Tank ready for life?

[liljosh609]

Ok, so I setup my 2.5g nano about a week ago, and tonight I turned on the lights after the tank had been dark for a while and found a mini brittle star, an amphipod and some other little organisms. Does this means that my tank can support other sea critters like coral and inverts?

 

[kwandrsn]

Ok, so I setup my 2.5g nano about a week ago, and tonight I turned on the lights after the tank had been dark for a while and found a mini brittle star, an amphipod and some other little organisms. Does this means that my tank can support other sea critters like coral and inverts?

Is it cycled? What are your levels?

 

[Craigj247]

Nope one week is not enough for a cycle to complete in my opinion... Bristle stars and your other critters would have been hitch hikers from your live rock and I am sure that a lot of critters that originally came with the rock would have died off... What are your parameters like...

To know if your tank has cycled you should do water chemistry testing... Once you see a hight in ammonia levels you will then see an increase in nitrates and a drop in ammonia... This means that your bacteria is at work... You might also start to see a diatom buildup in your system... After which your levels should even out.

Once you see the slight elevated nitrate level you can start slowly adding in your CUC... snails first.... Only once the parameters have gully evened out should you be looking at fish or corals... I generally keep a tank for 3 weeks minimum before adding stuff to it.

 

[liljosh609]

Ok thatks for the advice. Will test as soon as I get home today! If levels look ok, would it be possible to get some snails?

 

[liljosh609]

Oh and should I be doing anything during the cycling time?

 

[kwandrsn]

I would make sure you are completely cycled before I put snails in.

 

[liljosh609]

And if all levels are where they need to be, is it safe to assume the tank is cycled? It's only 2.5 gallons, so I think the cycling would be a little bit quicker.

 

[kwandrsn]

Have you had an ammonia and then a nitrite spike yet?

 

[kwandrsn]

Google aquarium nitrogen cycle and read up

 

[liljosh609]

My ammonia was at .25 ppm 5 days ago but nitrates were low and I'm testing again today. And I will read up on it.

 

[kwandrsn]

Yeah just google it. Plenty if helpful info

 

[Craigj247]

Hard for us to give a definite answer about your cycle as each tank seems to tank it's own cycle time... The best way you can be sure about the cycle process is from regular parameter testing.

Good luck!!!

 

[mr_X]

No way will the tank be cycled in a week, no matter how small it is. It doesn't work that way. You needed to add some ammonia source and then wait until the nitrite/nitrate cycle happens, then a water change to remove excess nitrate, THEN you can add sensitive creatures. The fact that there are living things in it now is not an indication that it's safe, or that you have a substantial bacteria colony that will support larger livestock.

 

[Craigj247]

Totally agree!!! *thumbs up*

 

[liljosh609]

I already did a couple of days ago I put in a little bit of food. So how long would you expect it to take? Also, where should the specific gravity be? Currently it's around 1.026

 

[mr_X]

1.026 is ideal. Are you measuring that with a swing arm hydrometer, or a refractometer? If it's the hydrometer, they can be inaccurate.
How much food is a little bit? A cycle should take a few weeks at least. Longer if the ammonia source is larger. Adding a small amount of ammonia will yield you a small bacteria colony. Large enough to handle livestock? Hard to say.

 

[liljosh609]

Actually it's a bobber hydrometer. The more salinity, the higher it sticks out of the water, the more fresh the water is, the deeper the hydrometer sits. As far as the food, just a pinch and only once. It was a pinch of bloodworms. I would say the equivalence of about 1/2 of a ml if put in a medicine cup.

 

[mr_X]

I don't think that's going to do it. I would want to create more ammonia. Toss a couple cubes of bloodworms in there.

 

[liljosh609]

I don't have cubes. Just freeze dried...so in that case how much? Also, this is just a one-time thing right?

 

[mr_X]

Yes. Just a one time thing. I'm not sure how much. Enough to create a large ammonia spike.