cycle test result after 1 1/2 weeks - Page 2

Mark9 · 10/10/2013, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshyross70

did another test tonight

ph - 8
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 5
nitrate - 40

Looking good, ammonia has come down, nitrite going up.

I found this picture helpful.

KeepNitReel · 10/10/2013, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshyross70

did another test tonight

ph - 8
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 5
nitrate - 40

You would've been looking at a stalled tank if not for the water change. Hopefully this will help future New Jacks and those who are not aware (giving bad advice) that a cycle can stall with off the chart ammonia & or nitrite readings.

Glad to see progress & QT them fish!!!!

joshyross70 · 10/10/2013, 11:35 AM

nice. thanks for the advice keepnitreel. and mark 9 what ever to ur QT? cuz im wondering how im going to be doing that. i dont want to have a permanent QT. the other question i have is if i take water from my main display to put in QT, i thought that it was bad to do a big water change on the dt?

Mark9 · 10/10/2013, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshyross70

nice. thanks for the advice keepnitreel. and mark 9 what ever to ur QT? cuz im wondering how im going to be doing that. i dont want to have a permanent QT. the other question i have is if i take water from my main display to put in QT, i thought that it was bad to do a big water change on the dt?

Not sure of the question, but I have read of people doing a DT water change and using that water for water change in the QT.
I tried it, but in retrospect, it may not be the best way to go about things.
I set up a semi-permanent QT.
When my DT is full, i'm just going to dump some sand and LR into it to make another small DT.
I'm sure i'm going to eventually make every mistake possible in this hobby.
But i am trying my best.

KeepNitReel · 10/10/2013, 02:06 PM

Make new water for the QT. Keep some type of filter media in the sump of the DT that you can use as seed for QT. Do not put it back in the DT sump once your finished, throw it away. Add new media to DT sump so it will be ready for the next time.

I keep a permanent 10g QT running 24/7 in my kitchen.

joshyross70 · 10/15/2013, 12:54 AM

just an update on how the cycle is going. from what i see looks like the initial cycle is coming to an end

what do u guys think?

ph- 8.2
ammonia- 0
nitrite- 0
nitrate- 20

KeepNitReel · 10/15/2013, 03:14 AM

Time for a big WC and your good.

Congratulations

brandon429 · 10/15/2013, 05:36 AM

Josh post a tank picture

Was this tank using all dry rocks, or live rock that was already cycled

Mark9 · 10/15/2013, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshyross70

just an update on how the cycle is going. from what i see looks like the initial cycle is coming to an end

what do u guys think?

ph- 8.2
ammonia- 0
nitrite- 0
nitrate- 20

Cool, WC then a fish and CUC.
Everybody says go slow, I found that very hard to do.

KeepNitReel · 10/15/2013, 07:49 AM

Two medium fish (tank size wise) shouldn't be a problem or 3 small. You cycled with a good amount of ammonia in the tank so you have the bacteria to handle them.

But go slow after the initial stocking and watch your nitrates.

joshyross70 · 10/15/2013, 10:44 AM

it was all dry rock. the weird thing to me is that there is brown diatoms on some of the rock but its not as much as i expected

joshyross70 · 10/15/2013, 10:47 AM

thank you guys for the help and support. what percent water change should i do? another question for u guys lol. since i dont have a lfs, im going to phx in two weeks, would it be ok to buy some of my cuc and one fish. add the cuc to the display and QT the fish for acouple of weeks? then add him to the tank

thegrun · 10/15/2013, 10:59 AM

Because your nitrates are high I would make at least a 50% water change. Yes it would be fine to wait two weeks for the CUC. I would keep the lights off and add a small pinch of dry flake fish food every other day to feed the bacteria until you have your CUC in place.

Roachant · 10/15/2013, 11:24 AM

Looks good, now wait for the inevitable algae bloom

joshyross70 · 10/21/2013, 03:33 PM

ok so i did a 50% water change and ive been ghost feeding the tank since i dont have fish yet. nitrates are at 0 but now ammonia is at .25ppm!!?? should i stop ghost feeding or am i just adding too much food?

joshyross70 · 10/21/2013, 08:12 PM

anyone?

thegrun · 10/22/2013, 08:03 AM

Keep up with the light ghost feeding. The ammonia should drop quickly but wait for it to zero out before adding livestock.

KeepNitReel · 10/22/2013, 08:24 AM

This is my opinion only

All that ghost feeding the tank fish food and cycling with a shrimp to me is old just like the days of cycling with damsels. While the shrimp & ghost feeding do provided an ammonia source, in turn, it fouls the tank with unnecessary matter settled on substrate.

Pure ammonia dosing is the present & future, its instant, leaves no mess & doesn't foul the tank.

Just my 2¢

thegrun · 10/22/2013, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeepNitReel

This is my opinion only

All that ghost feeding the tank fish food and cycling with a shrimp to me is old just like the days of cycling with damsels. While the shrimp & ghost feeding do provided an ammonia source, in turn, it fouls the tank with unnecessary matter settled on substrate.

Pure ammonia dosing is the present & future, its instant, leaves no mess & doesn't foul the tank.

Just my 2¢

I've used pure ammonia to cycle the last two tanks I set-up, but I still think there is a place for ghost feeding to maintain a food source for the bacteria.

KeepNitReel · 10/22/2013, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

I've used pure ammonia to cycle the last two tanks I set-up, but I still think there is a place for ghost feeding to maintain a food source for the bacteria.

Pure ammonia can be used to ghost feed also. No leftover fish food at the bottom of the tank

A drop or two does the trick

joshyross70 · 10/22/2013, 10:10 AM

well i would get some bottled bacteria but since i dont have a lfs ghost feeding will have to do the trick. so i shouldnt even worry about the .25ppm ammonia then? thanks for the tips

KeepNitReel · 10/22/2013, 12:56 PM

The .25 ammonia is a false reading

10/15/2013, 11:24 AM	#39
Roachant Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saint - Hubert, Quebec, Canada Posts: 71	Looks good, now wait for the inevitable algae bloom __________________ My fishes breath smells like fish food. Current Tank Info: 40 gallon breeder with 25 gallon sump, coralife skimmer 125, 120 watt led fixture

10/10/2013, 11:35 AM	#28
joshyross70 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 394	nice. thanks for the advice keepnitreel. and mark 9 what ever to ur QT? cuz im wondering how im going to be doing that. i dont want to have a permanent QT. the other question i have is if i take water from my main display to put in QT, i thought that it was bad to do a big water change on the dt?

10/10/2013, 02:06 PM	#30
KeepNitReel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Henrico, Virginia Posts: 490	Make new water for the QT. Keep some type of filter media in the sump of the DT that you can use as seed for QT. Do not put it back in the DT sump once your finished, throw it away. Add new media to DT sump so it will be ready for the next time. I keep a permanent 10g QT running 24/7 in my kitchen.

10/15/2013, 12:54 AM	#31
joshyross70 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 394	just an update on how the cycle is going. from what i see looks like the initial cycle is coming to an end what do u guys think? ph- 8.2 ammonia- 0 nitrite- 0 nitrate- 20

10/15/2013, 03:14 AM	#32
KeepNitReel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Henrico, Virginia Posts: 490	Time for a big WC and your good. Congratulations

10/15/2013, 05:36 AM	#33
brandon429 Registered Member. Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3,460	Josh post a tank picture Was this tank using all dry rocks, or live rock that was already cycled

10/15/2013, 07:49 AM	#35
KeepNitReel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Henrico, Virginia Posts: 490	Two medium fish (tank size wise) shouldn't be a problem or 3 small. You cycled with a good amount of ammonia in the tank so you have the bacteria to handle them. But go slow after the initial stocking and watch your nitrates.

10/15/2013, 10:44 AM	#36
joshyross70 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 394	it was all dry rock. the weird thing to me is that there is brown diatoms on some of the rock but its not as much as i expected

10/15/2013, 10:47 AM	#37
joshyross70 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 394	thank you guys for the help and support. what percent water change should i do? another question for u guys lol. since i dont have a lfs, im going to phx in two weeks, would it be ok to buy some of my cuc and one fish. add the cuc to the display and QT the fish for acouple of weeks? then add him to the tank

10/15/2013, 10:59 AM	#38
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Because your nitrates are high I would make at least a 50% water change. Yes it would be fine to wait two weeks for the CUC. I would keep the lights off and add a small pinch of dry flake fish food every other day to feed the bacteria until you have your CUC in place.

10/21/2013, 03:33 PM	#40
joshyross70 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 394	ok so i did a 50% water change and ive been ghost feeding the tank since i dont have fish yet. nitrates are at 0 but now ammonia is at .25ppm!!?? should i stop ghost feeding or am i just adding too much food?

10/21/2013, 08:12 PM	#41
joshyross70 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 394	anyone?

10/22/2013, 08:03 AM	#42
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Keep up with the light ghost feeding. The ammonia should drop quickly but wait for it to zero out before adding livestock.

10/22/2013, 08:24 AM	#43
KeepNitReel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Henrico, Virginia Posts: 490	This is my opinion only All that ghost feeding the tank fish food and cycling with a shrimp to me is old just like the days of cycling with damsels. While the shrimp & ghost feeding do provided an ammonia source, in turn, it fouls the tank with unnecessary matter settled on substrate. Pure ammonia dosing is the present & future, its instant, leaves no mess & doesn't foul the tank. Just my 2¢

10/22/2013, 10:10 AM	#46
joshyross70 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 394	well i would get some bottled bacteria but since i dont have a lfs ghost feeding will have to do the trick. so i shouldnt even worry about the .25ppm ammonia then? thanks for the tips

10/22/2013, 12:56 PM	#47
KeepNitReel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Henrico, Virginia Posts: 490	The .25 ammonia is a false reading