Parameters during cycling?

shimmer · Dec 20, 2023

My parameters are:

Calcium- 410 ppm
Alkalinity- 8.3dKH
Magnesium- 1185 ppm
Phosphate- 0.06 ppm
Nitrate- 10 ppm
Ammonia- .25ppm
PH- 8.3

I don't have my nitrite test kit yet, it's on the way(probably here tomorrow.)

Just making sure this is all within range for during a cycle. It's the beginning of day 3. Using Dr Tim's One and Only and I was suggested to use fish food as a source of ammonia, which I did. I do have ammonium chloride on the way to my house after doing some more research, but I'm unsure if I should add that or not as there does seem to be some ammonia in the tank, Not sure if there should be more though?

Started with live sand and dry rock.

Basically just checking If everything is looking okay and if not what I should do about it or if there's anything else I should be doing?

KrisReef · Dec 20, 2023

Cycling focuses upon Nitrogen and the other parameters are close enough for a marine tank.
Some might suggest raising Magnesium, but what are you hoping to keep in the tank after it has cycled?

am3gross · Dec 20, 2023

I would grab a few pounds of live rock. I started mine off with dry rock and live sand and I struggled for the 1st year to keep things alive. Go very slow and don't rush anything. Add the L/R, add your ammonia and let it sit for a couple months, then add a few fish and go from there.

I am not a patient person, I wish I would have followed my own advice but I didn't and it cost me money.

Uncle99 · Dec 21, 2023

Rock, sand, saltwater, Dr.Tims, flow and three days.
Time to add your first fish or two.

Parameters look fine but the low MG may result in inconsistent Alk and CA measures, bump MG to 1350-1400ppm.

Now, the task is to keep those parameters with as little flux in 24 hours as possible, day in, day out, forever.

Stable water chemistry is key.

shimmer · Dec 21, 2023

KrisReef said:
Cycling focuses upon Nitrogen and the other parameters are close enough for a marine tank.
Some might suggest raising Magnesium, but what are you hoping to keep in the tank after it has cycled?

Two clownfish, a nem, small cleanup crew, eventually some coral. I would like find a few other smaller fish at some point if possible, but I’m unsure due to the limiting size.

am3gross said:
I would grab a few pounds of live rock. I started mine off with dry rock and live sand and I struggled for the 1st year to keep things alive. Go very slow and don't rush anything. Add the L/R, add your ammonia and let it sit for a couple months, then add a few fish and go from there.

I am not a patient person, I wish I would have followed my own advice but I didn't and it cost me money.

I did end up buying some live rock from my LFS and put it in today.

Uncle99 said:
Rock, sand, saltwater, Dr.Tims, flow and three days.
Time to add your first fish or two.

Parameters look fine but the low MG may result in inconsistent Alk and CA measures, bump MG to 1350-1400ppm.

Now, the task is to keep those parameters with as little flux in 24 hours as possible, day in, day out, forever.

Stable water chemistry is key.

I will add some mag, and retest and go from there. Calcium seems a little low, I am trying to get coralline to grow, but I will work on mag first and see if it changes any other results.

KrisReef · Dec 22, 2023

The calcium is fine for a cycling tank. The coralline can sometimes take a week, or a month, or a year to take off and grow. The addition of live rock will jump start the tank maturity, but like @Uncle99 said, stable water parameters is key. Dumping in large amounts of salts to raise calcium or magnesium or dKh can be a destabilizing action that "fixes" the numbers but stresses out fish and corals, possibly killing them.
"Stability."

As far as cycling goes, with live rock and bacteria added you DO NOT NEED to keep adding ammonia choride or any similar cycling product to get the cycle done. It will be safe in a few days, maybe even safe now but practice stability and patience and let the tank bacteria get settled in for a few more days before you add your fish.

Are you going to quarantine your fishes?

shimmer · Dec 22, 2023

KrisReef said:
The calcium is fine for a cycling tank. The coralline can sometimes take a week, or a month, or a year to take off and grow. The addition of live rock will jump start the tank maturity, but like @Uncle99 said, stable water parameters is key. Dumping in large amounts of salts to raise calcium or magnesium or dKh can be a destabilizing action that "fixes" the numbers but stresses out fish and corals, possibly killing them.
"Stability."

As far as cycling goes, with live rock and bacteria added you DO NOT NEED to keep adding ammonia choride or any similar cycling product to get the cycle done. It will be safe in a few days, maybe even safe now but practice stability and patience and let the tank bacteria get settled in for a few more days before you add your fish.

Are you going to quarantine your fishes?

Yes, I received the ammonia today but didn’t even open it, just went right in the drawer to likely never be used. Decided against it when I decided to get the live rock.

I do not have a QT. I don’t have the budget or space for it.