Tank Cycled?

Jud · Jan 21, 2017

Hey folks, figure a lot of you have some good experience and may be able to help solve my query.

I've got a 150 gallon with another 20 gallon sump and 20 gallon gravity-fed, low-flow refugium.

Vinegar bath and good scrub on the 80ish lbs of pukani, few week sunbath, then cured for two months until phos read zero.

I've had water circulating the tank for about four weeks, but really began cycling ten days ago. I've been dosing Microbacter7 and Faststart-M daily. Through the first 500ml bottles and on to the second. Also added in some live rock and 20 lbs live sand on top of the 80 lbs aragonite I've had in there. Pumps on but no skimmer running. Readings have been:

Day 1
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 77.1
Nitrate: 2-5
Ammonia: 0-.2
Phosphate: 0-.25

Day 2
Temp: 77.2
Nitrate: 10
Ammonia: 0-.2
Phosphate: 0-.25

Day 4
Temp: 79.3
Nitrate: 15
Ammonia: 0-.2
Phosphate: 0-.25

Day 5 (added some chaeto/caulerpa in sump)
Temp: 78.1
Nitrate: 10
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 1
Phosphate: 0-.25
PH: 8
Alk: 9

Day 6
Temp: 78.4
Ammonia: 0-.2
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 1
Phosphate: 0-.25

Day 7 - added one cocktail shrimp

Day 8
Temp: 77.4
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 10
Nitrite: 1
Phosphate: 0-.25

Day 10 (day four with shrimp)
Shrimp is covered in mucus and breaking down nicely
Temp: 79.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 15
Nitrite: .3
Phosphate: 0-.25
PH: 8.2
Alk: 11 dkh
Salinity: 1.025

So my nitrates have been steadily rising, but I've never really gotten elevated ammonia levels - even with a decomposing shrimp.

No algae blooms except for a some small pebbles in the sand turning slightly darker. But I do have a good amount of coralline starting to come in in spots.

Picked up a bottle of pure ammonia from Ace Hardware. Should I dose that daily to 3ppm and see if it clears within a day to test?

Don't want to be premature in adding livestock, but figuring if it passes the ammonia test I'm good. Any thoughts?

James Miller · Jan 21, 2017

OK, I don't know how long the live rock has been out of tank and let dry. I recently got a 125 with stand and about 100 lbs of live rock ( or you might say dead rock) from my wife's co-worker, the rock was setting in a tote for at least a couple yrs. I talked to my LFS and Julie told me to put in a tote with a pump and saltwater ( preferably water from your tank from water change, but if not make some up) and let soak, track nitrate level, if increase do water change. I added chato to mine and i didn't get a very big swing like you did. Julie informed me that doing it in tank would require a lot more head aches due to the amount of water you would be wasting to get the rocks to cycle. Once the nitrate swing is done, shake the rocks real good while in the water to get all the detritus you can out of holes and such. Sad thing about it is that it could take any where from 4 weeks to 2 months to get it cleaned and that is doing water changes till it down to safe level and you having in a 150 gallon tank that is a lot off water changes

cbjay10 · Jan 21, 2017

I would give it another 2 weeks, keeping an eye on ammonia. If it reads 0 consistently for the whole 2 weeks you should be safe.

Jud · Jan 21, 2017

cbjay10 said:
I would give it another 2 weeks, keeping an eye on ammonia. If it reads 0 consistently for the whole 2 weeks you should be safe.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Better safe than sorry! I may try to dose that ammonia up to 3ppm and see how the system processes it. Should be a good indication of bacteria doin' their thang.