15 gallon live rock cycle

[pattyfurg]

Nah I was gonna buy 50% live sand and 50% normal XP iv heard the lights ill need are really expensive :S

 

[PurplePolyp]

I paid 250 for a 48" T5 light that has 2 10000K lights and 2 actinic lights plus 4 lunar bulbs for night viewing.

 

[pattyfurg]

Lol I really didn't understand any of that :S

 

[pattyfurg]

Results today! I realized I was looking at the freshwater card for ammonia so what I thought was 0.25 was actually 0

Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrates are at 0ppm too :S

 

[PurplePolyp]

lol i really didn't understand any of that :s

 

[pattyfurg]

Lol my tank is still a long way away so ill try to research as much as I can in the meantime! Thanks for your help though

 

[pattyfurg]

I won't be able to get anything in there yet because I need ALL of my money for my larger tank :S do I add food in the meantime or just don't do water changes?

 

[PurplePolyp]

I would say you should be good to go. It looks like you finished your cycle based on how was last test was. I would say grab some snails or something and put them in. Start out with some snails for a few days and see how it goes. They will eat some of the bacteria found in your live rock but also like pellets and...dead stuff.

 

[pattyfurg]

Haha I actually have NO money to spend on fish XP
Should I keep putting food in?

 

[PurplePolyp]

If you aren't going to be putting anything to eat the food, don't add any. All that will do will create a ton of excess nutrients and you'll have an algae outbreak. Don't want that.

 

[pattyfurg]

Won't the bacteria die?

 

[PurplePolyp]

Hmm...I don't know. You would think it would survive in the live rock. I guess it wouldn't hurt to drop a flake or two in. Algae can be fixed if it doesn't get too bad.

 

[pattyfurg]

I'm trying to get someone, for Christmas, to take me to my aquarium and buy me fish hehe