So, my tank is extremely new, and honestly was not quite ready for fish. I'm very experienced with freshwater, but this is the first saltwater tank.
The oopsie: I had to go out of town last week, and before I went away, I used Dr Tims to help start the cycle. I let the wife know to check the ammonia every couple days (using shrimp, I've had a bad experience with bottle ammonia in my FW tanks). The tank has roughly 15lbs of dry rock, and 20lbs of live sand. Anyway, while I was gone, she went ahead and bought a single clownfish and 5 hermit crabs. They are now in the tank. Here in lies the rub, I do not think has initially cycled.
The nitrates are getting up there, last tested this morning and we were pushing 20ppm nitrates, .50ppm ammonia and 2.0ppm nitrites. I know you usually can't get an accurate test of nitrates while there is nitrites in the water, but I wanted a complete picture. Additionally, I have the start of a diatom bloom occuring on the rocks. The tank was initially filled with conditioned tap water. We do not have a local LFS within 2-3 hours of me, outside of petco, and our local petco does not sell saltwater or RODI. Because I wanted to get the initial cycle going, I went with conditioned tap, which tested 0 TDS when I started mixing the salt. Thus far, all of the inhabitants appear to be healthy.
The clown is not currently displaying any signs of stress, is eating very well (She has been feeding on a 2 day schedule thus far, and only feeding 5-6 pellets). The crabs have taken to eating the diatoms it appears.
I'm confused about the ammonia, as her testing earlier this week indicated the same numbers roughly. We are using the API master kit, which I've had good experiences with for my FW tanks, I've been reading it often throws false readings for ammonia. After the three days of the same ammonia testing, I tested the tap water just to see if that may be throwing something off, and it read 0ppm which is consistent with out local water supply report. It is certainly not ideal circumstances. I've ordered an RODI system that will be here tomorrow, and some additional dry rock that I will be adding to the tank.
I have an additional bottle of Dr. Tims that I was saving for the first water change (Which was initially planned for when the RODI system arrived). Is there anything I can do /right now/ however to help these little critters out? The mistake has already been made, unfortunately, so I would like to give them the best chance I can.
Questions: Are there any serious lingering issues with using tap water initially to fill the tank? (I'm aware there will be silicates in the tap, our local water is pretty clean, metals wise. We live in the midwest > Nebraska)
If I need to do a water change today, I can do so, I'm just wondering if its safe to give it a day, so I can use RODI. (System arrives tomorrow, and will need a couple hours to start producing it, its a 50gpd 3 stage, which will work for now, we only have a 32 gallon tank).
As I said, the current inhabitants, a black and white oce. clown, and 5 dwarf hermits..every body appears to be healthy.
Thank you in advance.
The oopsie: I had to go out of town last week, and before I went away, I used Dr Tims to help start the cycle. I let the wife know to check the ammonia every couple days (using shrimp, I've had a bad experience with bottle ammonia in my FW tanks). The tank has roughly 15lbs of dry rock, and 20lbs of live sand. Anyway, while I was gone, she went ahead and bought a single clownfish and 5 hermit crabs. They are now in the tank. Here in lies the rub, I do not think has initially cycled.
The nitrates are getting up there, last tested this morning and we were pushing 20ppm nitrates, .50ppm ammonia and 2.0ppm nitrites. I know you usually can't get an accurate test of nitrates while there is nitrites in the water, but I wanted a complete picture. Additionally, I have the start of a diatom bloom occuring on the rocks. The tank was initially filled with conditioned tap water. We do not have a local LFS within 2-3 hours of me, outside of petco, and our local petco does not sell saltwater or RODI. Because I wanted to get the initial cycle going, I went with conditioned tap, which tested 0 TDS when I started mixing the salt. Thus far, all of the inhabitants appear to be healthy.
The clown is not currently displaying any signs of stress, is eating very well (She has been feeding on a 2 day schedule thus far, and only feeding 5-6 pellets). The crabs have taken to eating the diatoms it appears.
I'm confused about the ammonia, as her testing earlier this week indicated the same numbers roughly. We are using the API master kit, which I've had good experiences with for my FW tanks, I've been reading it often throws false readings for ammonia. After the three days of the same ammonia testing, I tested the tap water just to see if that may be throwing something off, and it read 0ppm which is consistent with out local water supply report. It is certainly not ideal circumstances. I've ordered an RODI system that will be here tomorrow, and some additional dry rock that I will be adding to the tank.
I have an additional bottle of Dr. Tims that I was saving for the first water change (Which was initially planned for when the RODI system arrived). Is there anything I can do /right now/ however to help these little critters out? The mistake has already been made, unfortunately, so I would like to give them the best chance I can.
Questions: Are there any serious lingering issues with using tap water initially to fill the tank? (I'm aware there will be silicates in the tap, our local water is pretty clean, metals wise. We live in the midwest > Nebraska)
If I need to do a water change today, I can do so, I'm just wondering if its safe to give it a day, so I can use RODI. (System arrives tomorrow, and will need a couple hours to start producing it, its a 50gpd 3 stage, which will work for now, we only have a 32 gallon tank).
As I said, the current inhabitants, a black and white oce. clown, and 5 dwarf hermits..every body appears to be healthy.
Thank you in advance.
