diatomes , diatomes and more diatomes

[laurandavid]

I had an emergency with an out of state family member last week and I am just returning, when I walked in the door, my tank was covered in diatomes! (I am in week 3 of cycling my tank)

My reads are as follows: ammonia 0
Nitrite 1.5
Nitrate 20

Last week before I left my ammonia was off the richter scale and my nitrite were also higher.

Should I siphon some of this yucky stuff off the rock and my sand, what about cleaning off my glass?

Ok to do a pwc at this point? I have had some evaporation and would like to do a pwc instead of simply compensating for the evaporation.

Thoughts? Thanks , Laura

 

[Ziggy953]

I would clean the glass top the tank off to keep your SG correct and then do a 10% PWC. During the cycle it isn't as important to do the PWCs as it is when you have completed it. If you are still showing ammonia then you aren't quite there yet, but the fact that your NitrIte is rising shows that your bacteria is doing it's job. sounds like you are getting close to the end of your cycle.

How large is this tank? What kind of lighting and filtration are you using?

 

[melosu58]

I have had some evaporation and would like to do a pwc instead of simply compensating for the evaporation.

Thoughts?

You must compensate for the evaporation first and then do the PWC. If not then your salinity will be too high and have lower levels of oxygen. Add FW for the evaporation and then SW for the PWC. HTH

 

[roka64]

I'm also concerned about the ammonia and nitrItes. Definitely top off with FW and do some PWCs.

 

[laurandavid]

OK sorry for the delay, now I am confused about the ammonia, my ammonia level as stated above is now zero, when I posted the level was at zero down from a monster spike of 4.0 the previous week (now almost two weeks ago) . I thought the goal was to get to zero . I am loosing my mind here or was my first post not clear with a read of 0 for ammonia. My concern was nitrites.

Todays read:
Ammonia still zero
Nitrites now read zero
Nitrates 5.0


I topped off the tank and did a 20% pwc on wednesday its now thursday, so my reads look pretty good finally, now what ? I cleaned the diatoms off my glass.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I think roka just confused your post with someone else's - your parameters look good. Sounds like you've cycled and are ready to add some livestock, slowly.

Personally, I'd probably do a couple more PWCs first, just to get those nitrates down as far as possible. When there's nothing in the tank, it's a lot easier to do big water changes.

 

[laurandavid]

ack!!!!!!! I can ad something.... I was feeling pretty good with an empty tank, I keep a container large enough for 20% water changes ready to go (right , temp, ph and salinity) so I will do another PWC, then ad .............something. Thank you!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I think roka just confused your post with someone else's - your parameters look good.

I just reread your original post, and I missed the fact that your nitrites were not at zero. That's most likely what roka's comment was about, and not your ammonia. Nitrites should be at zero.

BUT... all your ammonia/nitrite levels are at zero now, so you're good to go. Planning on quarantining your first occupant?

 

[laurandavid]

yup , I have a 20 gal quarantine tank I set up right along with this one, we have a small utility room thats hardly ever used so it is a great place to start new fish or , if I ever, (hope not) have a sick fish.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Good deal on the QT. Don't forget to "feed" your bacteria in your empty main tank. A small pinch of fish food every few days should do the trick. If you don't give it a small ammonia source during the time it doesn't have fish, you'll end up with another cycle when you finally introduce fish into it.