Ok guys and gals, upgraded my 29 gallon tank with crushed coral (yuck) rookie mistake to a 65 gallon tank. I got 75lbs of fine sand from a friend and added more rock. Tank has been up now going on day 4. I'm getting a ammonia reading of .25 -.50 and nitrite is slightly detectable now on day 4. I was super worried so I bought a bottle of prime and used it. Fish look great and I only have a very small pulsing xenia in there right now. Fish are hiding a little when I walk in front but they are eating just like normal and they are actually still acting the way they did in my 29 gallon tank. How long will this last and should I be putting prime in or not? If so how often???
"Mini" cycle tank upgrade
- Thread starter tmac18
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We can find the truth by tracing detritus and discerning if the test is accurate.
When we search api ammonia test accuracy how does that result
Regarding the sand you used, how much detritus and silt did it have? Did it cloud up when you moved it to new tank?
Predictably, if you are cycling it's from the sand and not the rock, need to know these current details to see if you are cycling. If this is api, we don't know what the true ammonia readings are.
For side verification, in your Reef currently are there any pods crawling about, or snails, or little fan worms open?
When we search api ammonia test accuracy how does that result
Regarding the sand you used, how much detritus and silt did it have? Did it cloud up when you moved it to new tank?
Predictably, if you are cycling it's from the sand and not the rock, need to know these current details to see if you are cycling. If this is api, we don't know what the true ammonia readings are.
For side verification, in your Reef currently are there any pods crawling about, or snails, or little fan worms open?
if you will post a full tank shot pic we can tell much about your current ammonia state. true .5 will make fish pant at the water surface, because it means a reading super high well above .5 is being cast in the tank
(inferred because your tank still nitrifies, you didn't kill off bacteria, so if you get .5 sustained that means a massive amount is being input daily, doesn't add up, but if the sand was filthy then it sure might) nothing is more fun than determining ammonia test accuracy in a reef tank, we can do it with so many other variables vs api
api isn't a bad brand, just don't use them for low level readings, use them for 3-5 ppm+ assessments. helpful when gauging impacts of a large dead fish in a tank for example, just not to determine any aspect of a suspected cycle.
(inferred because your tank still nitrifies, you didn't kill off bacteria, so if you get .5 sustained that means a massive amount is being input daily, doesn't add up, but if the sand was filthy then it sure might) nothing is more fun than determining ammonia test accuracy in a reef tank, we can do it with so many other variables vs api
api isn't a bad brand, just don't use them for low level readings, use them for 3-5 ppm+ assessments. helpful when gauging impacts of a large dead fish in a tank for example, just not to determine any aspect of a suspected cycle.
So I have a question as I am getting ready to transfer from my 8 gallon to a 30 gallon and plan to use all of my live rock and have had different answers on using existing sand and adding or just using new and should I rinse old and new or just new or just old, ugh!!
BlacknBlue2
Community Member
what you could do is get new sand and put it in. Then take some of the old sand, give it a good vacuuming and then put it in as well. You don't want to rinse it out and lose all the bacteria built up over time.
rinsing removes detritus and should be done 100% never move detritus among tanks. when you look at your friends sand as you scoop a handful out, you will see mud and sand and possibly, if lucky, a single worm or small brittle star but usually not, just sand and rot. That is what you are rinsing. the occasional worm is not a help to your sandbed, its mixed with mud that is harmful to transfer.
Many have chosen not to rinse and that's ok, but it takes chances with cycles. Rinsing doesn't sterilize marine substrates they have too much surface area, we aren't using surfactants to remove them or antibiotics, so when we rinse a used sandbed 100% clean of waste, it still retains its filtration abilities. bacteria are stuck to, and in, the grains in various searchable ways. Part of the reason my own tank is so old is because of this:
http://reef2reef.com/threads/lets-d...ndefinite-reef-life-span.222105/#post-2561119
how to proceed ranges among tanks, but my advice is store no detritus, transfer no detritus, and that stops the cycling risk which was the impact for the first poster as well (his details still tbd)
Many have chosen not to rinse and that's ok, but it takes chances with cycles. Rinsing doesn't sterilize marine substrates they have too much surface area, we aren't using surfactants to remove them or antibiotics, so when we rinse a used sandbed 100% clean of waste, it still retains its filtration abilities. bacteria are stuck to, and in, the grains in various searchable ways. Part of the reason my own tank is so old is because of this:
http://reef2reef.com/threads/lets-d...ndefinite-reef-life-span.222105/#post-2561119
how to proceed ranges among tanks, but my advice is store no detritus, transfer no detritus, and that stops the cycling risk which was the impact for the first poster as well (his details still tbd)
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Hi tmac 18 please don't think I'm trying to take over your thread, it's just that yours came up at the perfect time for me, this is some confusing stuff huh? Ok Brandon 429 I think if I understand this right, rinse old sand use current live rock and current tank water, now should I rinse the new sand? And can I add new live rock as long as it's been cured?
Also for the OP, disregard nitrite. the additive prime causes it to mis read we can see in searches regarding api nitrite testing, and its an unimpactful molecule to test at all (the old cycling works are wrong about it)
skip nitrite all the time it means nothing.
skip nitrite all the time it means nothing.
Oh and will it be ok to add bio spira?Hi tmac 18 please don't think I'm trying to take over your thread, it's just that yours came up at the perfect time for me, this is some confusing stuff huh? Ok Brandon 429 I think if I understand this right, rinse old sand use current live rock and current tank water, now should I rinse the new sand? And can I add new live rock as long as it's been cured?
yes, adding those bac to already existing bac isn't harmful, its also not required you don't have to use it, or you can.
You would rinse the new live sand (in total opposition to 90% of opinions online) to get silt out.
The bacteria in the new sand are not the filtration breakpoint for your new tank, the live rock can handle it. This is why people can go from sandbed to bare bottom and still have a working tank. Your rinsing of the new sand isn't removing worms, pods and stars, its removing only flashing powdered silt that will cloud up every time you try and clean it in the future. You should rinse your new sand until its so silt free, that picking up a handful of it underwater and releasing it only releases sinking grains that fall back down-that clean.
If it was caribsea live wet pack sand, its still got tons of bacteria after this rinse. Rinsing cannot make marine surfaces sterile, and any bacteria carried away on the silt was not the filtration breakpoint for your tank. I realize ninety people disagree with this lol but its specifically what makes my tank live so long, doing opposite of the masses.
You would rinse the new live sand (in total opposition to 90% of opinions online) to get silt out.
The bacteria in the new sand are not the filtration breakpoint for your new tank, the live rock can handle it. This is why people can go from sandbed to bare bottom and still have a working tank. Your rinsing of the new sand isn't removing worms, pods and stars, its removing only flashing powdered silt that will cloud up every time you try and clean it in the future. You should rinse your new sand until its so silt free, that picking up a handful of it underwater and releasing it only releases sinking grains that fall back down-that clean.
If it was caribsea live wet pack sand, its still got tons of bacteria after this rinse. Rinsing cannot make marine surfaces sterile, and any bacteria carried away on the silt was not the filtration breakpoint for your tank. I realize ninety people disagree with this lol but its specifically what makes my tank live so long, doing opposite of the masses.
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Brandon 429, it did cloud up a bit. But nothing I didn't think was going to happen with fine sand. It cleared up in hours. I did add some bacteria. Fish still all doing the same. Not breathing hard, eating and swimming about. I do think this ammonia spike is because of the sand tho. I should have rinsed it but it was all in a 5 gallon bucket. Still wet, never dried. Next time I upgrade if I ever do I know just to buy new sand. Thanks for all replies and no worries chris fish. That's why we post, to get help and answers. Glad my problem helped you out too.
Hello so I've had my tank running for 2 weeks now. With live rock and live sand. Also added turbo start which is good bacteria. Ammonia .25 almost at 0. Theres a slight green but barely. Nitrite 0 and nitrate 40 , ph 7.8 closer to 8.0
Am I getting to the end of my water cycle?
Btw it's a 45 gallon with a sump filter from5 -10 gallons idk I'm a newbie to this.
Am I getting to the end of my water cycle?
Btw it's a 45 gallon with a sump filter from5 -10 gallons idk I'm a newbie to this.
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