Hello everyone,
I set up a 55 gallon salt water tank in the beginning of December 2022, I started the tank with 50lbs of dry rock, 20lbs of live sand 100 gallon turbo start 900 and 2 clowns.
Trust me I have learned my lesson "fishless cycle going forward".
1st week I watched the ammonia explode to 1ppm then go down to 0, nitrites explode to 4ppm then go to 0 and nitrate be at 10 ppm.
I wanted to be sure that my tank cycled so I continued to test everyday and that's when the nightmare started.
My ammonia Spiked to .5 and hung out at .5 for 2 weeks. So I added more turbostart and watched my tank cycle again. To have the ammonia spike again, so more turbostart and it cycled again. To have the ammonia spike again.
I located a rock that seemed to be changing color to a really dark color and removed it from the tank. "No luck"
I added hermit crabs thinking maybe I'm feeding too much and need a really small cleanup crew 25 crabs. "no luck"
I did the stability by seachem and prime trick for 7 days just to watch my nitrite spike to 1ppm and go to 0 with ammonia still in the tank. "I've done this 2 times."
I've added maybe 3 bottles of turbostart over this tanks short time of establishment. I've done the stability trick twice.I have stayed vigilant and removed a odd looking rock and replaced it with new one. I do weekly 25% water changes and feed frozen. No tank loss other then 2 crabs.
I do not have a fancy filtration system I use a tidal75 over the back, with an added bag of charcoal and upgraded biomedia. Temp 78 salt level 1026. Nitrite 0 nitrate 15ppm and ammonia 1ppm.
Please someone help I'm so lost it's been almost 2 Months on 02/07.
Edit: Is it just a waiting game? Or should I do a massive water change? 90%
I set up a 55 gallon salt water tank in the beginning of December 2022, I started the tank with 50lbs of dry rock, 20lbs of live sand 100 gallon turbo start 900 and 2 clowns.
Trust me I have learned my lesson "fishless cycle going forward".
1st week I watched the ammonia explode to 1ppm then go down to 0, nitrites explode to 4ppm then go to 0 and nitrate be at 10 ppm.
I wanted to be sure that my tank cycled so I continued to test everyday and that's when the nightmare started.
My ammonia Spiked to .5 and hung out at .5 for 2 weeks. So I added more turbostart and watched my tank cycle again. To have the ammonia spike again, so more turbostart and it cycled again. To have the ammonia spike again.
I located a rock that seemed to be changing color to a really dark color and removed it from the tank. "No luck"
I added hermit crabs thinking maybe I'm feeding too much and need a really small cleanup crew 25 crabs. "no luck"
I did the stability by seachem and prime trick for 7 days just to watch my nitrite spike to 1ppm and go to 0 with ammonia still in the tank. "I've done this 2 times."
I've added maybe 3 bottles of turbostart over this tanks short time of establishment. I've done the stability trick twice.I have stayed vigilant and removed a odd looking rock and replaced it with new one. I do weekly 25% water changes and feed frozen. No tank loss other then 2 crabs.
I do not have a fancy filtration system I use a tidal75 over the back, with an added bag of charcoal and upgraded biomedia. Temp 78 salt level 1026. Nitrite 0 nitrate 15ppm and ammonia 1ppm.
Please someone help I'm so lost it's been almost 2 Months on 02/07.
Edit: Is it just a waiting game? Or should I do a massive water change? 90%
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