New Tank Cycle Need Advice

[Chizzle007]

Tank has been up for 4 days now. I used cured live fiji rock, dry aragonite rock, and real ocean water supplied by catalina waters.

Tested water everyday so far and had a ammonia spike on day 2 that is now down to zero.

Nitrites are up about 2ppm and nitrates are up about 20ppm. I am having an issue with my ph though.

My ph has dropped from 8.2 to 7.8. What is making this happen? Any advice would be great.

Thanks in advance.

 

[spoonman]

Dont worry about PH until the cycle is complete. Stable PH is more important than having the exact right PH. Sounds like the cycle is going well. Just wait out the cycle and you will be fine.

 

[Schism]

Tank has been up for 4 days now. I used cured live fiji rock, dry aragonite rock, and real ocean water supplied by catalina waters.

Tested water everyday so far and had a ammonia spike on day 2 that is now down to zero.

Nitrites are up about 2ppm and nitrates are up about 20ppm. I am having an issue with my ph though.

My ph has dropped from 8.2 to 7.8. What is making this happen? Any advice would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Most likely excess co2 buildup if you have a glass lid, remove it. Also opening up the windows in the house for a bit to exchange the air will raise it back up. Co2 depresses ph oxygen will raise it.

 

[crister13]

Also get some more surface movement.

 

[bavass]

yep keep up good surface agitation, just be patient let it do its thing will take about 6-8 weeks to complete. Levels will go up an down till then

 

[armyman16]

Hey guys I have cycled saltwater tanks before and my friend got into the hobby and now he has started his tank, he thinks that it is done cycling since all his levels are stable...he has a damsel with no live rock only lava rock and some other type I can't remember... He wants to get clowns but I told him it hasn't spiked yet....it has been up for a week. I'm not wrong am I?

 

[Schism]

Hey guys I have cycled saltwater tanks before and my friend got into the hobby and now he has started his tank, he thinks that it is done cycling since all his levels are stable...he has a damsel with no live rock only lava rock and some other type I can't remember... He wants to get clowns but I told him it hasn't spiked yet....it has been up for a week. I'm not wrong am I?

If its only been a week the yea you are most likely rights. Without any biological filtration such as live rock he is probably heading into trouble depending on his setup. Rushing will kill livestock as cost money. If he was my friend i would shake him violently lol.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Hey guys I have cycled saltwater tanks before and my friend got into the hobby and now he has started his tank, he thinks that it is done cycling since all his levels are stable...he has a damsel with no live rock only lava rock and some other type I can't remember... He wants to get clowns but I told him it hasn't spiked yet....it has been up for a week. I'm not wrong am I?

What do you mean by spike? If ALL levels are zero i would slowly start to add fish. Not every tank has a spike once a fish is added, but it is less likely to happen if you slowly add more ammonia (fish) to the system. You are right because he should wait a while after adding the damsel, then he should add 1 clown, not 2.

 

[Schism]

I think hes implying that the tank has only been setup for a week and he is using the damsel to cycle. And with only small amount of orgaic matter since no live rock then its probably not even seen an ammonia spike yet starting the cycle. Hence why he probably thinks his lvls are "stable"

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

OOOHHH!!! Its not dont cycling. When people say my tank has been set up for a week i assume it has been done cycling for a week.

In that case, yes you are right. Tell him to wait for that ammonia spike! Until then dont add anything. Keep dosing ammonia

 

[armyman16]

He said the nitrates went up to 160 3 days ago and he had a ton of ammonia, he had the tank setup as freshwater before and he didn't clean off the algae from the previous tank maybe all that died off and he's getting that to turn into ammonia and then nitrate? Yeah I mean only saltwater in the tank for a week
It is a 20 gallon tank with a HOB filter, not sure what type

 

[Schism]

He said the nitrates went up to 160 3 days ago and he had a ton of ammonia, he had the tank setup as freshwater before and he didn't clean off the algae from the previous tank maybe all that died off and he's getting that to turn into ammonia and then nitrate? Yeah I mean only saltwater in the tank for a week
It is a 20 gallon tank with a HOB filter, not sure what type

Just because nitrates are present does not mean the cycle is over or has even started. Cycle is complete when u have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and a crap load if nitrates left over. Highly unlikely the tank is cycled. Even if it was i would still wait maybe a month before adding anything.

 

[armyman16]

Just because nitrates are present does not mean the cycle is over or has even started. Cycle is complete when u have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and a crap load if nitrates left over. Highly unlikely the tank is cycled. Even if it was i would still wait maybe a month before adding anything.

Yeah that's what I thought, okay thanks! I'll make sure he doesn't add he clowns to keep them alive! Glad I talked to him before he got the chance to get over to the store! He's been trying to buy them for days!