Start of week five cycling

[Thomsona]

Hello guys and gals

I've just started week 5 of cycling and here are the first test results.

PH. 8.4
Nitrite 0
Ammonia. In between 0 and .1
Nitrate. 5ppm
Hydrometer 1.023
Calcium 400ppm
Also did 20% PWC

Also question LFS is trying to sell me a UV sterilizer is thus needed or are they trying to get me to spend more money

Cheers

 

[Thomsona]

Do u think it's safe to try my first ? Or give it some more time ?

 

[classklown90]

what size is your tank? and im guessing you meant first fish? try an invert first and see how it does. a fish should be okay but that .5 ammonia will cause some discomfort

 

[austinsdad]

Describe your cycling process so far.

 

[Thomsona]

5 weeks of testing
Tank is roughly 43g or 190ltr
Bout 20kg of lr plus 6kg base rock

Testing daily, had a couple ammonia spikes but not big spikes .2 both times
Nitrites are 0 and have been for weeks
Nitrates fluctuated for a week but last 2 weeks have been 0ppm or 5ppm
Ph is floating between 8.2 and 8.4

Have done 2 25% pwc one in week 4 and one yesterday in week 5

Todays test

Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5ppm
Ammonia 0
Ph 8.4
Calcium 500ppm

In tank I have 1 Astria snail

 

[austinsdad]

What did you use for an ammonia source? Weird you never saw nitrites.

 

[kurtyboh]

And what was the highest your ammonia was at?

 

[Thomsona]

Highest was .3 but 2nd peak was .2

Nitrates fluctuated during 3rd week but settled down

 

[kurtyboh]

Yeah seems to me that you didnt see nitrites because you never had much ammonia to feed your bacteria. Im not an expert but that's what i'd guess

 

[PrettyFishies]

+1 you need like 4ppm of ammonia to really get the cycle going. Your tank does my sound cycled.

Put 2 medium raw shrimp in and let the ammonia get up to 4ppm, at least 3.

You should have definitely seen nitrites.

On the flip, if your tank is cycled, you'd see the ammonia and nitrite clear out fast. But, given the info, it sounds like you need to start over.

 

[Thomsona]

Ok

Will it effect the snail I put in and there crabs from the lr

Also got this purple stuff growing on my base rock looks like coraline algae ?

 

[Thomsona]

Ok

Will it effect the snail I put in and there crabs from the lr

Also got this purple stuff growing on my base rock looks like coraline algae ?

 

[Thomsona]

How long will I need the prawn in then

 

[Phlex]

Its my understanding from multiple sources, that using established LR CAN eliminate the cycle process all together. If Im wrong definately tell me.

 

[carey]

Its my understanding from multiple sources, that using established LR CAN eliminate the cycle process all together. If Im wrong definately tell me.

After putting 48lbs of live rock and 31 lbs of live sand from an established tank i had nitrites at day 2 of ammonia dosing. I kept it at 4ppm for several days and it always came right back down and had nitrates prob on day 4.
So yeah in my case I think it really helped

 

[kurtyboh]

Its my understanding from multiple sources, that using established LR CAN eliminate the cycle process all together. If Im wrong definately tell me.

yes but if there is no ammonia source feeding the bacteria there is no cycle going, and after a few days no bacteria left at all. Adding lr could remove the cycling process all together, but only because the rock has bacteria on it already. If you add enough your tank is "cycled" because the lr is already using the nitrogen cycle. Once again though, if there is no source of ammonia, the nitrosominas are dying.

 

[Thomsona]

Ok tommorow I'm going to put a shrimp in

How long do I need it in for ?

 

[kurtyboh]

you leave the shrimp in, as it decomposes it is converted to ammonia. You keep the shrimp in there until you have no ammonia or nitrites.

 

[Thomsona]

Cheers

With on of the questions I had at start of this thread
Uv sterilizer is it needed or is Lfs just wanting more dosh ?

 

[austinsdad]

Do not leave the shrimp in there forever like mentioned above.

When the ammonia gets to 3.0, remove it, it has done its job by then. As a metter of fact, some put it in a fine mesh bag since its decomposition can make it fall into pieces.

I'd pass on the UV. No direct proof they do anything IMO.