From beginning to End

[Zer0]

Yeah i know this, but i did a 50% water change the other day, and it stayed at the same level lol. So idk. Im mixing alot of saltwater right now, just need to get it to the right SG and then im going to do probably a 35-40% water change

[Zer0]

Ok guys, it looks like everything is coming along nicely, and since im being patient, good things are happening!!

Here are my readings and an update on my tank and fishies.

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
SG: 1.025

Also, my two clowns are being pigs as usual. Swimming around everywhere, and finally left their corner. They also stay neck to neck, so maybe they are a mated pair. Who knows. Anyways, still having some diatoms. Cleaned it off the glass, but im not really caring too much about the sand. Also, im starting to see that some of my rocks are getting little green spots!! Which means algae!! Yey!

Ok, so here's a couple questions.

Now that my nitrates are at zero, can i get snails, shrimp, crabs, corals?

Thanks in advance guys.

[thominil]

Start off slow with the crabs hermits and snails, too many and they will starve. As for coral, start with the easier stuff like mushrooms and zoas.

[fishmonkey]

yeah. go get a CUC package from live aquaria or something

[thominil]

Originally Posted by fishmonkey

yeah. go get a CUC package from live aquaria or something

Sad to say I have to disagree. Those reef cleaner packages are way to big IMO.

[Aquarium1]

What about a build your own package? Build Your Own Reef Cleaner Packages Free shipping with $60 of an order.

[thominil]

Those are OK, but you get nailed with shipping.....Who spends $60 on a CUC for a 55g? IMO it's just easier and cheaper to go into lfs and get get the number of inverts you need to start with vs. buying one big batch from Live Aquaria and having half the package starve IMO. Hope this shines some light on why I hate cleaner packs...

[InfernoST]

Originally Posted by thominil

Sad to say I have to disagree. Those reef cleaner packages are way to big IMO.

I agree with you. When i was looking for my CUC and checked out those packages I couldn't believe the amount they wanted you to buy, way to much IMO. Sure they would clean up your really well in fact to well and would be left with no more food then what would they do. It' best to keep a happy balance, add a little at time too a point where there is always a something for them left to eat.

[Zer0]

Alright guys. Weird things have been happening, but what can i really expect anyways right?

Everything reads 0 except for my nitrates which shot back up to like 30-40ppm. Don't know why, but they did. They were like zero yesterday.. and now today they are back up. A little upset to say the least, but oh well.

[InfernoST]

Originally Posted by Zer0

Alright guys. Weird things have been happening, but what can i really expect anyways right?

Everything reads 0 except for my nitrates which shot back up to like 30-40ppm. Don't know why, but they did. They were like zero yesterday.. and now today they are back up. A little upset to say the least, but oh well.

Maybe you made an oooops when doing the test , I know i have and when things don't seem right I do it again. Do a PWC with some RO and test again. Almost forgot you guys in Jersey don't even have drinkable tap water.

[Zer0]

I always use RO water. But i read the did and read the test correctly and im 100% sure of it. I just don't understand how it could have gone up that fast. I tested it twice yesterday and it said 0. 100% sure of it also. Now it says its back in the 30-40ppm range. I'm about to do the test again and see what it says, but i know for a fact it still says 30-40ppm.

[InfernoST]

Gotcha man, I was just throwing it out there because i know i have made the mistake more than once. When you mix up your next batch test it for nitrates before you throw it in the tank.

[Zer0]

I did that as well. I tested that batch for nitrates and as predicted.. it said zero.

[InfernoST]

WOW!!!!! Then what's the deal? How much are you feeding them and what? Do you have anything in your sump that can be causing it? Give it a gander. You know I had the same thing happen with my Cichlid tank and it was because of all the junk in my canister, I cleaned it out and everything went back to normal.

[thominil]

Check the intakes, intake tubes, and return tubes of your skimmer. Make sure there is nothing caught in them. Look around on your live rock and sand to see if you can find something that is dead. If something is raising nitrates that fast, it can't be small. Even if he was overfeeding, nitrates would not rise that fast. As before, my question goes back to the test kit.....

[InfernoST]

Good point dude, over feeding creates a gradual increase not an immediate one.

[fishmonkey]

did a filter stop working or something?

[Zer0]

Ok. Like i said before, my HOB filter was LOADED with just about the neastiest things you could ever find.. but i remove the entire HOB filter itself since i don't need it due to having so much live rock. There is nothing dead in my tank besides what's on the rocks right now because all i have are two ocellaris which are doing perfectly fine.. except for the fighting part. Everything else reads zero, and the SG is 1.024. Nitrates are at 30ppm. I checked my skimmer, cleaned everything out and there was nothing in any of the tubes. I feed my clowns one time a day every other day, so its definitely not the feeding.

One good thing though.. my diatoms disappeared and im starting to see coralline growth on al of my rocks lol. I just don't get it at all. How can my nitrates be so high? After doing like 3 huge water changes!? two 40% water changes and one 50% water change right after the cycle was complete.

Im pretty lost as of what to do right now.

[InfernoST]

If you removed your filter and don't have a CUC who is eating the excess food and fish waist? Did you clean out your substrate before you put your tank back together (If I remember you stated there was all kinds of nasty stuff growing out of it)?

[InfernoST]

IMO I don't think it was a great idea to remove your filter so soon because your rock isn't really established yet and will take a while for it to do so.