New to Nano reef keeping. I had a saltwater fish and live rock aquarium 15 years ago. My wife got me a 25 gallon all in one because she new I have been wanting to get back into saltwater. Set the tank 4 weeks ago dosed with FritzZyme 9 which a LFS recommended. I have 20 lbs of CaribSea live sand 10 CaribSea life rock. About two weeks in my ammonia got to 5ppm and started to drop been stuck at .5ppm for last week or so. Not sure where to go next. Attached my last test i did this afternoon.
Cycle help
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brandon429
what, exactly, are you doing in your avatar
its cycled
change out your water n begin
its not about getting a test kit to register a zero, its about the time under water, and the movement down indicated and the boosters added (liferock is activated/painted on nitrifying bac)
its takes a sixteen page thread to reinforce why whats stated above always works regardless of what your test says:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
summary from that thread:
adding any form of boosters (any form of bac and or ammonia) will make a tank cycle by day 30. What the wastewater reads in the interim doesn't matter, what it reads after a full wc at day 30 matters and they always read the same if you change out all the water.
That is a testless cycling thread, we can use submersion timing alone to cycle any aquarium on the planet (says every cycling chart on google they all use the same timeline until ammonia and nitrite comply together for example=know time know ammonia you’ll know nitrite etc like a math equation)
One thing that doesn't line up is where your spike to 5 ppm came from, that is an amnt that w have to be directly added in some form, life rock doesn't add ammonia that I recall?
The thread Dr Reef made shows the fritz would have deposited bac in the tank fully within about a day or two, you are approaching a month.
the life rock needs about two weeks to get caught up, its been in there too this timing was why I made that call above.
change out your water n begin
its not about getting a test kit to register a zero, its about the time under water, and the movement down indicated and the boosters added (liferock is activated/painted on nitrifying bac)
its takes a sixteen page thread to reinforce why whats stated above always works regardless of what your test says:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
summary from that thread:
adding any form of boosters (any form of bac and or ammonia) will make a tank cycle by day 30. What the wastewater reads in the interim doesn't matter, what it reads after a full wc at day 30 matters and they always read the same if you change out all the water.
That is a testless cycling thread, we can use submersion timing alone to cycle any aquarium on the planet (says every cycling chart on google they all use the same timeline until ammonia and nitrite comply together for example=know time know ammonia you’ll know nitrite etc like a math equation)
One thing that doesn't line up is where your spike to 5 ppm came from, that is an amnt that w have to be directly added in some form, life rock doesn't add ammonia that I recall?
The thread Dr Reef made shows the fritz would have deposited bac in the tank fully within about a day or two, you are approaching a month.
the life rock needs about two weeks to get caught up, its been in there too this timing was why I made that call above.
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The LFS told me to put some flake food in there also. Dono if that had anything to do with ammonia spiking to 5 Ppm
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So @brandon429 covered the cycle, so there are only a couple of other things to add:
Figure out what you want the tank to look like when you are finished, and start slowly adding critters so that the new system has time to grow and develop and keep up with the life you are adding.
Also,
Aqua Man & I wanted to welcome you to Reef2Reef!
Figure out what you want the tank to look like when you are finished, and start slowly adding critters so that the new system has time to grow and develop and keep up with the life you are adding.
Also,
Aqua Man & I wanted to welcome you to Reef2Reef!
Salty Lemon
Doing my best to make waves.
Looking good. I'd consider it basically cycled. It is time to start your 10% weekly water changes (RODI water). Add livestock slowly...(very slowly).
Also...Welcome to R2R. We are always here to help.
Also...Welcome to R2R. We are always here to help.
Welcome!
Probably going to start with clownfish. I personally don’t have an rodi filter and my LFS is about hour away. I just signed up for a subscription to have nutrisea water delivered figured be easiest schedule wise and once figuring in time and gas comparable price wise.Looking good. I'd consider it basically cycled. It is time to start your 10% weekly water changes (RODI water). Add livestock slowly...(very slowly).
Also...Welcome to R2R. We are always here to help.
Salty Lemon
Doing my best to make waves.
This makes sense to me! Clowns are perfect to start with. They add a lot of color, they are hearty with a thick slime coat, and everyone loves to watch them.
Went down to the LFS to pick up our first fish today. Of course my nine year old wanted Dory. After explaining to her our tank isn’t big enough and helping her narrow he search she surpisely picked out a pajama cardinal.
Salty Lemon
Doing my best to make waves.
After your tank is established and you have all your other fish. Buy her a variety of blue damsel. You can call her a baby dory. Damsels are fantastic, but can get territorial and mean. They are better to be one of the last ones in the tank.
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