Tank Journal Archive

[jart]

Posted this in another of my threads, but hoping that posting a separate thread might lead to more shared wisdom so that I have a better idea of what might or might not be happening with the tank.

Day 9 since my tank got wet and still basically undetectable ammonia levels. Such low ammonia readings had me wondering whether my test kit was faulty or expired, which led me to think of the other test kits I have. Decided I would test for Nitrates on a bit of a whim. Well, now I am confused!

I have 2.5 - 5ppm nitrates according to my relatively new Salifert test kit (low range test viewed through side of vial)! Tested again this morning and nitrates definitely present and climbing closer to 5ppm.

Setup/process so far is as follows:

* 90x90x46cm display tank with 60x60x35cm sump for a total of approx 450L

* 8 days since tank got wet

* 20kg of new Calgrit as substrate, approx 2-4cm deep in DT

* approx 9-12kg of base rock in DT, one 1kg piece of LR from my existing sump in the new sump alongside a new 20x20x10cm Marine Pure block

* small piece of raw salmon (slightly bigger than a 10 cent coin) put in tank on first night + daily feeding of small pinch of flakes/pellets

* tested for ammonia on day 4 with a Sera kit - none detected. Tested again on day 6 - seemed to show slightly more than 0 on the colour chart, but not the colour of 0.25

* tested for nitrates on day 8 --> 2.5 - 5ppm nitrates detected

* tested for nitrates on day 9 --> closer to 5ppm nitrates detected

I would love to be this far along in my cycle (ie. ammonia/nitrites undetectable, nitrates increasing), but from everything I have read, what I have done, and what I expected - having a bit of trouble believing that the first couple of phases of cycling appear to have been done already. Any thoughts or advice on what you believe is happening would be appreciated.

N.B. Even if I have gone through the first phases of the cycle in record time I still intend to take it slow and be patient. Will wait for the diatom/cyano/algae stages and add CUC and macro etc at what I hope are the right points of time to help keep the algae under control. Then in a couple more weeks the slow intro of existing coral and fish over time.

FTS

 

[Sam Parker]

Good move on waiting for the algae blooms. Takes the test kits out of the question then. Every tank seems to cycle differently which is odd, you'd think we'd have it down to an art by now but there must be just too many variables.

The salmon that you put in, did it deteriorate?

 

[Agent M]

Its more than possible that the tank is at the end of its cycle - some cycles are long, some are short - it all depends on how much ammonia is able to be produced from the things that are placed in the tank and what size population the bacteria that will consume it is at. Each tank is different.

There is no hurry as you've said - this first part is the riskiest time to add fish and coral. As you add each new fish - it will poop and wee (= ammonia) and the bacteria living in the tank will reproduce accordingly. So thats why it is traditionally done a fish or coral at a time, to give the bacteria that lag time it needs to catch up and deal with wastes.

 

[jart]

Good move on waiting for the algae blooms. Takes the test kits out of the question then. Every tank seems to cycle differently which is odd, you'd think we'd have it down to an art by now but there must be just too many variables.

The salmon that you put in, did it deteriorate?

Sam, thanks for your comments. The salmon definitely deteriorated. Little bit still in there, though I will likely take it out tomorrow.

Would your counsel be to just keep feeding the tank a little bit daily and wait for the algae blooms to come? Should I increase amount of food to generate more ammonia and build bigger bacterial colonies now?

I may order up a small CUC later this week if nitrates keep climbing, plus a starter batch of macro. Aim to get them into the loop by the end of the week, then wait and wait.

 

[jart]

Its more than possible that the tank is at the end of its cycle - some cycles are long, some are short - it all depends on how much ammonia is able to be produced from the things that are placed in the tank and what size population the bacteria that will consume it is at. Each tank is different.

There is no hurry as you've said - this first part is the riskiest time to add fish and coral. As you add each new fish - it will poop and wee (= ammonia) and the bacteria living in the tank will reproduce accordingly. So thats why it is traditionally done a fish or coral at a time, to give the bacteria that lag time it needs to catch up and deal with wastes.

AgentM thanks for your comments. After my tank goes through the next few phases of the cycle, any recommendations on the order I move my existing livestock over from the old tank? So you think the order matters other than adding slowly and giving tank time to adjust bacterial populations?

Don't mind moving one at a time, except would probably want to bring the pair of clowns over at the same time as they are always together.

Livestock list is: pair occ clowns, small lemon goby, med citrinis goby, yellow assessor, coral banded shrimp.

 

[Sam Parker]

I'd probably stop feeding the tank now and see what it does. Should see some algae growth soon, then go nuts with snails and whatever else you want cuc wise :)

 

[ReeferRob]

Feed it seafood, NOT flake food. Anything will do but flakes as they have way too many phosphates in them and will cause your algal bloom to be mad.