Another Cycle Question

walnuts24 · 05/27/2011, 06:57 AM

Got my first BC29 up and running a 2 weeks ago with RO/DI water Salt and Sand. Put 15 pounds of well established LR (w/ the purple stuff all over it) and 12 pounds of Fiji Base Rock last Sunday. Just started seeing long strands of what looks like brown hair algae on the LR. My CUC is coming today order from reefcritters(great site with some great help). I still have not seen any ammonia spikes and am reading pretty low Nitrates.

Params:
SG: 1.025-1.026 (have cheap hydrometer that I REALLY DONT TRUST)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0-5
Ammonia: 0
Temp: 78

What do you think, has my tank not cycled or is it done?

Thanks for the help RC is a life saver.

zeeter · 05/27/2011, 07:12 AM

Did you ever give it a source of ammonia? Most people put a piece of raw shrimp in their tanks to get things started. Or you could just pour in straight ammonia.

BTW: Hydrometers aren't bad. As long as it's not ancient it will give you a more or less adequate judgment of your SG. Unless your have a need to be spot-on with your SG I think they're fine. If you get an anemone, though, definitely invest in a refractometer. 'Nems require very specific and stable water conditions (and a mature tank!).

ColaAddict · 05/27/2011, 07:43 AM

Get yourself a refractometer, especially with a nano where parameters can get more unstable. As with the last post, how did you cycle your tank, were those live rocks shipped to you (which could have dead stuff on them already, good for cycling) or did you put in a source of ammonia. With live rocks, sometimes you don't see an ammonia spike because they already have all the bacteria you need to convert ammonia and nitrites into nitrates, which means your cycled. Add livestock slowly.

walnuts24 · 05/27/2011, 07:44 AM

I got my LR from the LFS. It was out of their tank for less than 2 hours before it was in mine. Within 2 days their was brown Hair Algae. Is this Normal?

zeeter · 05/27/2011, 07:50 AM

Brown hair algae is completely normal when establishing a tank. Avoid ambient light if you want to minimize it, but it is something that a tank will go through. This will be followed by the green, powdery algae.

And if the rock came from the LFS they may have cured it but just being in a tank doesn't necessarily mean it's cycled.

walnuts24 · 05/27/2011, 08:07 AM

Would it be ok to add some freshwater fish food to the tank to see if I get a spike?

thegrun · 05/27/2011, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walnuts24

Would it be ok to add some freshwater fish food to the tank to see if I get a spike?

Yes, add a pinch a day. If after 7-10 days you do not see ammonia or nitrite, you can assume the rock was cured enough to handle a small bio-load. At that point you can begin your fish additions SLOWLY, no more than one a week.

funkoptimus · 05/28/2011, 08:39 AM

Also I am not sure if it was mentioned but since it is going thru its cycle their is no need to have lights on. No light no algae.

05/27/2011, 06:57 AM	#1
walnuts24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 202	Another Cycle Question Got my first BC29 up and running a 2 weeks ago with RO/DI water Salt and Sand. Put 15 pounds of well established LR (w/ the purple stuff all over it) and 12 pounds of Fiji Base Rock last Sunday. Just started seeing long strands of what looks like brown hair algae on the LR. My CUC is coming today order from reefcritters(great site with some great help). I still have not seen any ammonia spikes and am reading pretty low Nitrates. Params: SG: 1.025-1.026 (have cheap hydrometer that I REALLY DONT TRUST) Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0-5 Ammonia: 0 Temp: 78 What do you think, has my tank not cycled or is it done? Thanks for the help RC is a life saver.

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05/27/2011, 07:12 AM	#2
zeeter Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 386	Did you ever give it a source of ammonia? Most people put a piece of raw shrimp in their tanks to get things started. Or you could just pour in straight ammonia. BTW: Hydrometers aren't bad. As long as it's not ancient it will give you a more or less adequate judgment of your SG. Unless your have a need to be spot-on with your SG I think they're fine. If you get an anemone, though, definitely invest in a refractometer. 'Nems require very specific and stable water conditions (and a mature tank!).

05/27/2011, 07:43 AM	#3
ColaAddict Moved On Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Northbrook Posts: 370	Get yourself a refractometer, especially with a nano where parameters can get more unstable. As with the last post, how did you cycle your tank, were those live rocks shipped to you (which could have dead stuff on them already, good for cycling) or did you put in a source of ammonia. With live rocks, sometimes you don't see an ammonia spike because they already have all the bacteria you need to convert ammonia and nitrites into nitrates, which means your cycled. Add livestock slowly.

05/27/2011, 07:44 AM	#4
walnuts24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 202	I got my LR from the LFS. It was out of their tank for less than 2 hours before it was in mine. Within 2 days their was brown Hair Algae. Is this Normal?

05/27/2011, 07:50 AM	#5
zeeter Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 386	Brown hair algae is completely normal when establishing a tank. Avoid ambient light if you want to minimize it, but it is something that a tank will go through. This will be followed by the green, powdery algae. And if the rock came from the LFS they may have cured it but just being in a tank doesn't necessarily mean it's cycled.

05/27/2011, 08:07 AM	#6
walnuts24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 202	Would it be ok to add some freshwater fish food to the tank to see if I get a spike?

05/28/2011, 08:39 AM	#8
funkoptimus Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 62	Also I am not sure if it was mentioned but since it is going thru its cycle their is no need to have lights on. No light no algae.