Odd tank readings perhaps?

Hightray · 05/19/2014, 10:30 PM

Hello again. Thanks to all of your help on my build I am now in the starting process of the tank.

The tank is a 40 gallon acrylic. I have 28lbs of live rock in the system. I was expecting an ammonia, nitrite, nitrate cycle but it has been odd. Then again I do not have experience so perhaps this is normal. Here have been my readings, I test about every three days.

5/2: Startup of tank nothing but an aragonite substrate, skimmer, 1500gph of flow with two hydor circulation pumps.

5/9: Introduced 28lbs of live rock.

Test Results
Date - S.G. - Temp - pH - Ammonia - Nitrite - Nitrate

5/11/2014 1.025 77.5 7.8 0 5 40
5/16/2014 1.025 78.5 8 0 5 80
5/19/2014 1.025 78.5 7.9 0 0.25 2.5

Now, on 5/17 I did a 20% water change. Perhaps that is what knocked the stuffing out of the nitrite and nitrates.

What I was expecting though was an ammonia reading and I have yet to see anything appreciable. MAYBE I have been between 0 and .25 but I cannot tell the colors that well.

I have read some people put a piece of shrimp in the tank but I thought that the live rock would take the place of that. Do I need to "feed the tank" during this time>

Has anyone seen a trend like this? Too early to tell what is going on?

Thanks for your experienced input!

atrox · 05/19/2014, 10:49 PM

You can add cocktail shrimp good cycle starter, but if the live rock was indeed live you will have die off that will aid in cycling. I normally don't do water changes when tank is cycling because it removes the bacteria you are trying to colonize. Readings look good but I'd expect them to rise again after bacteria starts to re establish itself again.

thegrun · 05/20/2014, 08:39 AM

It is possible your live rock was partially cycled and as such you didn't have an ammonia spike. To be sure I would add either a dead raw shrimp or pure ammonia to the tank. If you add 2-3 ppm of pure ammonia and the tank has alredy cycled, the ammonia should drop back down from 2-3ppm to zero within 24 hours. If not once the ammonia and nitrites do drop to zero the tank has cycled. Be sure to use pure ammonia without surfactants (available at most hardware stores). To be sure the ammonia does not contain surfactants shake the bottle and if it bubbles up like dish soap it has surfactants in it, pure ammonia will not have bubbles. To raise 100 gallons of water from 0 to 3 ppm ammonia you would need to add 1.2grams (12 ml) of standard 10% pure ammonia.

Hightray · 05/20/2014, 05:02 PM

I hope I did not do something detrimental. So you mention a hardware store for the ammonia. Or a shrimp. I like the idea of ammonia as I can control it better. Is there a brand of ammonia or what is it used for so I know where to look.

Thanks!

MinnFish · 05/20/2014, 06:44 PM

I had trouble finding pure ammonia. My Home Depot and menards didn't carry it. I did find it at an ace hardware. It say pure ammonia and no phosphates. Like mention, shake to make sure it does not suds. And no lemon scent, lol. Good luck. BTW, the name brand is blue ribbon.

PHRN · 05/21/2014, 02:44 AM

Bought mine in the grocery store. Like mentioned earlier be sure to shake it to make sure it has no surfactants.

05/19/2014, 10:30 PM	#1
Hightray Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 25	Odd tank readings perhaps? Hello again. Thanks to all of your help on my build I am now in the starting process of the tank. The tank is a 40 gallon acrylic. I have 28lbs of live rock in the system. I was expecting an ammonia, nitrite, nitrate cycle but it has been odd. Then again I do not have experience so perhaps this is normal. Here have been my readings, I test about every three days. 5/2: Startup of tank nothing but an aragonite substrate, skimmer, 1500gph of flow with two hydor circulation pumps. 5/9: Introduced 28lbs of live rock. Test Results Date - S.G. - Temp - pH - Ammonia - Nitrite - Nitrate 5/11/2014 1.025 77.5 7.8 0 5 40 5/16/2014 1.025 78.5 8 0 5 80 5/19/2014 1.025 78.5 7.9 0 0.25 2.5 Now, on 5/17 I did a 20% water change. Perhaps that is what knocked the stuffing out of the nitrite and nitrates. What I was expecting though was an ammonia reading and I have yet to see anything appreciable. MAYBE I have been between 0 and .25 but I cannot tell the colors that well. I have read some people put a piece of shrimp in the tank but I thought that the live rock would take the place of that. Do I need to "feed the tank" during this time> Has anyone seen a trend like this? Too early to tell what is going on? Thanks for your experienced input!

05/20/2014, 06:44 PM	#5
MinnFish Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Home of 10,000 lakes Posts: 917	I had trouble finding pure ammonia. My Home Depot and menards didn't carry it. I did find it at an ace hardware. It say pure ammonia and no phosphates. Like mention, shake to make sure it does not suds. And no lemon scent, lol. Good luck. BTW, the name brand is blue ribbon. __________________ 33G Long, 4x54 watt T5, Tunze 6025, Tunze Osmolator ATO, Tunze Streamfilter 3163 Posts about moving an oversized fish to a bigger tank. Is like hearing every stripper is just working to pay for colle

05/21/2014, 02:44 AM	#6
PHRN Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Western MA Posts: 11	Got Ammonia? Bought mine in the grocery store. Like mentioned earlier be sure to shake it to make sure it has no surfactants.

05/19/2014, 10:49 PM	#2
atrox Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Angelo, Texas Posts: 574	You can add cocktail shrimp good cycle starter, but if the live rock was indeed live you will have die off that will aid in cycling. I normally don't do water changes when tank is cycling because it removes the bacteria you are trying to colonize. Readings look good but I'd expect them to rise again after bacteria starts to re establish itself again.

05/20/2014, 08:39 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	It is possible your live rock was partially cycled and as such you didn't have an ammonia spike. To be sure I would add either a dead raw shrimp or pure ammonia to the tank. If you add 2-3 ppm of pure ammonia and the tank has alredy cycled, the ammonia should drop back down from 2-3ppm to zero within 24 hours. If not once the ammonia and nitrites do drop to zero the tank has cycled. Be sure to use pure ammonia without surfactants (available at most hardware stores). To be sure the ammonia does not contain surfactants shake the bottle and if it bubbles up like dish soap it has surfactants in it, pure ammonia will not have bubbles. To raise 100 gallons of water from 0 to 3 ppm ammonia you would need to add 1.2grams (12 ml) of standard 10% pure ammonia.

05/20/2014, 05:02 PM	#4
Hightray Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 25	I hope I did not do something detrimental. So you mention a hardware store for the ammonia. Or a shrimp. I like the idea of ammonia as I can control it better. Is there a brand of ammonia or what is it used for so I know where to look. Thanks!