djxtreme504
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Let me explain the setup first. I recently converted a 65g FW to SW using a DSB made of mostly HomeDepot play sand that I read in some other posts that was safe. The top 0.5 to 2" layer is crushed aragonite from an established 29g. I have about 25 lbs of LR from the 29 gal also. I used Cycle bacteria in the water when adding the play sand to help it become "alive" a little faster. I then waited 48 hours before putting the aragonite and LR in. 24 hours later, no sign of ammonia, nitrites, or nitrate. I put in a couple of pepp. shrimp, snails and hermit crabs. Now, 2 days later, the shrimp are dead, 2 or 3 of the hermits are dead and I am having to put in Kent Superbuffer twice a day to keep the Ph up. Even with the dead shrimp I am not seeing signs of ammonia or a cycle. I know that using stuff from another tank would help it cycle faster, but could the tank actually have cycled already? And what can I do to keep the Ph up? I am assuming it is because of the sand, but no one else has seemed to have this problem. Please help and sorry for the long post.