cycling , good bad?

[samtehbam]

Hey there newbie here started a salt water tank and I have some concerns I am at day 3 and I did my Api tests the oh was 7.8 or 7.4, ammonia looked to be at 8ppm and no nitrites or nitrates. I used prime and stability on day one and water is still some what cloudy less then before. The live rocks are decaying a lot of matter and it stinks like hell. Is all of that normal???

 

[Oscarr19]

Perfectly normal. You're still very early in the cycling stage but you should see a drop in ammonia and a rise in nitrites soon. Also, while live rock is curing it's normal for it to give off an unpleasant smell.

The only concern I see is the ph is a little low. You want to aim for around 8.2.


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[samtehbam]

Oh thank god the smell eventually go!!! As for the ph, I know there are some products that can increas p, are they safe?

 

[Oscarr19]

Usually ph can easily be maintained by your salt mix, aragonite sand, etc. Buffers are optional and are safe but make sure to test and dose slowly throughout the week. You don't wanna spike the ph. I'd only look into this if your ph is truly at 7.4.

Personally, my ph sits around 7.9 and I try not to mess with it so much. What's most important in this hobby is consistency. So a ph that is constant at 7.9 is a lot better than one that is 7.9 one day and 8.3 the next.


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[samtehbam]

All right thanks Oscarr!!

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[BigRedsReefs10]

Why'd you use prime?

 

[samtehbam]

Had to use tap water

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[Oscarr19]

I highly recommend you invest in an RODI unit in the near future. It'll save you a lot of headaches.


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[samtehbam]

Thing is I can't play around with the plumbing

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[Ravden]

Look for lfs that sells ro/di water it's dumb to pay for water yes but it will save you a lot of headaches in future

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[Chefjpaul]

This is the quick disconnect I set up on my Spectra-pure Ro/di unit.

My first two set ups I tried Buying water & failed miserably.

Maybe this could work for you?
Its In my apartment bathroom, can set up in seconds and store away when done.

From home depot.


ChefJPaul?

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Pretty much all the bulkreefsupply units also come with a faucet attachment. Ro/di is key for sw (especially reefs) IMO, as tap usually leads to issues.

 

[samtehbam]

Wow I'm gonna have to get that, my expenses have really racked up... Its crazy!

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[Chefjpaul]

Cheeper in long run. Plus less issues, maintenance, and stress


ChefJPaul?

 

[Oscarr19]

I got my 7 stage RODI off ebay for 130$. Have a look there or even on bulk reef supply.

 

[samtehbam]

SO... I emptied my tank completely and cleaned the live rocks, (which is a step i never did), refilled the tank and now its completely blurry. Apparently uncured live rock produces waaaaaay to much ammonia and a horrible stench, i have to admit it smells alot less now.

 

[samtehbam]

Do these look normal ?

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[samtehbam]

What is that there are other ones with long thin brown things coming out of the live rock I ... It wasn't there when I cleaned it

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[Oscarr19]

You should've left the rock alone, you might have actually killed whatever bacteria that started to grow.

 

[Ravden]

You can't be impatient when cycling it just takes what it takes. Now your back to square one

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