Cycling complete after 3 weeks?

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I made my waterchange.

Hi!

I did a 25% (10g) waterchange last night. I think it's ready, but I'm a little worried for the nitrates.

Here are my readings this morning

Temp : 79F
PH 8.2
Specific Gravity : 1.023
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20 ppm

Do you think it would be wise if I waited one more week and made another waterchange? Or would it be ok if I add my false percula tonight? I plan to make a 15% waterchange weekly then.

I think I should wait before adding CUC though, my nitrates are a little high for snails or crabs I think. Am I right?
 
nuwave59 said:
Hi!

I did a 25% (10g) waterchange last night. I think it's ready, but I'm a little worried for the nitrates.

Here are my readings this morning

Temp : 79F
PH 8.2
Specific Gravity : 1.023
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 20 ppm

Do you think it would be wise if I waited one more week and made another waterchange? Or would it be ok if I add my false percula tonight? I plan to make a 15% waterchange weekly then.

I think I should wait before adding CUC though, my nitrates are a little high for snails or crabs I think. Am I right?
Click to expand...


Wouldn't hurt to wait. Add the cuc before you put in the fish... will bring down the nitrates.
 
Oh! I was planning to add the CUC after the fish actually. I thought that 20 ppm was ok for the fish, but not for the CUC (10 ppm and under?). But if you think that 20 ppm is ok for snails and crabs and that it would bring down the Nitrates, then why not adding it before the fish, and I saw that the tank is messier than it seemed when I did my water change anyway, so there is food for them.
 
Snails and hermits will be fine in there, I wouldn't put any shrimp in though or anything like that, they are ultra sensitive to parameters.

I would do a quickie water change and then add a fish or two. :)

I'm kinda unclear on how a cuc will lower nitrates though? They will consume any waste on the sand and some algae but they also poop too so they add to the bioload which in turn adds to the nitrates.
?
 
Hummmmm.....so what do you think? Another 10g waterchange tonight and see how it is tomorrow and add the fish sunday? I think all the shrimp I put in there was a much bigger bioload than the two baby false perculas I'll put there will do. My original plan was to add the fish tonight, then add snails and hermits in a week or 2. I'm confused. What would you do?
 
I would do the water change and then add a fish. Just what I would do though. and make sure the other parameters are still stable of course. Theres no right or wrong way to add livestock, some go with cuc right off and some go with fish straight away. I think if you cycled properly two clowns would be fine .
 
10 ppm is better than 20ppm no doubt. so a water change should knock them down a bit. You're in no rush, remember the patience thing with saltwater? Well here's a good example of it in practice. If youre not comfortable with where your tank is now then by all means wait it out until you are 100% sure.
In the meantime you can still add some hermits or snails if you wanted and wait on the fish.All up to you and your comfort level.
 
Ok, I think I'm worried that if I don't add fish right now, it'll scew up my cycle. You say that it's ok if I wait a week? I could like, make another big water change next week, and wait until I'm 100% sure it's ok before adding my fish. Maybe I'll go get a few snails and crabs instead. I think that even if I put the shrimps in nylon socks, they made a mess in the tank more than I thought. if you say 20 ppm would not hurt astreas and red legged and hermits I think that's what I'll add tonight, otherwise, if it's too high and waiting a week will not hurt my cycling progress I'll wait!
 
I would be really happy if I could add something tonight :)

But like you said, no hurry, patience :)

I'll take like 5 astreas (or trochus if they got em!) and 3 hermits tonight, and see how it goes.
 
Hi! I added 4 trochus snail (I think they're not Astrea! I saw one flip over!) And 2 red legged hermits friday night. They're doing fine for now! I made more tests and it's something between 10 and 20 ppm. I think I'll continue making bigger PWC (25%) for a while, until I reach 5 ppm, then I'll make 10% PWC. Today, I replace my carbon, 25% PWC. I'll make another PWC on Thursday and add Nemos on friday.
 
Hi!
My Nitrates readings are still between 10 and 20 ppm, after my PWC, but the color is lighter (I use the API test). I'll make another one thursday, and since my snails and hermits are still alive, and moving a lot, I guess the fish will be allright! I'll come up with pics this weekend!
 
your tank is about to be exciting! as if it weren't with all the life in a fishless cycle, its amzing how much can actually be in there.
 
Yes! I took a close look and saw lots more of things than I thought. I have lots of copepods (little bugs) I don't actually know if I have a lot but everytime I look at my rock, I see two or three pop up of my rock. I saw a little white worm too. Now I get why it's called Live Rock. Also, I think I might have a sponge, or maybe it's just coraline. I have a bright purple/pink spot on one of my rock, and it has relief. I'll try to take a picture of it, but I doubt it's possible with t8 lighting for sponges to grow. I only have 4 snails and 2 hermits and I spent a hour yesterday watching them. And my wife was angry, because I wasn't fast on doing the dishes...hahaha....so I cannot imagine the time I will pass watching it once I have my whole CUC and, of course, fish!
 
Yeah, my wife apparently wasnt prepared for the time involved, but i spent a lot of time with fw and told her it woulf double for marine esp in the beginning... shes coming around as i point more stuff out
 
I finally put a false percula in there! It was the only junior specimen left in a 20 miles radius! Here it is!

BTW put your speaker volume down. The video was shot during my birthday party last weekend :)

My first Fish! - YouTube



I found a more expensive ''Teardrop'' False percula. It's attractive, and it would make something out of ordinary in my tank. Are there issues with those??
 
if you want to add another clown just try to get one smaller or larger than the one you have. :)
 
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