Cycle Advice

[Cayenne]

My tank is 3 weeks old and I finally have nitrates, here are my numbers:

Ammonia .50
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 10.0

Ph 8.2
Salinity 1.027

Nothing in tank but live rock and sand. I have been adding fish food every day. What are my next steps? Thanks.

 

[nikki_kaiser]

Hmmm...when your tank is finished cycling fully you will have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites. Since its not been cycling very long, in my opinion you aren't quite finished yet. The idea is that you have a bio load that's enough to convert the ammonia and nitrites to 0 fairly quickly. If you don't, you can kill your new fish off or at the least cause them quite a bit of stress. Unfortunately, it looks like you still need to wait a while. I know it's not fun but in the long run, it will save you a lot of trouble in dealing with stressed fish.

In the meantime, you can plan out what you want in the tank. Don't forget to QT new fish for parasites, Ich, etc. before you add them! That's a huge mess too to deal with especially after waiting all this time for your tank to cycle!

 

[nikki_kaiser]

One more thing, when you do get fish, make sure you ask your LFS what they have their salinity at so you can mimic that in QT. You can raise the salinity slowly until they are ready to put in your tank. I keep my salinity at 1.025 at all times. Most of the LFS around here are at 1.021-1.022.

 

[Cayenne]

Thanks. I lowered the temp today, as I was running it high for bio. I think I just spotted my first hitch hiker! Something is extending a tentacle looking thing from under a crevice. Lol, I'm fascinated.

 

[nikki_kaiser]

haha! Take a picture of it!

 

[Aqua786]

Thanks. I lowered the temp today, as I was running it high for bio. I think I just spotted my first hitch hiker! Something is extending a tentacle looking thing from under a crevice. Lol, I'm fascinated.

Lol, I have worries sometimes that if I ever get live rock from the LFS I'll get hitchhikers, and there might be a mantis shrimp hiding in the rock ?

 

[nikki_kaiser]

Can you soak live rock in something like CoralRX or a like product to get them off and qt it before putting in your tank? I worry about that stuff too! That's why I started buying dry base instead of live rock now...

 

[Aqua786]

Can you soak live rock in something like CoralRX or a like product to get them off and qt it before putting in your tank? I worry about that stuff too! That's why I started buying dry base instead of live rock now...

All that I've come across is the idea to quarantine the rock, which isn't a bad idea, as long as you have the time

 

[nikki_kaiser]

I do. The reason I ask is if you buy an anemone and the rock it's on, you can put it in Revive or coralRX and it's supposed to get rid of nasty stuff right? Why wouldn't it get rid of stuff on live rock? If you only left it in there for the amount of time specified and then QT, even rinsing before QT...idk...all I know is that I HATE worms and things like that. I don't care if they are good for your tank or not!

I'm wondering what your hitchhiker is. I wouldn't think a starfish like a brittle star (they have really long arms) could live through a cycle...hmmm...wonder if it's a bristle worm?

 

[Cayenne]

Been watching it, first I thought it was stuff coming off the rock and moving with the current of the PH. Here is a pic.

 

[nikki_kaiser]

Hmmmm...I can't tell what that is! I will tell you that I intentionally bought my coral banded shrimp because it is supposed to feed on bristle worms! I really don't like worms and I've never found any in my tank but I assume they are there...or were! If you will go in after dark and look around with a flashlight you may be able to see what it is. Just don't ever try to touch them ( as if you would want to!).

 

[Cayenne]

Lol, I was thinking about that. I'm grossed out and excited at the same time. I would never touch it, yeesh. It's prob, just die-off. Gonna turn off the lights, stay tuned

 

[nikki_kaiser]

LOL! If you see anything good take a pic!