last couple days because of the live rock situation. I asked the guy in the store is this rock fully cured. I dont want to have to go through a cycle or a ammonia spike.. Look what happened.... Tonight im gonna take a picture. Me and my girlfriend saw a thing on the rock when we bought it and now it has started to send out what look like sweepers or polyps and its stretching out..... Ill take pic tonight

 

[Reefvette]

Look at this

Look at this

Can u tell me what the reading is