29 gallon progress update

[drucifer]

11 days since filling her.

Salinity: 1.024
Temp (F): 79
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: .25
Nitrate: 20
Plus, a healthy population of diatoms

A couple of pics, too:

No lights:

PC actinics:

 

[cmor1701d]

Is that all base rock?
What did you do to start your cycle?

 

[roka64]

I agree.
That is some cool scaping!

 

[drucifer]

Is that all base rock?
What did you do to start your cycle?

Some is base rock, if you look at the pic here you can see exactly how much. I really didn't do anything to start the cycle other than chucking the live rock in there.

I agree.
That is some cool scaping!

Thanks!

 

[melosu58]

You`ll need to add something maybe a pinch of flake to jump start the cycle. Read about the cycle on our SW articles.

 

[drucifer]

How about a few drops of ammonia?

 

[melosu58]

Why not a small pinch of flakes or a small piece of shrimp?

 

[cmor1701d]

Use the tried and tru coctail shrimp method. Just put it in a mesh bag for ease of removal later. You could add some pure ammonia, but there's something about using biological material (shrimp/flake food, etc.) that just seems more nautral.

 

[drucifer]

I should do this even though my nitrites have already peaked (beyond 5 according to the color scale on the API test kit) and fallen?

 

[cmor1701d]

IMO you had a mini-cycle because of you added some LR. Did you see a rise in ammonia first, and if so to what level?

You have about a 50/50 mix of LR and base rock. Your tank might be cycled, but there's a better chance that you don't have a very large population of bacteria yet. Try adding a pinch of flake and see if you get an ammonia reading in a day. If there's no spike to ammonia, nitrite or nitrate you can do your PWC and start slowly adding livestock (1 fish per month).

Please keep us posted.

 

[drucifer]

11 pounds base rock - 1 piece is exceptionally dense and heavy FWIW - 45 pounds live rock, uncleaned (also about of pound or so of LR rubble in the sump). Filled on 6/14, didn't take any readings until 6/19, at which point ammonia was between .25-.5, NO2 >5, and NO3 ~15. I'll add a pinch of flakes and test 24 hrs after.

 

[drucifer]

18 hours, no ammonia.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Looks pretty awesome so far.

 

[drucifer]

Looks pretty awesome so far.

Thanks! Picked up a tank-bred clownfish and 3 astrea snails from the LFS early this evening. All is well thus far, but only testing will tell. Thanks for all your help everybody!

 

[cmor1701d]

Uncleaned LR? Did you mean uncured? That would cause a much larger spike in ammonia, nitirite and nitrate than what you saw. If it was fully cured then your readings make more sense.

Good luck with your clown.