New SW tank cycling

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onyx

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
43
Location
Texas
I just started up a 29 Gal SW tank and am cycling with 35lb of live rock. After a couple days the water condition is in bad shape. Ammonia is showing at the highest level 8.0 and Nitrites and Nitrates are showing the highest levels on the strip also. Do I let it sit like this and it will cycle itself or do a 50% water change?
 
well first off i suggest buying a set of liquid test kits, the API saltwater master test kit is a good starter kit and is relatively cheap. this is because those strip kits aren't very accurate and you can get the readings you're getting

if you find this is the case id probably do a PWC, the size you said sounds good to get the ammonia down, the tank won't cycle with that much ammonia.

also, how are you cycling the tank? did you add a shrimp or do you just have the rock?
 
okay, thats all youll need, just get a liquid test kit and post those results, then we'll go from there
 
Ok, so i have the API ammonia tester. Did a 50% water change. Brushed off all the rocks gently like liveaquaria recommends in there how to on cycling with live rock and checked the water after 2 hours. Same result. Dark blue which is the highest number on the chart at 8.0. Who knows it might even be higher :( Should I put some Amquel in the tank or what?
 
I'm guessing there was a LOT of dead and decaying stuff on that rock. And that's even after you brushed the loose stuff off. Wow.

Dunno what Amquel is, but I'd wait it out for a few more days and see if the ammonia budges. I'm not a fan of sw tank additives. More into letting the natural processes take place. Nothing scientific on my part, just my druthers.
 
I'm guessing there was a LOT of dead and decaying stuff on that rock. And that's even after you brushed the loose stuff off. Wow.

Dunno what Amquel is, but I'd wait it out for a few more days and see if the ammonia budges. I'm not a fan of sw tank additives. More into letting the natural processes take place. Nothing scientific on my part, just my druthers.
Thanks. I'll give it a couple days and see if anything good happens
 
Did you clean off any of the dead material from the live rock before you added it to the tank?
If not I would get a canister filter on the tank and take a turkey baster to blow off as much decaying matter from the rock as possible. Then let the canister filter run for a while to clear the water and then remove it.
In time the amonia will go down but the more dead material there is on the rocks the longer it will take.
 
Good point. Maybe a lot of stuff remained or continued to loosen after you did the initial brushing of the rock. That turkey baster may help remove more decaying matter.
 
Thanks guys. I'll let it sit for a few days then see if the ammonia is any lower. I've got an EHEIM canister sitting next to the tank i'll get hooked up. So no water change yet right? Since I did a 50% yesterday.
 
Ok so the other day when I was doing the water change I broke my hydrometer, the kind that bobs in the water. So I went and bought this one and it's showing a totally different salinity level. WTH? If this is indeed the salinity level should I do another water change without adding salt to bring it down? My ammonia level by the way is still 8.0 on the scale :confused:
 

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