tank cycled?

evitug · 01/27/2010, 04:27 PM

This is my second run on a reef aquarium, its been a 6 year break.

Setup:
35G DT, 10G sump, sump skimmer, 2-PC 65W

I purchased 45 lbs. and 20-30 lbs of live sand from an est. 2 year old tank that was being downsized, found seller from craigslist for $100 total, who live just 12 mins away. Transported rock in 3 separate buckets, with the buckets half way full of SW, 1 bucket of sand fully submerged. Threw dry salt mix in tank and filled with RODI water, powerheads and heater overnight till it cleared and got water to a SG of 1.024 @ 78F. Aquascaped rocks into tank and filled sand bed to 3". Tank has been running for 2 weeks with just the LR/LS and a few red legged mini hermits. I have been testing for ammonia and nitrites (API master test kit), every other day. I've seen a spike in ammonia which rose to over 4ppm and now has subsided to just below .25 ppm. Zero nitrites, Zero nitrates. I have not seen a rise in nitrites or nitrates. Is the cycle nearly done, since there was very little die off in the LR or am I still going to see a nitrite spike.

E

Sisterlimonpot · 01/27/2010, 04:32 PM

Nope, you have to wait till the ammonia is at 0. .25 is still too toxic. Give it time and it will go down.

Sisterlimonpot · 01/27/2010, 04:33 PM

Oh and by the way

To Reef Central

one clownfish · 01/27/2010, 05:27 PM

Sounds to me like your just about there. I would do a water change about 10% or so. I would wait till amm. is at zero before adding fish/coral. Just make sure you put everything (ALL fish,rock,coral) in a QT before adding them to DT no matter how good/healthy it looks. Start right from the beginning and you won't have to many problems. Good Luck

garzaci · 01/27/2010, 05:45 PM

No. You're not cycled. Amm needs to be at zero with a measurable spike in nitrite. When nitrite hits zero and nitrate goes up you can do a water change and start slowly adding. As long as you still have amm it is not done and is harmful to kivestock.

Sisterlimonpot · 01/27/2010, 05:53 PM

Nitrites aren't toxic to salt water inhabitants. After the ammonia is at 0 then you can start slowly stocking the tank.

evitug · 01/28/2010, 11:21 AM

Thanks. Question on quarantine tanks, what type of setup would recommend? How long do you keep live stock in the QT for? Do you quarantine just fish or invertebrates as well? Do the QT's water parameters have to match exactly of the same parameters of the DT? I've never used a QT in the past but would definitely like to do it right this time around. What process do you guys find successful?

mann1139 · 01/28/2010, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garzaci

No. You're not cycled. Amm needs to be at zero with a measurable spike in nitrite. When nitrite hits zero and nitrate goes up you can do a water change and start slowly adding. As long as you still have amm it is not done and is harmful to kivestock.

Agree on the ammonia, but it's actually fairly common to miss the nitrite spike, especially if using cycled LR.

Depending on the bioload and the system, you might not measure nitrates right away either.

Sisterlimonpot · 01/28/2010, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evitug

Thanks. Question on quarantine tanks, what type of setup would recommend? How long do you keep live stock in the QT for? Do you quarantine just fish or invertebrates as well? Do the QT's water parameters have to match exactly of the same parameters of the DT? I've never used a QT in the past but would definitely like to do it right this time around. What process do you guys find successful?

Well it varies from each individual, I QT for 6-8 weeks. Fish automatically get hyposalinity (1.009), as you can see my main concern is ich as well as adapting to eating frozen food.

As for inverts they get the same 6-8 week QT with salinity the same as the DT.

Corals, I dip in revive and iodine and watch in a QT for about 2-3 weeks for red bugs, AEFW etc.

Sisterlimonpot · 01/28/2010, 12:21 PM

Oh and to set up a QT all you need is a tank (appropriate to the size of the fish) with a heater, some sort of filtration, some substrate like big pieces of PVC elbows, lighting (optional) and powerhead (optional as well)

evitug · 02/01/2010, 10:33 AM

3 weeks have gone by:
0 ammonia
0 nitrites
0 nitrates
pH 8.2
80 F
1.025 SG

Looks as if I'm fully cycled, ready for some live stock. I want to start with 1 fish and 1 softie? Any suggestions on this 30 long?

Chiefsurfer · 02/01/2010, 10:56 AM

well normal culprits for fish is some type of goby, some type of clown pair, and a reef-safe wrasse. The wrasses tend to be jumpers, as might the goby.

I'd put in whatever the most docile fish is in first. The most territorial in last.

As for softees, I have heard that leathers are pretty toxic, so I have tried to stay away from them. I have a frogspawn that I think is great. Will be getting a torch or hammer as well. I like Bubble corals, but I think they need a fair amount of room to themselves.

Could always go for shrooms, they are one of the easy ones to keep. And/Or zoas are pretty easy care stuff.

Cuban Hogfish · 08/09/2011, 07:39 AM

Correction Sisterlimonpot!!!! (((((Nitrites aren't toxic to salt water inhabitants. After the ammonia is at 0 then you can start slowly stocking the tank.))))
High Nitrites will kill your fish in minutes.It does not affect your coral
.....I learned from my mistakes!!!!!

01/27/2010, 04:27 PM	#1
evitug Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 4	tank cycled? This is my second run on a reef aquarium, its been a 6 year break. Setup: 35G DT, 10G sump, sump skimmer, 2-PC 65W I purchased 45 lbs. and 20-30 lbs of live sand from an est. 2 year old tank that was being downsized, found seller from craigslist for $100 total, who live just 12 mins away. Transported rock in 3 separate buckets, with the buckets half way full of SW, 1 bucket of sand fully submerged. Threw dry salt mix in tank and filled with RODI water, powerheads and heater overnight till it cleared and got water to a SG of 1.024 @ 78F. Aquascaped rocks into tank and filled sand bed to 3". Tank has been running for 2 weeks with just the LR/LS and a few red legged mini hermits. I have been testing for ammonia and nitrites (API master test kit), every other day. I've seen a spike in ammonia which rose to over 4ppm and now has subsided to just below .25 ppm. Zero nitrites, Zero nitrates. I have not seen a rise in nitrites or nitrates. Is the cycle nearly done, since there was very little die off in the LR or am I still going to see a nitrite spike. E Last edited by evitug; 01/27/2010 at 05:17 PM.

01/27/2010, 04:32 PM	#2
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	Nope, you have to wait till the ammonia is at 0. .25 is still too toxic. Give it time and it will go down. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

01/27/2010, 04:33 PM	#3
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	Oh and by the way *To Reef Central* __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

01/27/2010, 05:45 PM	#5
garzaci Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Richlands, NC Posts: 241	No. You're not cycled. Amm needs to be at zero with a measurable spike in nitrite. When nitrite hits zero and nitrate goes up you can do a water change and start slowly adding. As long as you still have amm it is not done and is harmful to kivestock. __________________ Carlos No tank at all. Sold everything when I got stationed in Okinawa. Planning for when I return though. Current Tank Info: 20 gal reef tank

01/27/2010, 05:53 PM	#6
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	Nitrites aren't toxic to salt water inhabitants. After the ammonia is at 0 then you can start slowly stocking the tank. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

01/27/2010, 05:27 PM	#4
one clownfish Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 279	Sounds to me like your just about there. I would do a water change about 10% or so. I would wait till amm. is at zero before adding fish/coral. Just make sure you put everything (ALL fish,rock,coral) in a QT before adding them to DT no matter how good/healthy it looks. Start right from the beginning and you won't have to many problems. Good Luck

01/28/2010, 11:21 AM	#7
evitug Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 4	Thanks. Question on quarantine tanks, what type of setup would recommend? How long do you keep live stock in the QT for? Do you quarantine just fish or invertebrates as well? Do the QT's water parameters have to match exactly of the same parameters of the DT? I've never used a QT in the past but would definitely like to do it right this time around. What process do you guys find successful? Last edited by evitug; 01/28/2010 at 11:31 AM.

01/28/2010, 12:21 PM	#10
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	Oh and to set up a QT all you need is a tank (appropriate to the size of the fish) with a heater, some sort of filtration, some substrate like big pieces of PVC elbows, lighting (optional) and powerhead (optional as well) __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

02/01/2010, 10:33 AM	#11
evitug Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 4	3 weeks have gone by: 0 ammonia 0 nitrites 0 nitrates pH 8.2 80 F 1.025 SG Looks as if I'm fully cycled, ready for some live stock. I want to start with 1 fish and 1 softie? Any suggestions on this 30 long?

02/01/2010, 10:56 AM	#12
Chiefsurfer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seaside Park, NJ Posts: 2,138	well normal culprits for fish is some type of goby, some type of clown pair, and a reef-safe wrasse. The wrasses tend to be jumpers, as might the goby. I'd put in whatever the most docile fish is in first. The most territorial in last. As for softees, I have heard that leathers are pretty toxic, so I have tried to stay away from them. I have a frogspawn that I think is great. Will be getting a torch or hammer as well. I like Bubble corals, but I think they need a fair amount of room to themselves. Could always go for shrooms, they are one of the easy ones to keep. And/Or zoas are pretty easy care stuff. __________________ Chief Current Tank: 20 Gallon tall, 4-bulb t5 HO, Eshopps psk75H, ac-70 fuge. So far, green clown goby, striped goby, more gorillas than I wish I had, 5 SPS frags, 3 LPS Frags, 1 Softee, Turkey Wing Clam. Plan for the future: 120 gallon 4ft glass tank. Current Tank Info: 20 gallon tall Reef Tank

08/09/2011, 07:39 AM	#13
Cuban Hogfish Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Tampa Bay,Fl Posts: 7	Correction Sisterlimonpot!!!! (((((Nitrites aren't toxic to salt water inhabitants. After the ammonia is at 0 then you can start slowly stocking the tank.)))) High Nitrites will kill your fish in minutes.It does not affect your coral .....I learned from my mistakes!!!!!