quick cycle question

[zidion]

I am cycling my new 55g tank and have a quick question. My ammonia and nitrite are at 0, but my nitrate is around 15ppm. In the tank all I have is live sand, dry rock, and some refugium mud.

Should I do a water change to decrease the nitrate? Or should I add some cheato to my refugium to help decrease the nitrate?

Thanks.

[zidion]

I forgot to add that no algae has bloomed yet. I am also running a protein skimmer.

[andy2966]

How Long Has the tank been Cycling? Has your Ammonia and Nitrites spiked and went back down?

[zidion]

Originally Posted by andy2966

How Long Has the tank been Cycling? Has your Ammonia and Nitrites spiked and went back down?

3 weeks. The ammonia spiked the first week, and then nitrites were extremely high after that. I checked it last 2 days and ammonia and nitrites are 0. I cycled using some bio-spira and a small cocktail shrimp.

[Pysiek]

It's mean your cycle is over :-)

[Pysiek]

check this chart http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/o.h.../newtank3.html

[fnicklaus]

What are you planning on keeping? Most fish do not show any effects when nitrate is 15ppm.

[zidion]

Originally Posted by fnicklaus

What are you planning on keeping? Most fish do not show any effects when nitrate is 15ppm.

Right now I have a mandarin and 2 clown fish in my biocube 29. As for corals I have LPSs, soft corals and polyps. If I remember correctly, the nitrate needs be below 5ppm for corals.

[zidion]

Originally Posted by Pysiek

It's mean your cycle is over :-)

Should I do a water change before putting my fish and corals in?

[thegrun]

Originally Posted by zidion

Should I do a water change before putting my fish and corals in?

I would make a 50% water change and yes add cheato to your refugium both to reduce nitrates and as a place for your pods to reproduce. How long have you had the Mandarin? A 55 gallon tank even when mature is usually not big enough to produce enough copods to feed a Mandarin unless it eats prepared foods (many will not) and it will starve.

[zidion]

Originally Posted by thegrun

I would make a 50% water change and yes add cheato to your refugium both to reduce nitrates and as a place for your pods to reproduce. How long have you had the Mandarin? A 55 gallon tank even when mature is usually not big enough to produce enough copods to feed a Mandarin unless it eats prepared foods (many will not) and it will starve.

I've had him for a year now. He eats frozen shrimp and pellets.