Noob Question

[Ian Baxter]

I’m new to saltwater and I’m running a 120g FOWLR tank. It’s been going for about 2.5 weeks and my LFS said I could put a few hardy fish in and they’ve been in for 10 days and doing really well. Of course I went to a new LFS and they said it wasn’t ready for fish yet and I added 100lbs of live rock on Sunday. Now I’ve got approx 130 lbs live rock with live sand. Do you think the fish will be okay? There’s 2 clowns, 2 damsels, and 3 cardinals. Also any advice on wave maker placement. I have two in there (one top right back and the other top left front) and you can’t turn the power down. They seem to be a little too strong. Any and all advice appreciated.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Tank is most likely not cycled. What's your ammonia at?

 

[Old Fritz]

The water volume of the tank is pretty large and I'm guessing the fish you got aren't full grown so I feel they should be fine. Just keep an eye on your water params. Did you add anything to the tank to actually cycle it or did it just stand for a little over two weeks? If it just sat there with nothing in the tank I would wait a couple weeks before adding new fish because it means it wasn't actually cycled

 

[lapin]

If the 100 lbs of rock you added was live wet rock fr0m your LFS thats been soaking for a month or 2 you will be fine. I would still watch the ammonia level and buy a bottle of prime to have on hand just in case.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hello,

The clowns and damsels can survive going thru a cycle. Not best scenario but with what you have like others mentioned keep an eye on ammonia and should be fine

 

[Ian Baxter]

Tank is most likely not cycled. What's your ammonia at?

On 7/12 it was .25. I’m going to test again this evening.

 

[Ian Baxter]

The water volume of the tank is pretty large and I'm guessing the fish you got aren't full grown so I feel they should be fine. Just keep an eye on your water params. Did you add anything to the tank to actually cycle it or did it just stand for a little over two weeks? If it just sat there with nothing in the tank I would wait a couple weeks before adding new fish because it means it wasn't actually cycled

The fish are small. I had the 30lbs of live rock and live sand for two weeks. The 100 lbs of live rock I just added has been sitting for a few months at the local LFS

 

[Flippers4pups]

On 7/12 it was .25. I’m going to test again this evening.

If it wasn't fully cycled before you added the fish, then the ammonia may rise. Test often now and consider using some bacteria in a bottle like bio spira ASAP.

 

[Ian Baxter]

My levels
On 7/12
Ph - 8.2
Ammonia - .25
Nitrite - .25
Nitrate - 20

Today
Ph- 8.2
Ammonia- .25
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 40

I had my wife read both times too in order to make sure it’s accurate [emoji12]

 

[Dom]

My levels
On 7/12
Ph - 8.2
Ammonia - .25
Nitrite - .25
Nitrate - 20

Today
Ph- 8.2
Ammonia- .25
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 40

I had my wife read both times too in order to make sure it’s accurate [emoji12]

The presence of Nitrite and Ammonia is an indicator that the tank isn't cycled.

Also, it is widely accepted that API test kits are notoriously inaccurate where ammonia testing is concerned. Are you using API to test?

 

[Ian Baxter]

The presence of Nitrite and Ammonia is an indicator that the tank isn't cycled.

Also, it is widely accepted that API test kits are notoriously inaccurate where ammonia testing is concerned. Are you using API to test?

Yes, I am using API. Any other recommendations?

 

[BeejReef]

I'd recommend one of those seachem alert badges. I've never used one, but every thread like this, there's a robust conversation about the API test's validity for .25 or below ammonia.

It's also very important to nail down what you mean by "live rock."

If it was wet rock you bought from the store, kept wet, and put in your tank. That's pretty much game-over. You win. People put 3 and 4 fish in quarantine tanks with 2-5 pounds of cycled media. You have 100 lbs.

The problem is that it's become a habit to call any rock that's going into any aquarium "live rock." People call dry rock that was mined by excavators and shipped in a box "live" half the time. If it was clean looking dry rock, then you're in the scenario some people are talking about where it's a good thing you have hardy fish that can withstand a little ammonia. Chances are the worst has passed, and your tank is well on its way to being cycled. You still want to keep an eye on it though and go slower with adding any more fish.

Third option is a real longshot. Apparently it used to be pretty common to order dozens to hundreds of pounds of ocean live rock. It was shipped damp. A lot of the life on it would die. Putting it in your tank would pretty much mean it was cycled, but so much of the stuff on the rocks would die off and cause an ammonia spike.

Maybe some FOWLR peeps will chime in. Less stringent testing requirements than for a reef to be sure.

Great looking tank!

 

[Dom]

Yes, I am using API. Any other recommendations?

Personally, I like Read Sea.

 

[PRock]

Out of curiosity, what lights are you running on that?

 

[Ian Baxter]

I'd recommend one of those seachem alert badges. I've never used one, but every thread like this, there's a robust conversation about the API test's validity for .25 or below ammonia.

It's also very important to nail down what you mean by "live rock."

If it was wet rock you bought from the store, kept wet, and put in your tank. That's pretty much game-over. You win. People put 3 and 4 fish in quarantine tanks with 2-5 pounds of cycled media. You have 100 lbs.

The problem is that it's become a habit to call any rock that's going into any aquarium "live rock." People call dry rock that was mined by excavators and shipped in a box "live" half the time. If it was clean looking dry rock, then you're in the scenario some people are talking about where it's a good thing you have hardy fish that can withstand a little ammonia. Chances are the worst has passed, and your tank is well on its way to being cycled. You still want to keep an eye on it though and go slower with adding any more fish.

Third option is a real longshot. Apparently it used to be pretty common to order dozens to hundreds of pounds of ocean live rock. It was shipped damp. A lot of the life on it would die. Putting it in your tank would pretty much mean it was cycled, but so much of the stuff on the rocks would die off and cause an ammonia spike.

Maybe some FOWLR peeps will chime in. Less stringent testing requirements than for a reef to be sure.

Great looking tank!

Yes, it was live rock that’s been in water at the LFS. I will definitely look into the seachem alert badges. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Ian Baxter]

Out of curiosity, what lights are you running on that?

Two AI Sol’s.

 

[Cell]

The notorious .25 API ammonia reading. Paging @brandon429

 

[BeejReef]

Two AI Sol’s.

Ha! I have sols as well

 

[brandon429]

Poor api ha we nail them constantly for low level indications, they’re great for indicating large quick changes like a dead fish stuck in the rocks etc

Since any reef with live rock has associated animals and bacteria (hallmark of live rock) then by rule of respiring biology they produce trace ammonia round the clock (but it’s also instantly taken up for oxidation by surface area / nitrifers) so maybe api is catching and indicating this transitional tiny bit of ammonia in these thousands of posts about .25 enduring, not sure. Some just see light green some see dark yellow, subjective rules the day here but in this tank there are a few proofs it’s cycled due to fish being there so long

It would crash overnite if it wasn’t cycled, ammonia is an all or nothing event, there’s no such thing as mid cycle or not quite. Present a bioload to a set of uncycled rocks, bioload dies overnite. Present a set of bioloading to suspected ready rocks for ten days and only get .25? Cycled. It would climb overnite, first nite, to green and that didn’t occur

This thread shows why moving rocks among tanks never requires a new cycle

The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

You can skip your cycle. Ive been reefing online for twenty years and have never waited one second for a tank to cycle, because I buy rocks that are already cycled and move them home. Here's two: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/...

www.reef2reef.com