Cycling help

[Marcquez08]

I have a question with cycling a new tank. I have a 55g saltwater tank with 50 pounds of base rock and about an inch of aragonite sand that i bought off someone from Craigslist. The sand was in their 125 saltwater tank. I've had the tank set up for about a month and I currently have a damsel in the tank for about a week now. I've been feeding him brine shrimp and been adding extra hoping to feed some bacteria that may be living in the tank?

My question is my tank currently set up to actually cycle or have I been wasting my time???? I've tested the water with API test kits and ammonia read .25. nitrites 0 and nitrates were about 10. An I headed in the right direction???

Any help and comments are greatly appreciated.

[mr_X]

You have an ammonia source. Now you will want to wait it out until the ammonia is zero and nitrite also has zeroed out.

[Marcquez08]

Now I the ammonia source the waste produced from the damsel? Should I overfeed the fish? Or just feed him normal and be really patient? I just don't want to buy live rock because of the costs and because I just have a standard t5 light that couldn't sustain any life.

[mr_X]

What life are you referring to? A standard fixture can grow algae, and any other life you will find on live rock.
No. Don't overfeed the fish. He's having a hard enough time as it is suffering through that ammonia that's in there currently.
It's really best to remove the little guy and use an ammonia source like a piece of raw shrimp from the supermarket.
If you want to keep him, then just wait it out. Eventually the ammonia will subside. If the ammonia kills him, leave him in there and let him rot away. the larger the initial ammonia, the better bacteria colony you will build.

[Marcquez08]

The coraline algae that is one live rock from the store. From what I understand coraline algae needs a strong light source. Sorry for my ignorance, but the "good bacteria" is created from due to the ammonia source?

[mr_X]

Yes, bacteria is the end result of your cycle.
No, coralline algae will grow under almost any light source. You can grow it with a 23 watt energy saver bulb.

[Saltwaterfishgirl]

Love mr x

[Marcquez08]

Oh wow, I was not aware of that. I have a 48" 28 watt light strip. So maybe I'll check out my lfs for some live rock which would be beneficial anyways. Thanks so much for your help once again!!! You seem to really know fish!!!

[Marcquez08]

Definitely comments on all of my thread and is very helpful lol

[Marcquez08]

My nitrites have been through the roof for about a week and a half. Is this pretty normal? Is there anything I should do to try to speed it up? I'm in no rush I just want to ensure there is nothing I should be doing. I keep putting some frozen brine shrimp in the tank to feed the first set of bacteria and my ammonia has dropped to zero.

[CloudStrife]

I heard that if you turn up the degrees in the tank it helps. Dunno if there is any cons to that tho

[mr_X]

If your ammonia and nitrite have zeroed out and all you have are nitrates, you should be doing a water change(s) to bring them down.

[Marcquez08]

My nitrites are really high not the nitrates.

[mr_X]

Ah, then sit tight.

[EriksFish315]

Yes keep waiting not long to go.

[Marcquez08]

Wow so my nitrites dropped to zero!!! It was almost overnight; they went from being off the charts to zero!!!

[EriksFish315]

I would keep doing what you have been doing for a couple more days to a week then add fish. Just to make sure you have plenty of beneficial bacteria.

[Marcquez08]

I keep adding brine shrimp (frozen) to the tank as an ammonia source to keep feeding the bacteria. So far the ammonia has not been increasing and I keep testing to ensure the nitrite level stays at zero.

I've spotted a tiny aptasia and I do not plan on ever having corals. So it is really that bad to have them in your tank if they are kept under control?

[mr_X]

Well, one will become 100 eventually.

[Sniperhank]

I had one pop out of the rock my symphodium came on fro liveaquaria...i am plotting its demise, i suggest you do the same.