Whats Up with this Cycle?

[bertoni]

Continued dosing won't prepare for a higher initial bio-load unless the dose is increased and the tank is not already surface-area-limited. Even then, the bacteria will start dying back very rapidly, so the effect is very short in duration.

Nitrate kits often work by reducing some of the nitrate to nitrite, and then detecting the nitrite, which is easier, chemically speaking. So small amounts of nitrite will show up as large amounts of nitrate.

 

[themummra]

Ammonia almost down to 0, Nitrites starting to drop and Nitrates are going up! I think we are almost through this.

 

[bertoni]

Okay, that looks like great progress!

 

[themummra]

Nitrates up, looks like ammonia and nitrites going down

 

[bertoni]

Hopefully the nitrite will be zero in a few days.

 

[themummra]

Hopefully the nitrite will be zero in a few days.

If things keep going well!

Then it will be time to add some CUC. I know I want a hermit crab and a shrimp, not sure on what kind or what snails yet.

 

[themummra]

Ammonia still down, nitrites going down and Nitrates are 100+ppm

Found a store with a clean, organized invertebrate section. And they are in a fishless system. Which is great as I do not have a quarantine setup yet.

 

[themummra]

Did a pH test as I hadn't done one yet.
I can't tell what color this is?

 

[btb72]

I'd say 8.1 so perfect. Don't worry about ph honestly.

 

[themummra]

I'd say 8.1 so perfect. Don't worry about ph honestly.

That confirms what I've read, basically its not worth chasing pH. That will be determined by alkalinity and CO2 exchange.

 

[bertoni]

That's correct. The pH will be set by the carbon dioxide level in the water and the alkalinity, and a fairly wide range, 7.8-8.4, will be fine. The corals might grow a bit more rapidly at the higher levels, but that's the only effect.

 

[themummra]

Progress!

I put a couple flakes of food in yesterday, now my nitrites are 0 or close to it. Should I do a water change and then stock CUC?

 

[themummra]

 

[bertoni]

I think that a few water changes would be a good idea, but I'd wait to see whether the ammonia test result gets more towards the zero color. A day or two should be fine. Ammonia kits often measure small levels of ammonia in clean water, though.

 

[themummra]

I think that a few water changes would be a good idea, but I'd wait to see whether the ammonia test result gets more towards the zero color. A day or two should be fine. Ammonia kits often measure small levels of ammonia in clean water, though.

Yeah it was actually more yellow and the blue lighter in person, I'll wait another day or two and see how the tests go.

 

[bertoni]

Okay, the ammonia probably is zero, then, but waiting a day or two should give more margin for error.

 

[themummra]

Ammonia from the flakes I added is coming down, nitrites about 0.

I want to get a CUC soon but I still have no algae. If I get just 1 hermit and 5 snails will they have enough to eat without any visible algae.

 

[themummra]

Ammonia *shakes fist*

 

[postaldave]

looking good. next stop Diatoms.

don't over buy CuC.

and remember. only bad things happen quickly in a reef tank.

 

[bertoni]

Most hermit crabs are fine with a bit of fish food to eat. I'd wait on the herbivorous snails until the algae shows up.