Did I cycle?

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severum mama

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Dec 11, 2004
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Hey all, a couple weeks ago I put 1/2 of a raw shrimp into my 15 gallon nano tank. I tested the water for the first time today, and here are my readings:

ammonia= 0
nitrite= 0
nitrate= 20
pH=7.8

I wish I would have been less lazy about water testing over the past couple weeks, or at least tested at all! :oops: I still have the shrimp in my tank, can I just remove it, do a 75% water change, and add a coral or small fish? Thanks!
 
Looks like you've cycled. Get the shrimp out and do the water change, but just add a fish at 1st. Coral probably will have to wait till the tank is established/stablilized a bit.

Also, add some marine buffer to get your pH up to 8.3 (after the water change obviously.) 7.8 is pretty low.
 
It certainly is possible. As suggested, remove the shrimp and do a 50% water change. Wait a few days and see if all levels remain good. If so, add your first fish (only one) and see how the tank reacts.
 
severum mama said:
I wish I would have been less lazy about water testing over the past couple weeks, or at least tested at all! :oops: I still have the shrimp in my tank, can I just remove it, do a 75% water change, and add a coral or small fish? Thanks!

You can't be lazy with a small tank, you need to stay on top of it things can go bad fast in small tanks. Once you add a fish I would test water daily for a few days to a week to make sure water parameters are holding.
 
I haven't been lazy with small tanks. My 2.5 gallon is doing fine and has plenty of my attention. I just got lazy with testing the water in this new tank. There hasn't been anything in it except for a rotting shrimp.

When I started adding corals and then the goby to my other tank, I did test the water every single day, as I plan to do now. Please don't assume I am lazy with my tanks just because I didn't test the water until now with nothing but a shrimp in there.
 
You had lr in the tank too if I remember. I agree that more then likely you are cycled. As long as you only add one fish a month you should be safe :D
 
You said you were lazy So I did not Assume anything. And if you tested you would have known if you cycled or not. Thats why you test to keep track of a cycle so you know when its done or even started.
 
Sorry, but I didn't say I was lazy in general, only that I hadn't tested the water and was surprised at my results today. I understand the point of testing water, but honestly I hadn't expected much to happen in just 10 days so it wasn't that big of a deal to me. I've spent a lot of time maintaining my other tanks this week. I just don't see how that translates into poor overall maintenance habits. ;)
 
Yeah, I've given it some thought. A lot of thought, actually! I'd like to keep a royal gramma, an ocellaris clown, and a neon goby if possible. :)
If that is not a good idea, I will just go for the gramma and the clown, but I've asked around and people seem to think that all 3 of those fish will be ok. I'll also be keeping soft corals. The tank is a 15 gallon 24"x12"x12" instead of the 15 tall- I really like the shape of this tank as far as 'scaping. You can see pics in my nano thread if you're interested, just click on my sig. :) Not much to see yet, tho.
 
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