Help tank not cycled with livestock in it.

nark54321

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New reefer here. I have a nuvo fusion 30l with 2 zoa frags, a hammer coral, and a candycane, and 2 damsels all not showing that many signs that they are in poor health.... The toadstool on the other hand seems like it only has a few hours left of life. I also have a clean up crew of about 25-30 snails, 2 sea slugs that don't move and a brittle star that is doing fine. My tank has not properly cycled yet as told to me by my local fish store and there will not be any new additions to my tank untill it has. I have almost 30 lbs of live sand and 15 more lbs of live rock. Everything is getting this annoying orange/ brown Alge on it Im not sure if it is good or bad. If anyone can help me get through and point me in the right direction about anything I should do while it is cycling and some info on the Alge and anything else I should know or be doing, thank you very much! Reef on!
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glb

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New reefer here. I have a nuvo fusion 30l with 2 zoa frags, a hammer coral, and a candycane, and 2 damsels all not showing that many signs that they are in poor health.... The toadstool on the other hand seems like it only has a few hours left of life. I also have a clean up crew of about 25-30 snails, 2 sea slugs that don't move and a brittle star that is doing fine. My tank has not properly cycled yet as told to me by my local fish store and there will not be any new additions to my tank untill it has. I have almost 30 lbs of live sand and 15 more lbs of live rock. Everything is getting this annoying orange/ brown Alge on it Im not sure if it is good or bad. If anyone can help me get through and point me in the right direction about anything I should do while it is cycling and some info on the Alge and anything else I should know or be doing, thank you very much! Reef on!
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ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1427837004.644948.jpg
ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1427837020.416524.jpg
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If your tank is still cycling, I'd get the coral out of there. How long has it been set up?
 

3Twinklets

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Check out " Setting up a reef tank" thread.
Try asking you LFS to keep them for you. They will not live through the cycle.
 
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nark54321

nark54321

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Check out " Setting up a reef tank" thread.
Try asking you LFS to keep them for you. They will not live through the cycle.

How long does the cycle take? I'm already a week or 2 into it and everything but the toad seems to be doing decent
 

3Twinklets

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When your Nitrates and Phosphates drop to 0 or about 2 months or a little less.
 

redfishbluefish

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Ouch! Go out an get Bio Spira or some other "bacteria" booster. The issue with a tank that hasn't finished cycling is ammonia. Ammonia is very "poisonous" and will kill corals and fish. You need the bacteria to convert the ammonia to nitrite to eventually nitrate. When nitrate is present, you are good to go.
 
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nark54321

nark54321

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Ouch! Go out an get Bio Spira or some other "bacteria" booster. The issue with a tank that hasn't finished cycling is ammonia. Ammonia is very "poisonous" and will kill corals and fish. You need the bacteria to convert the ammonia to nitrite to eventually nitrate. When nitrate is present, you are good to go.

Yeah my ammonia is almost .5ppm when I tested yesterday Im going to do another test in a little bit
 

glb

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I put all pre mixed nutrisea water from the start if that means anything

Unfortunately that doesn't speed things up. Each tank has to go through the nitrogen cycle, where ammonia is converted to nitrites then converted to nitrates and if you have live rock, some will be converted to nitrogen gas. The bacteria needed for this are in the tank water but the length of the cycle depends on a lot of things, including how much ammonia is in the tank and how much live rock you have. I agree with the others that your coral won't survive the cycle. Sometimes the stores will hold it for you until the tank is ready. You need to wait several months for the tank to stabilize after the cycle is done before you add corals imo. Good luck!
 

LetItReef

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Can your LFS take it while your are cycling then get it back once cycling is done?
 
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Pete polyp

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Ouch! Go out an get Bio Spira or some other "bacteria" booster. The issue with a tank that hasn't finished cycling is ammonia. Ammonia is very "poisonous" and will kill corals and fish. You need the bacteria to convert the ammonia to nitrite to eventually nitrate. When nitrate is present, you are good to go.
This is what you need to do.... you might want to add some prime while you're at it
 

SeahorseKeeper

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I would check out this link: How to set up a saltwater reef aquarium tank- REEFEDITION

I would also get an ammonia badge and put it in the tank to monitor the ammonia. One thing to remember is if you start using prime or other ammonia removers, they do not remove the ammonia. The products work by locking the ammonia so it is not toxic to the livestock. You will have to use a test kit that will test for the free ammonia.

I would have water on hand and available to do water changes. As far as the leather, I would remove it. It looks like it is starting to break down and it will exacerbate the situation.
 

glb

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I would check out this link: How to set up a saltwater reef aquarium tank- REEFEDITION

I would also get an ammonia badge and put it in the tank to monitor the ammonia. One thing to remember is if you start using prime or other ammonia removers, they do not remove the ammonia. The products work by locking the ammonia so it is not toxic to the livestock. You will have to use a test kit that will test for the free ammonia.

I would have water on hand and available to do water changes. As far as the leather, I would remove it. It looks like it is starting to break down and it will exacerbate the situation.

Agreed about the Prime. It's a good emergency measure but the ammonia is still there.
 

Pete polyp

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O agree with pulling out the leather. I would also remove the sea slugs that don't move. Usually of creatures aren't moving they're dead.
 
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nark54321

nark54321

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O agree with pulling out the leather. I would also remove the sea slugs that don't move. Usually of creatures aren't moving they're dead.

The leather is to far gone to survive I think, I pulled my two favorite pieces and stuffed em into my dad 4gal Nano. Not to pleasing to the eye but should be fine untill it's ready to go back
 

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This is what you need to do.... you might want to add some prime while you're at it
Agree.. And agree.. Prime will help, along with very small. Water changes to help remove some excess ammonia without effecting cycling.. Very all water changes and a biological additive will help, stabilize by seachem is a descent 7 day bio Stabalizer
 
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nark54321

nark54321

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Ammonia and nitrite droped to zero today integrate up a little but I read that comes down after with a couple small water changes. Going to wait a day or 2 to make sure they stay at zero! Pumped
 
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