Cycling

[wetmoregenema]

Hi,
I am new to SW and I started a 28 gal nano cube hqi. Last Sat I bought about 30 lbs of beautiful live rock, the water parameters started at
PH8.4
Salinity 1.024

I checked the water yesterday and

PH 7.8
Salinity 1.022
Alk 6.5
Calcium 225
Amonnia 0
Did not test anything else.

Should I be concerned that the PH has dropped so much??
Should I buffer?
when should I do any type of water change??

Sorry for the seemingly stupid questions, just want to do this correctly.

Thanks

MA

[demonsp]

Cant really trust your radings during a cycle. How long has it been cycling?

[wetmoregenema]

Just started it on saturday.

[zotzer]

The important readings in your cycle are ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Don't even bother with the others until your cycle runs through and your tank begins to stabilize.

Just sit back and relax for a week, or two, or three.....depends on the rock.

Tracy

[bertoni]

The alkalinity is a bit low, as well as the pH, but the decay process might be doing that. I'd let it sit for a couple of weeks and work from there.

[wetmoregenema]

Thanks everyone,
My only concern is that I had a large hitchhiker on my rock and I don't want him to die. He is an emerald crab. So far he looks very happy, but if you feel that I should move him for his own health, I will find him a home. I always read about people rushing and putting inhabitants in their tank too soon. That was something that I swore that I wouldn't do, and there he appeared.
One other question, what do you guys normally filter with in the beginning?? I left the sponge in and replaced the carbon with chemi pure. I also put a small peice of poly over the chemi pure.
Thanks so much,
MA

[wetmoregenema]

anyone with any info??

[dileggi]

Hi wetmoregenema.

When I was cycling, I filtered with a filter pad, which had carbon in it and some filter floss in my overflow tray.

I just basically cleaned those out every day or so during the cycle. I didn't add my skimmer or purigen until well after I cycled. Not because that was the way to do it, it just happened that way. While it's cycling, I believe you're fine, just keep it clean.

[wetmoregenema]

thanks so much for the info!!
MaryAnn

[rick12]

i cant speak for others but my hitchhikers survived cycling (i used lr during my cycling )
--it shows how hardy they are--they survive the travels from origin to the fish store to someones tank?

[bertoni]

As long as the ammonia is zero, I wouldn't worry at all.

[dileggi]

I agree with everyone on the hitch's as well. Mine also survived the trip and I cycled my tank with the LR in it as well.