francis
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hi everyone I was wondering if I could get some advice as to the next steps I need to take in order to successfully cycle my tank :Y
So far I have the following and done the following:
My questions regarding my next steps and whether they are correct or not are the following
Have I done anything wrong in regards to setting up my tank?
I am worried I am killing the good bacteria on the live rock because there is no source of ammonia (and it will be about 2 days since purchase until I can add ammonia)
Also I have only recently come across things such as testing for pH and the waters hardness(?) , could somebody explain these topics? I have seen some people say to adjust the pH while others say this is risky, could someone lead me to the right direction regarding this?
If anyone could please give me some insight on what I am planning on doing and whether it is correct or not, and also on the issue if the live rock bacteria is dying without ammonia I would greatly appreciate it :X
Thank you very much for your time and for any help you can provide
So far I have the following and done the following:
- I have a 40 gallon set up with water that was tested for the correct salinity and added it to the tank
- I added 40 lbs live sand and some live rock into my tank
- My filter and heater has been running and is at 76 degrees I believe
My questions regarding my next steps and whether they are correct or not are the following
- I am going to buy pure ammonia tomorrow and begin dosing to get a reading of 3-5 ppm for ammonia, at which point I will leave everything alone until the levels drop below 1ppm , at which point I will add more ammonia.
- I will continue to do this and test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates until the cycle is at 0 , 0 , ~40?
Have I done anything wrong in regards to setting up my tank?
I am worried I am killing the good bacteria on the live rock because there is no source of ammonia (and it will be about 2 days since purchase until I can add ammonia)
Also I have only recently come across things such as testing for pH and the waters hardness(?) , could somebody explain these topics? I have seen some people say to adjust the pH while others say this is risky, could someone lead me to the right direction regarding this?
If anyone could please give me some insight on what I am planning on doing and whether it is correct or not, and also on the issue if the live rock bacteria is dying without ammonia I would greatly appreciate it :X
Thank you very much for your time and for any help you can provide