Cycling and Waterchanges?

[STiTCH87]

So my tank has been cycling for around 2 weeks now.
1st week Ammonia was .25
2nd Week Ammonia is 2.0 (Checked saturday and is still 2.0 as of wednesday)

And I have yet to have any readings of nitrite or nitrate.

I have some die-off on my sand but not much but I do have some type of orangish/brown slime patches here and there. Should I siphon that gunk up and do a 10% waterchange with the siphon or should I leave everything alone until fully cycled? Also, how long should I expect before my ammonia decreases and nitrite increases?

 

[SharkLover]

I recommend you stop taking readings. Just sit back , forget about the tank for 4 weeks. (3 months for a tank to start establishing itself, twice as much time for it to really establish).

 

[mak3mydae]

+1

When a saltwater tank first cycles, the time it takes to fully cycle and become established varies. You may want to just let the tank run for a while. Weeks. Maybe months. In the mean time, you could perhaps do some research, get some new equipment. When you're ready to add livestock, then begin to start testing

 

[afboundguy]

I wouldn't do a water change until the cycle is complete. Some of that die off is needed to fuel the cycle IMO...

 

[STiTCH87]

Well since it's been 2 weeks, i'll just wait until March before I test again. I first added water and live rock around Feb 3rd and live sand on Feb 9th (I wish I added it all at once but I didn't know) so March 3rd will be a full month of cycling so I think i'll just wait til then and check to see where my ammonia is at.

 

[SharkLover]

Well since it's been 2 weeks, i'll just wait until March before I test again. I first added water and live rock around Feb 3rd and live sand on Feb 9th (I wish I added it all at once but I didn't know) so March 3rd will be a full month of cycling so I think i'll just wait til then and check to see where my ammonia is at.

your ammonia and stuff should be all gone but then start the diatoms, and the algae blooms. After 6 weeks I got myself a clownfish and he stayed alone and lonely for about 2 more weeks until I got clean up crews (around the 8th week) and then 1 more fish. We can't stress how much you'll need to take your time.

 

[STiTCH87]

your ammonia and stuff should be all gone but then start the diatoms, and the algae blooms. After 6 weeks I got myself a clownfish and he stayed alone and lonely for about 2 more weeks until I got clean up crews (around the 8th week) and then 1 more fish. We can't stress how much you'll need to take your time.

Well last wednesday the ammonia was 2.0 with no readings of nitrite or nitrate.

So when the ammonia and nitrite is gone i'm going to do a 20% water change and add a nassarus snail or something similar and one pajama cardinalfish and monitor the levels closely. Then 2 weeks later add something else. I am planning to go with a 2 weeks approach to adding livestock if parameters remain in check. Otherwise a 3 week approach will be done. Don't worry, i'm most certainly planning on going slowly since losing a $15 fish wouldn't make me very happy though I know it's bound to happen eventually if not with an even more expensive fish (or coral). I'm kind of leaning toward setting up the CUC and fish first before adding corals so that I have time to save up for all the good quality additives and test kits I would want to have to keep my corals alive and healthy.

 

[SharkLover]

Well last wednesday the ammonia was 2.0 with no readings of nitrite or nitrate.

So when the ammonia and nitrite is gone i'm going to do a 20% water change and add a nassarus snail or something similar and one pajama cardinalfish and monitor the levels closely. Then 2 weeks later add something else. I am planning to go with a 2 weeks approach to adding livestock if parameters remain in check. Otherwise a 3 week approach will be done. Don't worry, i'm most certainly planning on going slowly since losing a $15 fish wouldn't make me very happy though I know it's bound to happen eventually if not with an even more expensive fish (or coral). I'm kind of leaning toward setting up the CUC and fish first before adding corals so that I have time to save up for all the good quality additives and test kits I would want to have to keep my corals alive and healthy.

sounds like a good plan. Let us know how it works out. take some pics

 

[STiTCH87]

sounds like a good plan. Let us know how it works out. take some pics

Oh will do. I'll be keeping you all posted step by step.

I just realized I don't have any pictures of what it currently looks like on here so:

Except the CPR has been removed and replaced with an Eshopps PSK-75H so there is no clutter of a pump in the tank anymore and I added a 250gph powerhead on the left rear corner. The tank right now is clearer than in those pictures, but that's the most recent pics I have. From last weekend. Rocks have a bunch of holes and caves all over the place. Planning on adding more small pieces of rock here and there including the pieces corals will come on.

 

[STiTCH87]

So today makes 6 weeks of cycling and this is where I am at:

Started Feb 9th.

Week 0 - Ammonia 0.0, Nitrites 0.0, Nitrates 0.0
Week 1 - Ammonia 0.25, Nitrites 0.0, Nitrates 0.0
Week 2 - Ammonia 2.0, Nitrites 0.0, Nitrates 0.0
Week 3 - Ammonia 4.0, Nitrites 2.0, Nitrates 0.0

Week 3.5 - Ammonia 0.0, Nitrites 5.0, Nitrates 10.0

Week 4 - Ammonia 0.0, Nitrites 5.0, Nitrates 10.0
Week 5 - Ammonia 0.0, Nitrites 5.0, Nitrate 20.0
Week 6 - Ammonia 0.0, Nitrites 5.0, Nitrate 20.0

Nitrite has been stuck at 5.0ppm for 3 1/2 weeks now.

I started with dry rock and "aqua cultured live sand".

I haven't been adding any livestock, food, or chemicals to the tank at all.
I run lighting 10:30AM-10:30PM, temp at 76-78 degrees depending on if the light has been on all day or not and what the temperature is in my bedroom that day (tank is near a window so sometimes I use the shade).

I run my simmer 24/7 and empty my cup every day or two that has 1/4 full of a dark brown, tea colored skimmate with film of nasty brown muck anywhere that the water has touched.

800GPH total flow.

Brown algae all over my rocks and sand.
No water changes at all yet.


So how's it going? Is my cycle doing good? How much longer should I expect to be waiting? Should I be doing anything different like adding any chemicals or increasing heat or changing the lighting amount or anything?

 

[nichols]

Looks pretty good. having patience will pay off for you in the long run.

At this point I'd do a 20% water change and wait another week or so and check your levels. If you have no detectable nitrites, I'd do another water change and add a small cleanup crew.


Not really getting too much benefit from running your lights for 12 hrs at this point. Might help with the diatoms if you just left them off.

 

[STiTCH87]

Looks pretty good. having patience will pay off for you in the long run.

At this point I'd do a 20% water change and wait another week or so and check your levels. If you have no detectable nitrites, I'd do another water change and add a small cleanup crew.


Not really getting too much benefit from running your lights for 12 hrs at this point. Might help with the diatoms if you just left them off.

What would be considered a "small clean up crew" in a 29 gallon?
Could I get a skunk cleaner shrimp when everything is at zero, or would it not have anything to eat yet?

How many snails, and what types?

Open to any and all recommendations.

 

[STiTCH87]

I was just told by someone on ReefCentral that my sand bad is "not optimal"

and that 60 pound sof livesand, which created a 1-1/2" to 2" sand bed is a bad thing and i'll have nirate problems and should "either have 1inch in shallow bed or a 4+ inch deep sand bed, not anything in between" which I think is complete BS, and I honestly don't really trust anyone on that site because they all say opposing things, all of which tend to be ignorantly biased false advice, but I figured i'd ask on here cuz I trust everyone on here wayyy more.

 

[STiTCH87]

Also, should I really do that 20% waterchange? I know everyone will have different opinions on that, but I just want more opinions before I do so. Or don't.

 

[stingythingy45]

Also, should I really do that 20% waterchange? I know everyone will have different opinions on that, but I just want more opinions before I do so. Or don't.

LOL
What do you want opinions for?
You might get two different answers.Then it could be 50/50.
Opposing answers.

 

[nichols]

I was just told by someone on ReefCentral that my sand bad is "not optimal"

and that 60 pound sof livesand, which created a 1-1/2" to 2" sand bed is a bad thing and i'll have nirate problems and should "either have 1inch in shallow bed or a 4+ inch deep sand bed, not anything in between" which I think is complete BS, and I honestly don't really trust anyone on that site because they all say opposing things, all of which tend to be ignorantly biased false advice, but I figured i'd ask on here cuz I trust everyone on here wayyy more.

I wouldn't lose too much sleep over the 1 1/2" to 2" sand bed.

 

[STiTCH87]

Lol yeah I didn't plan to worry about the sand bed. Most people on ReefCentral seem a bit "off" to me. And touche on the 50/50 opposing views. Lol.

I would think that doing a waterchange would reduce nitrites and nitrates, but you need nitrites in the water, so that the bacteria that converts them into nitrates, has something to eat, otherwise the tank won't be able to finish cycling, right?

Bah who knows. I'll test again in 2 weeks and see where i'm at. Maybe I can then consider entering Guiness for the world's longest saltwater cycle. Hah. Though I have heard some people's cycle take as long as 3 months...