New nano tank not cycling?

foboiax · 09/30/2009, 03:30 PM

Hi all,

Please bare with me, for I am a newbie to salt water tanks.

I've had a fresh water tank for years now and this past birthday, my girlfriend decided to buy me a 28g nano cube so I can set up my first salt water tank. Very excited, I started reading tons of forums and blogs and after a week I went out and bought all the necessary equipment to start cycling my tank.

Here's what I bought: Reef Crystals for my Salt, 40 lbs of Ocean Direct Caribbean Live Sand, about 25 lbs of Live Fiji Premium Rocks, Nitrifying Bacteria, and dechlorinator of course. I also bought a test kit for pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and calcium.

Before adding anything to the tank I cleaned the new tank with a little bit of bleach and water. After setting up the water in the tank with declorinator and the reef crystals, I pre-cleaned my rocks. After a few hours with the water in the tank, I added my live sand and live rocks and then turned on the filter and pump. After a few days I decided I wanted to use fish to cycle the tank for ammonia so I picked up a couple cheap damsels. I waited about a week and a half before I ran my first water test and its been 3 weeks since then my readings have came out to:

Temp: 78-80 Degrees
Calcium: 420-440 ppm
pH:8.2
Ammonia: 0-.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Salinity: 1.024

Why hasn't it started cycling? Am I just being impatient or did the tank miraculously cycle in the week and a half I didn't test it? Should I add ammonia?

lordofthereef · 09/30/2009, 03:37 PM

You probably didn't have enough of an ammonia source. Just chuck in a piece of seafood. People say shrimp, but I have chucked in a piece of fish too, as it really is all the same. Depending on the condition of your live rock (wether or not it was cured or if you bought it just a little moist in newspaper) will make a difference in cycle speed.

wipe · 09/30/2009, 03:53 PM

I had the same thing happen I think the bacteria in the jar really worked along with the rock and the sand. Go slow with adding livestock and feed lightly you will be good.Nothing good happens fast, and this hobby is to expensive to rush.

Madratter · 09/30/2009, 04:06 PM

It is unlikely that the tank has already cycled. It is possible for a tank to go to zero ammonia after a week and a half but it is pretty unlikely the nitrites and nitrates would be zero after that time.

Just keep feeding the fish and the cycle will happen. Alternatively, you could do the cycle with decaying shrimp or fish, ammonia, ammonium salts, etc.

foboiax · 09/30/2009, 04:18 PM

Thanks guys, I've been pretty patient with it, I was just worried something was off somewhere along the line of me setting up the tank, I was actually worried that the bleach I used to clean the tank was killing off the necessary bacteria I needed.

I am feeding the damsel fish every other day pellets, don't wait it to die now!

wooden_reefer · 09/30/2009, 04:55 PM

Bleach could completely sterlize all things. Did you bleach the LR?

You may need to add both bacteria seed and ammonia source. Do not use damsels to cycle a tank. In effective in general.

If your interest is a reef tank with just one or two little fish, optimal nitrification may be less critical.

If you want a few fish, you really have to cycle well. Do not believe in going slow without cycling.

Cycling is necessary no matter what bioload you plan, only the degree may differ.

foboiax · 09/30/2009, 05:05 PM

No I did not bleach the LR. Just used a few teaspoons of bleach to clean the tank after I opened it out of the box. I rinsed and scrubbed it down pretty well after that.

upster · 10/01/2009, 04:54 PM

Invest in a small 25gpd RO/DI. You will be glad you did. I am about ready to replace my filters and you wouldn't believe the muck it pulls out.

From another newbie to another, please get an RO/DI and a proper refractometer if you haven't already. Us new comers have enough issues to deal with despite the ones we can create for ourselves.

foboiax · 10/01/2009, 05:50 PM

Wow thanks for the great advice. I was already looking into one and am waiting for my next pay check to purchase.

foboiax · 10/08/2009, 12:32 AM

I realized that I am cycling my tank with my filter media basket including the media sponge, activated carbon, and ceramic rings. Could that have an effect on the cycling?

09/30/2009, 03:30 PM	#1
foboiax Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 18	New nano tank not cycling? Hi all, Please bare with me, for I am a newbie to salt water tanks. I've had a fresh water tank for years now and this past birthday, my girlfriend decided to buy me a 28g nano cube so I can set up my first salt water tank. Very excited, I started reading tons of forums and blogs and after a week I went out and bought all the necessary equipment to start cycling my tank. Here's what I bought: Reef Crystals for my Salt, 40 lbs of Ocean Direct Caribbean Live Sand, about 25 lbs of Live Fiji Premium Rocks, Nitrifying Bacteria, and dechlorinator of course. I also bought a test kit for pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and calcium. Before adding anything to the tank I cleaned the new tank with a little bit of bleach and water. After setting up the water in the tank with declorinator and the reef crystals, I pre-cleaned my rocks. After a few hours with the water in the tank, I added my live sand and live rocks and then turned on the filter and pump. After a few days I decided I wanted to use fish to cycle the tank for ammonia so I picked up a couple cheap damsels. I waited about a week and a half before I ran my first water test and its been 3 weeks since then my readings have came out to: Temp: 78-80 Degrees Calcium: 420-440 ppm pH:8.2 Ammonia: 0-.25 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0 Salinity: 1.024 Why hasn't it started cycling? Am I just being impatient or did the tank miraculously cycle in the week and a half I didn't test it? Should I add ammonia?

10/01/2009, 04:54 PM	#8
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	Invest in a small 25gpd RO/DI. You will be glad you did. I am about ready to replace my filters and you wouldn't believe the muck it pulls out. From another newbie to another, please get an RO/DI and a proper refractometer if you haven't already. Us new comers have enough issues to deal with despite the ones we can create for ourselves. __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank.

09/30/2009, 03:37 PM	#2
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	You probably didn't have enough of an ammonia source. Just chuck in a piece of seafood. People say shrimp, but I have chucked in a piece of fish too, as it really is all the same. Depending on the condition of your live rock (wether or not it was cured or if you bought it just a little moist in newspaper) will make a difference in cycle speed.

09/30/2009, 03:53 PM	#3
wipe Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Nw side Chicago IL Posts: 340	I had the same thing happen I think the bacteria in the jar really worked along with the rock and the sand. Go slow with adding livestock and feed lightly you will be good.Nothing good happens fast, and this hobby is to expensive to rush.

09/30/2009, 04:06 PM	#4
Madratter Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 223	It is unlikely that the tank has already cycled. It is possible for a tank to go to zero ammonia after a week and a half but it is pretty unlikely the nitrites and nitrates would be zero after that time. Just keep feeding the fish and the cycle will happen. Alternatively, you could do the cycle with decaying shrimp or fish, ammonia, ammonium salts, etc.

09/30/2009, 04:18 PM	#5
foboiax Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 18	Thanks guys, I've been pretty patient with it, I was just worried something was off somewhere along the line of me setting up the tank, I was actually worried that the bleach I used to clean the tank was killing off the necessary bacteria I needed. I am feeding the damsel fish every other day pellets, don't wait it to die now!

09/30/2009, 04:55 PM	#6
wooden_reefer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 4,670	Bleach could completely sterlize all things. Did you bleach the LR? You may need to add both bacteria seed and ammonia source. Do not use damsels to cycle a tank. In effective in general. If your interest is a reef tank with just one or two little fish, optimal nitrification may be less critical. If you want a few fish, you really have to cycle well. Do not believe in going slow without cycling. Cycling is necessary no matter what bioload you plan, only the degree may differ.

09/30/2009, 05:05 PM	#7
foboiax Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 18	No I did not bleach the LR. Just used a few teaspoons of bleach to clean the tank after I opened it out of the box. I rinsed and scrubbed it down pretty well after that.

10/01/2009, 05:50 PM	#9
foboiax Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 18	Wow thanks for the great advice. I was already looking into one and am waiting for my next pay check to purchase.

10/08/2009, 12:32 AM	#10
foboiax Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 18	I realized that I am cycling my tank with my filter media basket including the media sponge, activated carbon, and ceramic rings. Could that have an effect on the cycling?