Slightly new to SW....advice on a 24 gal new SW tank

[C_LYNN1827]

Hello everyone! My name is Courteney in new to this forum. I've come here a few times off the web from forums for info.

I have a 200 gal Pro-clear SW tank, I don't typically mantain this tank as my BF does. He's a little more knowledgable than I am as far as SW goes. I've more so just helped pick out the fish. lol

Fast forward a few months we puchased a tank for me to "run" and im learning more as i go. We puchased a 24 gal aquatop recife AIO. I know, a little later on a few things in this tank we will be replacing such as the skimmer and pump and also the light as I do want this to be a small reef tank.

My question is....it is currently in the cycle stage. We had bought live rock at our LFS that "supposedly" was cycled rock with good bacteria? but everytime I test the ammonia in the tank is always at 1.5 and has not gone done for going on 2 weeks now? We also had purchased Dr. Tims reef one & only nitrifying bacteria, put in the tank and still 4 days later the ammonia is still testing at 1.5. I use the saligert ammonia test kit everytime. Any advice on what else we can do the get this tank to start cycling? it seems its just hanging in limbo with no changes. There is currently no fish in this tank.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

 

[SPR1968]

Hi Courteney welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Kennya]

Welcome to R2R Courteney

 

[ScubaFish802]

 

[tharbin]

Welcome to R2R Courtney. Have you been testing Nitrite and Nitrate as well? If so, have their readings been going up?

 

[youcallmenny1]

Hi Courteney, welcome to the club!

 

[rmorris_14]

Hey Courtney!
Maybe try a different brand of test just confirm the one you have is working correctly... Or can you take it to a LFS to confirm your readings are correct?

 

[C_LYNN1827]

Welcome to R2R Courtney. Have you been testing Nitrite and Nitrate as well? If so, have their readings been going up?

I haven't tested those yet, but we do have the tests to them so maybe we should check them as well

 

[|Frank|]

Welcome to R2R!!

 

[C_LYNN1827]

Hey Courtney!
Maybe try a different brand of test just confirm the one you have is working correctly... Or can you take it to a LFS to confirm your readings are correct?

we do have anther test kit for it and it was testing around the same.

 

[bnord]

welcome glad you are here

wonder whether the live rock had organics in it that are decomposing and keeping the Ammonium up - could you take it out and give it the smell test?

otherwise are with the try a new test kit and try nitrates

at any rate you are likely right around the corner - hang tight

 

[tharbin]

I haven't tested those yet, but we do have the tests to them so maybe we should check them as well

If the tank is cycling correctly you should see the Nitrite start to climb for a week or so, then the Nitrate should climb (this description is grossly over-simplified but covers the basic mechanism well enough). If the Nitrite and Nitrate are zero, your tank cycle is not happening.

First some of the bacteria start to convert Ammonia to Nitrite, so you will see the Nitrite start to rise above zero. After a while, up to a week or so, is not uncommon, you will see the Nitrate start to rise as another, slower propagating bacteria starts to convert the Nitrite to Nitrate. Dr. Tim's One-and-only contains both types of bacteria so it should be working. Hopefully you shook the bottle very vigorously before adding it as the media the bacteria inhabit tends to clump at the bottom of the bottle.

Don't worry too much about the actual readings at this point. You are watching for the Nitrite to start to climb, then the Nitrate to start to climb and for the Ammonia to start to go down. Don't worry about the actual reading until your Nitrite is zero as it interferes with the Nitrate results. You are looking for trends at this time. When the Ammonia is zero and the Nitrite is at or very close to zero, you are cycled. Your Nitrate will probably be fairly high. You can do a partial water change at that point. Do not do a water change before you see the Ammonia and Nitrite drop as that will just slow the cycling process.

Hope this helps.

 

[revhtree]

Welcome to your new home for saltwater reef aquarium resources and fun! Welcome to the family!

 

[blaxsun]

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Hello and welcome to the channel.

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[Miami Reef]

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[jsker]

Hello Courtney, welcome to R2R!!

 

[C_LYNN1827]

welcome glad you are here

wonder whether the live rock had organics in it that are decomposing and keeping the Ammonium up - could you take it out and give it the smell test?

otherwise are with the try a new test kit and try nitrates

at any rate you are likely right around the corner - hang tight

I defintely do that once i get home. thanks for the advice

 

[C_LYNN1827]

If the tank is cycling correctly you should see the Nitrite start to climb for a week or so, then the Nitrate should climb (this description is grossly over-simplified but covers the basic mechanism well enough). If the Nitrite and Nitrate are zero, your tank cycle is not happening.

First some of the bacteria start to convert Ammonia to Nitrite, so you will see the Nitrite start to rise above zero. After a while, up to a week or so, is not uncommon, you will see the Nitrate start to rise as another, slower propagating bacteria starts to convert the Nitrite to Nitrate. Dr. Tim's One-and-only contains both types of bacteria so it should be working. Hopefully you shook the bottle very vigorously before adding it as the media the bacteria inhabit tends to clump at the bottom of the bottle.

Don't worry too much about the actual readings at this point. You are watching for the Nitrite to start to climb, then the Nitrate to start to climb and for the Ammonia to start to go down. Don't worry about the actual reading until your Nitrite is zero as it interferes with the Nitrate results. You are looking for trends at this time. When the Ammonia is zero and the Nitrite is at or very close to zero, you are cycled. Your Nitrate will probably be fairly high. You can do a partial water change at that point. Do not do a water change before you see the Ammonia and Nitrite drop as that will just slow the cycling process.

Hope this helps.

Thank you! That is very desciptive and helpful!