o.k not sure if i'm doing right

[jduny]

starting a 10g tank it's been 12 days i got the dead shrimp and some live rock and 20lbs of live sand.i have yet to get any ammonia levels and my ph just drop too 7.6.is tis normal?i woulda thought i would be showing some ammonia by now and why is my ph dropping?

 

[HN1]

Was the live rock cured?

 

[jduny]

i beleive so. i bought from a fish store and she said i should just put it in the tank.she took it out of a tank with a few clowns in it so i'm guessing yes

 

[HN1]

If you are testing with a good liquid test and started with cured rock, you may very well be onto the Nitrite portion of the cycle process. Have you tested for NO2? I have no idea about the pH change, but I'm sure someone will be able to advise.

 

[thincat]

Hang in there and check no2 as above. It's normal for the PH to drop during a cycle period do to the break down of DOS in the tank. Yor fresh LR may be the reason for the late ammonia spike.
TC

 

[CaptainAhab]

If you are testing with a good liquid test and started with cured rock, you may very well be onto the Nitrite portion of the cycle process. Have you tested for NO2?

If your rock was fully cured and you didn't cause any die off transporting it to the new tank then you may not see any cycle at all. Fully cured rock is capable of fulfilling the entire biological cycle not just the ammonia portion.

What type of live sand did you buy?

What about your other parameters? Alk, Calcium, etc?

 

[jduny]

no2=0
no3=0
haven't check alk or ca yet.is it really possible to skip the cycle?i haven't read that any where else.not that i'm doubting you.if it is do you think i should get a damsel or 2 now?

 

[roka64]

If you have fully cured LR and enough of it, you can bypass the cycle. Remember, the LR and sand is where your beneficial bacteria resides. If you have enough of that, it will convert the ammonia to nitrItes to nitrAtes.
I would skip the damsels unless that is what you want in your tank.

 

[jduny]

^starting slow and inexpensive so i thought a damsel to start. i haven't seen any no2-or no3 so that's baffling me a little.

 

[roka64]

What kind of test kits are you using? If you don't see ammonia or nitrItes from the shrimp (should show up around day 4-7, or so), you may already have a colony of bacteria that is already converting them. The nitrAtes should be showing up, I wouldn't worry about the pH yet either. Can you get your LFS to test your water, just to confirm?
By the way, damsels can be pretty nasty to new tank mates once they have established their territories.

 

[jduny]

^o.k. i'll take a sample to the lfs and give you a report later.thanks for all your help.
i'm using an api saltwater master test kit.with the liquid's not the strips.i don't have an alk or ca test kit yet do you think i should get one rite now?i was gonna wait till the tank got established

 

[roka64]

Alk and Ca are more important if you are doing corals. Test kits do expire so you may want to wait till you have an established tank and want to take the plunge into corals.

 

[jduny]

o.k. readings from the lfs
ph=8.0 a little low but better than yesterday
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
nitrate=0
probably wait 2 more weeks than start looking at a fish or 2 to start with.

 

[jduny]

o.k new readings may 22 day 14 of tank
ammonia=.5
nitrate=10
nitrite=.5
ph=8.0
this is the first time ammonia ,no2 or no3 showed up on the readings.does this look good for the age?

 

[melosu58]

Looks like your readings are taking off. Everything looks fine.

 

[jduny]

new readings day 16
ammonia=1.5
nitrate=20
nitrite=.5
ph=7.8
is my ph going to come up when the cycle is complete or will i have to add something or do a pwc?
thanks for the advice

 

[thincat]

Don't worry about your PH right now. Your cycle is underway. Just check your readings and wait for the ammonia to go to 0 and your nitrite to go to 0. I would wait on the water change until your readings go to 0 and stay that way for awhile, then do a large PWC.
Nothing happens fast in a SW tank except mistakes.

 

[jduny]

o.k wasn't sure what to do after the cycle completes.thanks

 

[jduny]

o.k the cycle completed and i added a clown today.been thinking about a mushroom in a couple of months(is that too soon?) but need to upgrade my lights first.what's anyone opinions on a light for mushrooms that won't break the bank?

 

[thincat]

Mushrooms are on the low end for light needs. What do you have for lights now, if any?