Safe Nitrate level to start CUCs?

bms270 · 05/28/2009, 09:42 PM

Im in the fourth week of cycling my 125G tank with 120p LR and 120p LS. Ammonia and Nitrite are zero but I still have 10ppm Nitrate. is it safe to start with getting some snails? I've heard they are so sensitive to Nitrate. So I want to know if I have to wait more or not, and if I wait would Nitrate go down by itself or I have to keep changing the water to bring it down?

Aquarist007 · 05/28/2009, 09:48 PM

I would give it one more week

BurntOutReefer · 05/28/2009, 09:51 PM

1~2 more weeks, then do 10~15% waterchange BEFORE you start adding bio-load

tipmoff · 05/28/2009, 09:57 PM

+2 ..patience is a virtue. Give it at least one more week and add something like chromis or damsel. They are extremely hardy and inexpensive. Add the inverts after a week or 2 of having some fish. I am surprised you don't have any snails or inverts that came in on your LR.

bms270 · 05/28/2009, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tipmoff
+2 ..patience is a virtue. Give it at least one more week and add something like chromis or damsel. They are extremely hardy and inexpensive. Add the inverts after a week or 2 of having some fish. I am surprised you don't have any snails or inverts that came in on your LR.

Hehe! I did not mention but sure I got a few snails that came with my LR and LS. I can see a lot of worms and little things that move very fast from holes to holes on the LR and also occasionally their dead bodies floating in the water

but having said all these I wasn't sure if I add 100 cerith snails and 20 Blue leg Hermits then maybe the nitrate will go up and that would hurt them.

PRDubois · 05/28/2009, 11:02 PM

Snails and Hermits will be fine at 10ppm Nitrate

05/28/2009, 09:42 PM	#1
bms270 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 243	Safe Nitrate level to start CUCs? Im in the fourth week of cycling my 125G tank with 120p LR and 120p LS. Ammonia and Nitrite are zero but I still have 10ppm Nitrate. is it safe to start with getting some snails? I've heard they are so sensitive to Nitrate. So I want to know if I have to wait more or not, and if I wait would Nitrate go down by itself or I have to keep changing the water to bring it down? __________________ "I've learned .... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness, and growth occurs while you're climbing it." Current Tank Info: 225G Mixed Reef

05/28/2009, 09:48 PM	#2
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	I would give it one more week __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

05/28/2009, 09:57 PM	#4
tipmoff Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 430	+2 ..patience is a virtue. Give it at least one more week and add something like chromis or damsel. They are extremely hardy and inexpensive. Add the inverts after a week or 2 of having some fish. I am surprised you don't have any snails or inverts that came in on your LR. __________________ "When I was a boy the Dead Sea was only sick. ." Member T.B.R.C. Current Tank Info: 75 Gallon Mixed Reef

05/28/2009, 11:02 PM	#6
PRDubois Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chester, VA Posts: 3,626	Snails and Hermits will be fine at 10ppm Nitrate __________________ http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2534403 Current Tank Info: 225 gal Reef, 60 gal reef & 40b frag tank

05/28/2009, 09:51 PM	#3
BurntOutReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 4,376	1~2 more weeks, then do 10~15% waterchange BEFORE you start adding bio-load