No sign of cycle

paveni · 04/26/2006, 08:49 PM

HELP!!! I need some advice. I have a 90 gal tank. I set it up on 4/1and filled it with salt water. I added 160 lb. of cured Live rock between 4/8 and4/15. I added 60 lb. of Live Sand on 4/18. I have no lights on. Salinity is 1.024 PH is 8.5 Temp 78.1 Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0.1 Nitrate trace. My live rock is starting to color some purple some slight greenish tinge some white spots. Does this sound normal? I thought Iwould have gotten an Ammonia spike by now. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks Pat

Bebo77 · 04/26/2006, 08:52 PM

do you have any fish? if not there is nothing in there to cause a cycle since all the rock you got was already cured...

the purple on the rock is coraline algae.. it means that you have good calcium levels.. thats a good sign...

six.line · 04/26/2006, 08:52 PM

Of course it's normal. You added live sand and cured rock.

It's not kosher, but I've heard of tons of people doing it this way.

paveni · 04/26/2006, 08:55 PM

Thanks for the quick replys. No I don't have any fish yet. What would you suggest I put in?

Bebo77 · 04/26/2006, 09:09 PM

anything you want.. with in reason.. what kind of tank do you want? fish only, reef?

paveni · 04/26/2006, 09:12 PM

I want a reef tank with five or 6 fish

Bebo77 · 04/26/2006, 09:14 PM

its a 90 gallon.. i like clowns, pipe fish, a tang, copperband, banner fish... etc there are a lot of nice choices.. what do you like?

six.line · 04/26/2006, 09:27 PM

For the smaller fishes you could get a few green or blue chromis. Clowns of all sorts are popular. Some smaller fish I really like are the six line wrasse, purple fire fish, and a royal gramma.

paveni · 04/27/2006, 04:06 AM

Thanks for the great suggestions. How soon should I start to put fish in? Don't I need to wait to cycle before I put in fish or am I wrong?

Bebo77 · 04/27/2006, 07:20 AM

you are cycled... go slow when you add fish..

paveni · 04/27/2006, 08:00 AM

Gabriel, Thank you for your advice I will pick up1 or 2 fish today .
any suggestions for safe starters?

aynoT79 · 04/27/2006, 08:07 AM

I would suggest before putting many fish in there i would put a few damnsels in there first and let them stay in there for a few weeks, Dampsels are cheap and hardy fish they can survive the higher amonia and stuff like that.. Hope this helps...

kappaknight · 04/27/2006, 12:08 PM

How can you get more coralline if you don't use any lights? Also, for cycling, throw a piece of thawed shrimp in there from the grocery store.

MiddletonMark · 04/27/2006, 12:37 PM

I would actually consider adding coral before fish, consider holding off fish-stocking for a while.

My thinking is, if you focus on good water quality, plenty of w/c and testing [Calcium and Alkalinity too] ... and start looking for captive frags of good starter corals.

IMO, if going for a live sand bed, it's best to avoid predators [crabs, shrimp, many fish] for as long as possible during startup so that all that life can thrive without predation. Thus I'd probably start slowly with corals, and let it go 3 months or longer before adding any predator. [yes, corals are predators, but compared to a shrimp, crab, or pod-eating fish ... almost nothing IMO]

Just a thought. I'd tend to think in your case buying cured rock meant little die-off ... thus no spike as the bacteria already coating the LR/LS could easily handle the standard nutrient-processing in the tank.
That doesn't mean you can increase the bioload a lot without worry of a cycle - but rather that you're not starting [as many do] with 4-8 weeks of dying/rotting process to cause a spike/cycle and then subsequent nutrient/water quality issues for a few months.

Just an opinion, but I would leave things as-is - change some water, start up any Ca/Alk supplimentation [and standard testing] practices ... and watch the coralline start to take off.

Whatever you do, take it slow. Even slower than you think slow is ... given most/all of our livestock can live for years [corals for decades] ... there is no rush.

04/26/2006, 08:49 PM	#1
paveni Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Beaufort,South Carolina Posts: 31	No sign of cycle HELP!!! I need some advice. I have a 90 gal tank. I set it up on 4/1and filled it with salt water. I added 160 lb. of cured Live rock between 4/8 and4/15. I added 60 lb. of Live Sand on 4/18. I have no lights on. Salinity is 1.024 PH is 8.5 Temp 78.1 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0.1 Nitrate trace. My live rock is starting to color some purple some slight greenish tinge some white spots. Does this sound normal? I thought Iwould have gotten an Ammonia spike by now. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks Pat

04/26/2006, 08:52 PM	#2
Bebo77 Premium Nonpaying Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lost Posts: 14,377	do you have any fish? if not there is nothing in there to cause a cycle since all the rock you got was already cured... the purple on the rock is coraline algae.. it means that you have good calcium levels.. thats a good sign... __________________ Gabriel Current Tank Info: 300 Gal Envision Tank(98Lx30Wx26T) 120 Gal SoCalCreations Sump, Deltec TC2560, 2 LumenarcsMini 1 Reg on a light mover W Radiums 250& 400, Gallaxy ballasts, Red Dragon 10m3 return W/ 2 WavySeas, 2 6155 Tunze streams

04/26/2006, 08:52 PM	#3
six.line Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Logan, UT Posts: 775	Of course it's normal. You added live sand and cured rock. It's not kosher, but I've heard of tons of people doing it this way. __________________ This post approved by Mrs. Sixline. assign <= six.line(#FFFFFF && string("nerdy")) Current Tank Info: 30 gallon with 10 gallon sump

04/26/2006, 09:09 PM	#5
Bebo77 Premium Nonpaying Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lost Posts: 14,377	anything you want.. with in reason.. what kind of tank do you want? fish only, reef? __________________ Gabriel Current Tank Info: 300 Gal Envision Tank(98Lx30Wx26T) 120 Gal SoCalCreations Sump, Deltec TC2560, 2 LumenarcsMini 1 Reg on a light mover W Radiums 250& 400, Gallaxy ballasts, Red Dragon 10m3 return W/ 2 WavySeas, 2 6155 Tunze streams

04/26/2006, 09:14 PM	#7
Bebo77 Premium Nonpaying Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lost Posts: 14,377	its a 90 gallon.. i like clowns, pipe fish, a tang, copperband, banner fish... etc there are a lot of nice choices.. what do you like? __________________ Gabriel Current Tank Info: 300 Gal Envision Tank(98Lx30Wx26T) 120 Gal SoCalCreations Sump, Deltec TC2560, 2 LumenarcsMini 1 Reg on a light mover W Radiums 250& 400, Gallaxy ballasts, Red Dragon 10m3 return W/ 2 WavySeas, 2 6155 Tunze streams

04/26/2006, 08:55 PM	#4
paveni Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Beaufort,South Carolina Posts: 31	Thanks for the quick replys. No I don't have any fish yet. What would you suggest I put in?

04/26/2006, 09:12 PM	#6
paveni Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Beaufort,South Carolina Posts: 31	I want a reef tank with five or 6 fish

04/26/2006, 09:27 PM	#8
six.line Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Logan, UT Posts: 775	For the smaller fishes you could get a few green or blue chromis. Clowns of all sorts are popular. Some smaller fish I really like are the six line wrasse, purple fire fish, and a royal gramma. __________________ This post approved by Mrs. Sixline. assign <= six.line(#FFFFFF && string("nerdy")) Current Tank Info: 30 gallon with 10 gallon sump

04/27/2006, 04:06 AM	#9
paveni Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Beaufort,South Carolina Posts: 31	Thanks for the great suggestions. How soon should I start to put fish in? Don't I need to wait to cycle before I put in fish or am I wrong?

04/27/2006, 07:20 AM	#10
Bebo77 Premium Nonpaying Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lost Posts: 14,377	you are cycled... go slow when you add fish.. __________________ Gabriel Current Tank Info: 300 Gal Envision Tank(98Lx30Wx26T) 120 Gal SoCalCreations Sump, Deltec TC2560, 2 LumenarcsMini 1 Reg on a light mover W Radiums 250& 400, Gallaxy ballasts, Red Dragon 10m3 return W/ 2 WavySeas, 2 6155 Tunze streams

04/27/2006, 08:00 AM	#11
paveni Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Beaufort,South Carolina Posts: 31	Gabriel, Thank you for your advice I will pick up1 or 2 fish today . any suggestions for safe starters?

04/27/2006, 08:07 AM	#12
aynoT79 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kinston, NC - USA Posts: 51	I would suggest before putting many fish in there i would put a few damnsels in there first and let them stay in there for a few weeks, Dampsels are cheap and hardy fish they can survive the higher amonia and stuff like that.. Hope this helps... __________________ (`'·.¸(`'·.¸¤¸.·'´)¸.·'´) «´¨`·..¤ToNyA¤..·´¨`» (¸.·'´(¸.·'´¤`'·.¸)`'·.¸) Current Tank Info: Beautiful 55 Gallon Salt

04/27/2006, 12:08 PM	#13
kappaknight Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 319	How can you get more coralline if you don't use any lights? Also, for cycling, throw a piece of thawed shrimp in there from the grocery store. __________________ Creator of RareZoanthids.com \| @zoanthids on Twitter

04/27/2006, 12:37 PM	#14
MiddletonMark Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 14,441	I would actually consider adding coral before fish, consider holding off fish-stocking for a while. My thinking is, if you focus on good water quality, plenty of w/c and testing [Calcium and Alkalinity too] ... and start looking for captive frags of good starter corals. IMO, if going for a live sand bed, it's best to avoid predators [crabs, shrimp, many fish] for as long as possible during startup so that all that life can thrive without predation. Thus I'd probably start slowly with corals, and let it go 3 months or longer before adding any predator. [yes, corals are predators, but compared to a shrimp, crab, or pod-eating fish ... almost nothing IMO] Just a thought. I'd tend to think in your case buying cured rock meant little die-off ... thus no spike as the bacteria already coating the LR/LS could easily handle the standard nutrient-processing in the tank. That doesn't mean you can increase the bioload a lot without worry of a cycle - but rather that you're not starting [as many do] with 4-8 weeks of dying/rotting process to cause a spike/cycle and then subsequent nutrient/water quality issues for a few months. Just an opinion, but I would leave things as-is - change some water, start up any Ca/Alk supplimentation [and standard testing] practices ... and watch the coralline start to take off. Whatever you do, take it slow. Even slower than you think slow is ... given most/all of our livestock can live for years [corals for decades] ... there is no rush. __________________ read a lot, think for yourself Current Tank Info: 58g stony reef [250w10k, 250w 20k MH, 2x vho act, Octopus150, 6060 + 6000] ; 60g mixed tub