New to saltwater, need a little help.

[Turbosnail]

How long do I need to have my bio wheel on the tank before the wheel has established the bacteria? The reason I ask, I am removing the gravel and want to make sure that I don't get too much of an ammonia spike. I also have live rock.

 

[saltwatertogo]

hope your coral sand change over goes well for you today!

Fishman

 

[Turbosnail]

The substrate change went over well.The under gravel filter was disgusting, sand looks like it will be much more healthy. It only took about two hours for the water to clear up. most of my bristle worm population went into the trash with the crushed coral, I don't think the worms in the rocks will hurt anything. My nitrate levels are between 0 and 5, much beter than 15. I also picked up a few really cool Nassarius snails to keep the sand stirred up.

 

[Turbosnail]

Here is a picture of the new sand.

 

[mr_X]

looks nice and clean. i would like a bit more live rock in there if that was mine. btw, you don't need to put air in the water via those airlines on the powerheads. you should remove them.

 

[ralphsparker]

See if there is under the gravel filter, you may come off a lot of bad things from underneath. I want to take all oozing from the rocks, all the gravel and sand bags trade as the Tang Dynasty, 30 # s and then log back in the stone.

 

[Turbosnail]

I actually turned the air lines off a few days after I got the tank, the bubbles where making the salt build up on my light too fast. I will take them off next time I have my hand in the tank. Should I spend the money to get some more live rock, or would it work to get a dry rock from the lfs and let it become live.

 

[mr_X]

as long as it's ocean rock, or reef safe man-made rock, either way will work. it's up to you. i just wouldn't use lava rock or anything else.

 

[Turbosnail]

I just tested my ammonia nitrite and nitrate. ammonia is between 0 and.25 much closer to 0, nitrate is ls than 5, but nitrite is around .1 ppm, could this be due to my substrate change? Is it an emergency or should I just wait and see what happens? All the animals and coral look fine, no signs of stress that I can tell.

 

[mr_X]

i would do a water change.

 

[Turbosnail]

Ok I will mix one up, 50%? Is this like a mini cycle?

 

[mr_X]

yep. it's because you don't have very much surface area, with so little rock.

 

[Turbosnail]

Ok, thanks alot for your help! I am going to get some more rock as soon as I can.

 

[Turbosnail]

Ok I read the test wrong, nitrite was at .2 I did the water change now it is a little les than .1. Should I do another pwc or wait? I don't have anymore water so I will need to go get some.

 

[mr_X]

i would get another change ready. you said you had ammonia too...what was the new ammonia reading?

 

[Turbosnail]

I just tested it again ammonia is around.25 nitrite .1 nitrate 4 ish

It is a red sea test kit. Do they expire?

 

[mr_X]

yep. gotta get that ammonia down, or remove the fish and leave it cycle.

 

[Turbosnail]

What do you recommend I do with the fish? Why is it cycling so much?

 

[mr_X]

well, it's not "much". a cycle is a cycle. when the tank is cycling, bacteria colonies grow and cover all available surface area. you removed a lot of the surface are when you changed the sand. you don't have enough bacteria covered rock to be able to compensate for something like that. all you have is those little pieces and the glass walls of the tank.

it's best to move the livestock to another tank (perhaps the lfs would hold them for you for a couple weeks?), and then let the bacteria colony grow uninterrupted by water changes. if you do not and stick it out, the fish may or may not be ok through it. detectable ammonia is definitely stressful to the fish.

 

[Turbosnail]

I see, the picture is a little deceiving on my live rock I would say there is around 20# I am supposed to have around 35#? . When you say remove the live stock do you mean the fish coral and nems?