Red Sea Tank Cycle

[ScubaSteve4Life]

I have a 30 gallon tank with only dry rock and live sand. I am using Red Sea's reef mature pro kit to cycle my tank. I'm on day 14 of the cycle and am just seeing the first signs of change. I'm starting to see brownish spots starting to form on only my dry rock.

It may be hard to see in the picture.

My parameters have been much higher than what Red Sea claims they should be in the instructions so is this a good thing to see forming on my rock? Red Sea claims I should have seen algae growth starting at day 5 or 6 so I think my tank is taking much longer than the program intends. My nitrates are over 80 ppm. Would it be beneficial if I measured and added magnesium calcium and alkalinity to the tank during the cycle?

Ps- I've contacted Red Sea about this and they just keep telling me to stick to the day by day instructions regardless of my improper parameters but I'd like to see what other reefers would have to say about this.

Thanks for your time and any help you give!

 

[McArcher]

Did you make sure you are using the dose for the actual water volume after subtracting volume taken up by rock and sand?
I would continue to follow the program to the letter no matter what your params are. I have used it and it works very well. By the time you get to the end, everything should work out.

 

[Reef man 89]

At this point your alk/mag and cal don't matter much at all. Every tank is different some take a month to cycle some takes a week. You will start to see diatoms anytime now. But keep doing what your doing. Be patient

 

[ScubaSteve4Life]

My tank is actually a 29 gallon and with the rock and sand I just estimated it at 25 gallons which is what Red Sea uses as its base amount to add its supplements to.

 

[McArcher]

My tank is actually a 29 gallon and with the rock and sand I just estimated it at 25 gallons which is what Red Sea uses as its base amount to add its supplements to.

Unless you have a very small amount of rock and sand, that's probably a little high on the volume estimate (unless there's a sump you didn't mention). That might explain the high nitrates.

 

[ScubaSteve4Life]

I have 20 lbs of sand that makes about an inch or two of a sand bed and probably about 25 lbs of rock. No sump.

 

[Reef man 89]

If you add sand and rock I would say your tank is in between 20-22 gallons. Looks like some big rocks.

 

[ScubaSteve4Life]

Ok I'll lessen my amounts a bit to stay safe. Thanks for the help!

 

[y4ngel]

The Red Sea kit is based on the use of actual live rock, your cycle will take longer than stated the kit actually says. Just keep testing and following the instructions, I just finished cycling my tank using the kit, took approximately a week longer than the instructions stated due to me also using "dead rock" (I did use CaribSea Live Sand).

 

[ScubaSteve4Life]

The Red Sea kit is based on the use of actual live rock, your cycle will take longer than stated the kit actually says. Just keep testing and following the instructions, I just finished cycling my tank using the kit, took approximately a week longer than the instructions stated due to me also using "dead rock" (I did use CaribSea Live Sand).

Sounds like we had the same setup. I have the same sand. When the 21 days of the cycle were over did you continue to add any of the kit supplements or did you stop at day 21?

 

[y4ngel]

Sounds like we had the same setup. I have the same sand. When the 21 days of the cycle were over did you continue to add any of the kit supplements or did you stop at day 21?

I have a bigger tank than yours so my kit only lasted until day 21, I bought more NO3PO4-x which I continue to dose. I feel like it would be safe to add more supplement until your ammonia and nitrites are 0.

 

[ScubaSteve4Life]

Thanks for your help man!

 

[smokin'reefer]

I remember doing that kit last year and it was no where near what it was supposed to be. But it gave me something to do while the tank was break in itself in. I still added cuc and fish with theirbtimeline even though measured parameters were not following schedule.
My guess is the chemistry follows its own schedule. I used "live" live rock and tried following their instructions to the letter.