Tank Cycling Help

NOVAcane · 06/26/2011, 03:31 PM

I filled my tank up 8 days ago on 6/18. I filled the tank with water from VIP Saltwater and a full tank worth of dry cured rock that had been sitting in house (not in water) for 4 months. I immediately began running dual phosbans (one with Carbon, One with GFO). The tank was very cloudy when I added everything, and I let it sit for 3 days before doing anything. On 6/21, I added two raw shrimp from the grocery store and began daily dosing with Microbacter 7. I also began running my skimmer. I also began daily testing. Here are my results:

6/21

Am - .5
Ph - 8.0
(Didnt test Nitrite or Nitrate)

6/22

Am - 1.0
Ph - 8.0
Nitrite - .5ppm - 1.0
Nitrate - 40

6/23

Am - 2.0
Ph - 8.0
Nitrite - 2.0
Nitrate - 80

6/24

Am - 2.0
Ph - 8.0
Nitrite - 1.0
Nitrate - 160

6/25

Am - 2.0 - 4.0
Ph - 7.8
Nitrite - 2.0 - 5.0
Nitrate - 160

6/26

Am - 8.0
Ph - 7.8
Nitrite - 5.0
Nitrate 160

I just began checking the temperature today - 72.3 degrees. Obviously this is too low. I am not sure why it is this low as I am running a 500 gph return, two maxijets, a 1000 gph skimmer pump, and 2 powerheads. I keep house temperature at 74.

What do you think my parameters mean?
Why has Nitrate been so high since the beginning? (my thought was either the dry rock or the Microbactor).
Is it a problem that my Ph started at 8.0 and is now 7.8?
Now that Ammonia is at 8.0, should I take the shrimp out? Do I keep using the microbacter (bottle says 2 weeks, daily)?
Should I be running skimmer, carbon, and gfo?

What does all of this mean?
How am I doing?

tdcracing · 06/26/2011, 04:05 PM

I would get some live rock to add to your base rock. Take the dead shrimp out. Stop dosing anything. Run the skimmer. I've never had to adjust ph. Thats the lowest I have seen it in my tank while cycling and I did not have to do anything for it to come up to where it is suppose to be.

And wait for it to cycle.

What size tank is this?
Going to be a reef or fowlr?

Let me ask you a question.....

Why are you trying to make a tank cycle when it has nothing in it that is living in it (Live rock ect).

After the cycle and your levels return you are going to be left at the same point as you would have began when you first started dosing and adding the dead shrimp... (Which should be just plain old R/O water at a SG of 1.025) Right????

So why do it in the first place?

I would really consider getting some cured live rock to add to your current base rock you have now. Wait for the small cycle that you may get from doing this (Levels shpuld not nearly be what they are now) then your good to go.

Sport507 · 06/26/2011, 04:14 PM

1) They is no such thing as dried cured rock, even for ***ging corals.

2) Start reading all the stickiess you can find on setting up a new tank.

3) Don't do anymore of anything until those nitrates come down to at least 10-20ppm.

foxrazr · 06/26/2011, 05:30 PM

1)Check your temp with a different thermometer if it's still that low get a heater to raise temp to 78 degrees.
2)Stop dosing any bacteria and save your money for livestock.
3)your tank is still going through the cycle. Probably because of the dry rock. Since your ammonia and nitrates are high I would do a water change to bring those levels down specially the nitrates. For some reason when all levels are high the cycle takes longer at least it gets stuck in that phase longer. It happened to me. My tank took 2 months to cycle.
4) run the skimmer and carbon to help with water quality. You will be surprise what the skimmer is going to pull of that dead rock.
5) I wouldn't put any liverock in order not to introduce nuisance things.
6)patience, patience, and more patience.

06/26/2011, 03:31 PM	#1
NOVAcane Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 121	Tank Cycling Help I filled my tank up 8 days ago on 6/18. I filled the tank with water from VIP Saltwater and a full tank worth of dry cured rock that had been sitting in house (not in water) for 4 months. I immediately began running dual phosbans (one with Carbon, One with GFO). The tank was very cloudy when I added everything, and I let it sit for 3 days before doing anything. On 6/21, I added two raw shrimp from the grocery store and began daily dosing with Microbacter 7. I also began running my skimmer. I also began daily testing. Here are my results: 6/21 Am - .5 Ph - 8.0 (Didnt test Nitrite or Nitrate) 6/22 Am - 1.0 Ph - 8.0 Nitrite - .5ppm - 1.0 Nitrate - 40 6/23 Am - 2.0 Ph - 8.0 Nitrite - 2.0 Nitrate - 80 6/24 Am - 2.0 Ph - 8.0 Nitrite - 1.0 Nitrate - 160 6/25 Am - 2.0 - 4.0 Ph - 7.8 Nitrite - 2.0 - 5.0 Nitrate - 160 6/26 Am - 8.0 Ph - 7.8 Nitrite - 5.0 Nitrate 160 I just began checking the temperature today - 72.3 degrees. Obviously this is too low. I am not sure why it is this low as I am running a 500 gph return, two maxijets, a 1000 gph skimmer pump, and 2 powerheads. I keep house temperature at 74. What do you think my parameters mean? Why has Nitrate been so high since the beginning? (my thought was either the dry rock or the Microbactor). Is it a problem that my Ph started at 8.0 and is now 7.8? Now that Ammonia is at 8.0, should I take the shrimp out? Do I keep using the microbacter (bottle says 2 weeks, daily)? Should I be running skimmer, carbon, and gfo? What does all of this mean? How am I doing?

06/26/2011, 04:05 PM	#2
tdcracing Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 36	I would get some live rock to add to your base rock. Take the dead shrimp out. Stop dosing anything. Run the skimmer. I've never had to adjust ph. Thats the lowest I have seen it in my tank while cycling and I did not have to do anything for it to come up to where it is suppose to be. And wait for it to cycle. What size tank is this? Going to be a reef or fowlr? Let me ask you a question..... Why are you trying to make a tank cycle when it has nothing in it that is living in it (Live rock ect). After the cycle and your levels return you are going to be left at the same point as you would have began when you first started dosing and adding the dead shrimp... (Which should be just plain old R/O water at a SG of 1.025) Right???? So why do it in the first place? I would really consider getting some cured live rock to add to your current base rock you have now. Wait for the small cycle that you may get from doing this (Levels shpuld not nearly be what they are now) then your good to go. Last edited by tdcracing; 06/26/2011 at 04:20 PM.

06/26/2011, 04:14 PM	#3
Sport507 ~Just a Farm Boy~ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 1,651	1) They is no such thing as dried cured rock, even for ***ging corals. 2) Start reading all the stickiess you can find on setting up a new tank. 3) Don't do anymore of anything until those nitrates come down to at least 10-20ppm. __________________ Sport If you do not test for it, DON'T dose it. Indiana INDMAS Member

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06/26/2011, 05:30 PM	#4
foxrazr Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Laredo,Texas Posts: 256	1)Check your temp with a different thermometer if it's still that low get a heater to raise temp to 78 degrees. 2)Stop dosing any bacteria and save your money for livestock. 3)your tank is still going through the cycle. Probably because of the dry rock. Since your ammonia and nitrates are high I would do a water change to bring those levels down specially the nitrates. For some reason when all levels are high the cycle takes longer at least it gets stuck in that phase longer. It happened to me. My tank took 2 months to cycle. 4) run the skimmer and carbon to help with water quality. You will be surprise what the skimmer is going to pull of that dead rock. 5) I wouldn't put any liverock in order not to introduce nuisance things. 6)patience, patience, and more patience.