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08/16/2011, 08:32 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Central FL
Posts: 278
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Tank Cycling - Ammonia spike and back down in 4 days?
Is 4 days a sufficient amount of time for an ammonia spike to occur during a tank's cycle and then for it to return back to zero? My tank is a 34 gallon with 10 gallon sump. Theres about 30 pounds dry rock and a small piece of established live rock. I also added a raw cocktail shrimp in the beginning, then some mysis, then some flakes. As it stands today my tank is in the middle of its 3rd week of cycling, almost into the 4th.
I tested my parameters last Thursday and my ammonia was at .25 ppm. I've been out of town until today and checked the water again and now my ammonia is 0. Do you think my ammonia spike occurred, or that it just raised a tiny bit and went back down? What should I do next? |
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08/16/2011, 08:47 PM
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#2 |
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Registered Reef Keeper
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 1,443
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Measure for nitrites and nitrates.
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Leyton at Reno Current Tank Info: Custom 200 gal reef cube with a 20 gal sump, 2 AI SOL LED Fixtures, Super Reef Octopus skimmer, custom made calcium reactor, Apex Lite controller with various modules. |
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08/17/2011, 07:16 AM
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#3 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Central FL
Posts: 278
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Quote:
Nitrites went up to 5.0 ppm and are now back at 0, nitrates went up to 10.0 ppm and are coming back down. Yesterday they were 5.0 ppm and I haven't checked today yet. |
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08/17/2011, 07:45 AM
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#4 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 2,160
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I think you're good to go. Add one or two fish to increase the bio load, along with a clean up crew. Go slow so the bacteria can continue to populate.
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08/17/2011, 08:41 AM
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#5 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Central FL
Posts: 278
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Quote:
 What fish would you recommend I add in the beginning? How long should I wait for a shrimp? Peppermint or cleaner probably.. |
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08/17/2011, 08:48 AM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 2,160
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clowns, chromis, etc... no damsels! A hardy fish. I'd wait on a shrimp for a couple weeks after introducing your first fish or two.
I'm cycling a new tank too with dry rock (upgrading from my 3yr old nano). I had a ammonia spike around week one, now I'm in week 3 and ammonia is at 0, nitrites at 5ppm and nitrates at 20ppm... waiting for the nitrites to start dropping... |
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08/17/2011, 08:52 AM
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#7 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Central FL
Posts: 278
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Definitely don't want any damsels! Haha.
I just checked nitrites and nitrates again and they appear to be the same as yesterday. Trites: 0 ppm Trates: 5 ppm |
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08/17/2011, 08:54 AM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 2,160
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you're ready
just remember take it slow |
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08/17/2011, 10:41 AM
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#9 |
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Registered Reef Keeper
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 1,443
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Agree your ready to go..................slowly, as dog pointed out.
__________________
Leyton at Reno Current Tank Info: Custom 200 gal reef cube with a 20 gal sump, 2 AI SOL LED Fixtures, Super Reef Octopus skimmer, custom made calcium reactor, Apex Lite controller with various modules. |
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