Need help 1 month new to hobby

Reef_rookies · 03/27/2016, 01:26 PM

We have a 55 gallon tank and have had it set up for about a month with live rock. We got 2 mantis shrimp hitchhikers an emerald crab and just got a toadstool leather coral. We think the tank has been cycled although there wasn't a huge ammonia spike. Nitrite and nitrate levels are both 0 although when testing the ammonia today instead of it being a yellowish colour the test results are white? Please help if you know what this could mean...thanks

theatrus · 03/27/2016, 02:02 PM

What ammonia test kit are you using? Was your rock bought locally or shipped?

Laredotx1987 · 03/29/2016, 08:00 AM

any pictures of the test sample? what type of test kit are you using?

Reef_rookies · 03/29/2016, 09:07 AM

We are using the API ..advanced pharmaceuticals kit..bought rock from local store...apparently its from Fiji...

michellejy · 03/29/2016, 09:40 AM

Was the rock wet or dry when you added it? If it was wet from a local store and not out of the water long, you may not see any cycle at all.

Reef_rookies · 03/29/2016, 10:48 AM

The rock we got was wet live rock. We have been testing it for weeks and not much action. There was also 2 mantis shrimp hitchhikers and we added an emerald crab after only 2 weeks of adding live rock. We haven't done any water changes...only top ups. Not sure if its been cycled or not? Everything's surviving in there though....despite no ammonia spike! We also just added a toadstool leather coral and it seems to be fine.

bat21 · 03/29/2016, 10:56 AM

if the API ammonia test is white, you either did it wrong, or the test kit is bad.

gone fishin · 03/29/2016, 11:09 AM

I agree with bat21 on the test.

As far as the tank cycle or not it is hard to say. The rock could have been placed into the LFS tank the day before you bought it or it could have been there for months. The critters that you have in the tank currently do not produce much of a bio- load and with the info given It would be hard to say if you introduced any ammonia to get the cycle going or not.

FWIW if you plan to have fish or other critters in the tank long term then you should remove the mantis shrimps.

Reef_rookies · 03/29/2016, 11:33 AM

The employee at the store said that some of the live rock had been curing for about a month and a couple of them came from a batch that had cured for about 2 weeks. I will do the test again...I have a feeling maybe the test tubes got mixed up and maybe has trace chemicals left behind that weren't washed away causing test to go bad. I'm not sure what I should do at this point....if I should still wait before adding anything else or go ahead and add some fish?

homer1475 · 03/29/2016, 11:36 AM

Make sure you shake the snot out of bottle 2. Even banging it on the table helps. Hate API kits, but there easy and accurate enough for the cycle anyways.

Reef_rookies · 03/29/2016, 12:30 PM

Does anyone know what this is?

Reef_rookies · 03/29/2016, 12:34 PM

Or this white spongy thing?

03/27/2016, 01:26 PM	#1
Reef_rookies Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Newmarket Posts: 44	Need help 1 month new to hobby We have a 55 gallon tank and have had it set up for about a month with live rock. We got 2 mantis shrimp hitchhikers an emerald crab and just got a toadstool leather coral. We think the tank has been cycled although there wasn't a huge ammonia spike. Nitrite and nitrate levels are both 0 although when testing the ammonia today instead of it being a yellowish colour the test results are white? Please help if you know what this could mean...thanks

03/27/2016, 02:02 PM	#2
theatrus 100-mile-commuter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: almost nevada Posts: 4,721	What ammonia test kit are you using? Was your rock bought locally or shipped? __________________ Custom electronics purveyor. blueAcro.com Current Tank Info: 90g SPS+mixed reef (10 yrs): LEDBrick LEDs, 40g custom sump, Ca reactor, chiller, Vortech, lots of custom electronics

03/29/2016, 09:40 AM	#5
michellejy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: OH Posts: 1,076	Was the rock wet or dry when you added it? If it was wet from a local store and not out of the water long, you may not see any cycle at all. __________________ Michelle Current Tank Info: 30G FOWLR Clownfish tank soon to be replaced by JBJ 28 Gallon Nano

03/29/2016, 10:56 AM	#7
bat21 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 701	if the API ammonia test is white, you either did it wrong, or the test kit is bad. __________________ --- Current Tank Info: 65g fowlr

03/29/2016, 11:09 AM	#8
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	I agree with bat21 on the test. As far as the tank cycle or not it is hard to say. The rock could have been placed into the LFS tank the day before you bought it or it could have been there for months. The critters that you have in the tank currently do not produce much of a bio- load and with the info given It would be hard to say if you introduced any ammonia to get the cycle going or not. FWIW if you plan to have fish or other critters in the tank long term then you should remove the mantis shrimps. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

03/29/2016, 08:00 AM	#3
Laredotx1987 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Laredo Tx Posts: 54	any pictures of the test sample? what type of test kit are you using?

03/29/2016, 09:07 AM	#4
Reef_rookies Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Newmarket Posts: 44	We are using the API ..advanced pharmaceuticals kit..bought rock from local store...apparently its from Fiji...

03/29/2016, 10:48 AM	#6
Reef_rookies Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Newmarket Posts: 44	The rock we got was wet live rock. We have been testing it for weeks and not much action. There was also 2 mantis shrimp hitchhikers and we added an emerald crab after only 2 weeks of adding live rock. We haven't done any water changes...only top ups. Not sure if its been cycled or not? Everything's surviving in there though....despite no ammonia spike! We also just added a toadstool leather coral and it seems to be fine.

03/29/2016, 11:33 AM	#9
Reef_rookies Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Newmarket Posts: 44	The employee at the store said that some of the live rock had been curing for about a month and a couple of them came from a batch that had cured for about 2 weeks. I will do the test again...I have a feeling maybe the test tubes got mixed up and maybe has trace chemicals left behind that weren't washed away causing test to go bad. I'm not sure what I should do at this point....if I should still wait before adding anything else or go ahead and add some fish?

03/29/2016, 11:36 AM	#10
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	Make sure you shake the snot out of bottle 2. Even banging it on the table helps. Hate API kits, but there easy and accurate enough for the cycle anyways. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"