Starting a new tank..

[kurtyboh]

@ronk you stated raw shrimp in your earlier post but it seemed as if xathos was confused as he only wanted to add lr. Just trying to help clear it up before it was an issue. Sorry xathos if you did understand and im the one whos confused

kurtyboh

 

[Xathos]

Updated photos with 39 pounds of kaelini and fiji live rock. Now to begin the 3 week cycling process! I still don't have the rock setup the way I like it, trying to view different setups to get some creative ideas.

 

[Xathos]

So before I add any fish after the tank is cycled, should I start with my clean up crew first? And what would you suggest for a brand new tank? Also how long after that should I add fish?

 

[abdhalim2]

better u wait till your tank is fully cycle...i did it before to my tank and it was a mistake....they just can survive for only 1 hours and started melting....the best way to add any live stock is after the process is complete....u can also add fish when ammonia n nitrite read 0....
anyway.....how u cycle your tank..?? only use LR..?? why not add some ammonia sources such raw shrimp or fish food...

 

[Xathos]

Yea, i'm definitely going to wait until the tank is cycled before adding the clean up crew, that's what I meant in the post, after all my levels are stable. I'm just using the live rock to cycle the tank. It's a brand new shipment from the lfs and it should be enough to cycle the tank no problem.

 

[ronk]

It may or may not be worth to add the clean up crew. It all depends on what condition your tank is in. If you develop diatoms in the sand your snails will help turn that over. But I am not sure if you can get something that will actually feed on the diatoms.

 

[joy13]

It looks like you got some great live rock to start with. I don't know how much live critters living in it. If you are doing the shrimp thing to cycle watch the tank and see if have any bristle worms. They will come out and eat it especially at night. I tried to cycle with shrimp in a tank but all did was feed the bristle worms I had a soft cycle. I still fed the tank every other day with a pinch of food just to make sure the bacteria was enough to take care of any bioload I was going to put in it.

 

[TiminPA]

Starting a New Aquarium, wanting to use some old items

Posted in The Wrong Forum. Sorry.

 

[hackteck]

the live rock should be enough to start the cycle

 

[Xathos]

Just did a test of my water using the API test kit and my results are:

Ammonia 0.25ppm
PH 8.2
Nitrite 5.0ppm
Nitrate 160 ppm
Salinity 1.021 but i just added more.

 

[Xathos]

Should I bother to turn on lighting at all during cycling? Seems like it would only promote algae growth.

 

[kurtyboh]

beyond that bacterias grow well in the darkness! Since that what you're trying to get I personally don't think it's a bad idea to keep a tank dark while cycling, but I have no proof that it helps... Maybe someone who has more experience can chime in and say for sure. In my freshwater aquarium though i wrapped a towel around it to keep it dark and it cycled in less than 3 weeks! (also had a heater and one of those bio-wheel thingys)

 

[Xathos]

Did another test today, seems like it's cycling normally. Haven't gotten my ammonia spike yet, though.

Ammonia 0.25 ppm
PH 8.2
Nitrite 5.0 ppm
Nitrate 80 ppm
SG 1.024

 

[joy13]

One nice thing about cycling without lights is less algae when it is cycled.

 

[Xathos]

Been a week now since my tank has been cycling, ammonia is still around .025. The nitrites and nitrates are still off the charts at 5.0ppm and 160ppm. I have a feeling the spike should happen soon and the numbers will start to fall. Not too worried though, I'm patient. Besides, it gives me more time to research the fish I want.

 

[Xathos]

Live Rock Die off

The live rock has been curing in my tank for a week, and I am noticing a significant amount of die-off all over the bottom of my sand bed. I realized too late that I should've cycled the live rock differently before starting. So I'm wondering the best way I can get rid of the die off after all of the live rock is cycled and how much of a water change should I do before I get my clean up crew? At this point, i'm going to keep it cycling in my tank until it is fully cured and ammonia / nitrites levels are at zero. How much of a water change should I start with and how often? I'd like to get as much of that waste out that I can. So far I've only used around an hour of lighting total in a week of cycling, and zero water changes, only top off around 10%. Will doing a huge water change ruin my cycle?

 

[kurtyboh]

yeah if youre doing a fishless cycle you shouldnt do pwc's just topoffs so +1 there. I would suggest using a gravel vac to get rid of the die off... anything left after that I would assume your CUC will get, but hopefully someone with more experience will chime in on that part of your post.

 

[Xathos]

Ahhh, finally my tank is almost done cycling! I've been doing tests daily and the numbers are dropping drastically.

Nitrate went from 160ppm to 80 to 20 to now 5ppm.
Nitrite went from 5ppm for a week straight to 2ppm to now 0.25ppm
Ammonia has been at 0 for a few days now.

Once nitrites hit zero I'm going to leave it for 2-3 more days and then add a clean up crew. Any advice on what to start with since the tank won't have much for them to eat yet?

 

[needmorecowbell]

I have the same filter. emporer 400? I was wondering if I could use it for a 30 gallon sw tank.

 

[Xathos]

I have the same filter. emporer 400? I was wondering if I could use it for a 30 gallon sw tank.

You sure can, are you going to add live rock as well?