Got a simple question that I can't seem to find an answer..

[bassdrummer1]

I have a new tank. about a month old.

nitrate -0
nitrite - 0
PH- 0
cslcium- 520


everything seems like it is going right.. water looks good, temp is 79. This will be a reef tank.

Can I now add fishes :) and some coral?

and btw I dont have a clean up crew yet but I will be getting that today.

[snorvich]

Ammonia? Specific Gravity? Alkalinity?

[rednkfish]

what did you use to cycle the tank?

[Hal]

It depends on whether the tank has cycled. Just because you see zero ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc, doesn't mean the tank has cycled. It could mean the cycle never started.

Did you measure a spike in ammonia and nitrite, followed by the decrease to zero. Only after this is happens is your tank cycled.

If the tank has cycled, then it's safe to start adding fish. Just do a few at a time, because each addition will create a new mini-cycle for your tank as the bacteria population grows to accomodate the additional waste products. And, please, please, quarantine your fish.

Wait 6 months after the cycle is complete before you add any corals. Even though your tank may be "cycled" there are still minute chemistry adjustments occurring for at least 6 more months. It's the same reason you mix your salt for 24 hours before doing a waterchange. Even though the salt looks like it dissolves instantly, there's a lot going on from a chemistry perspective.

[bassdrummer1]

I used 40 pounds of live rock. I built a fuge for the tank that holds a deep living sand bed with LR and cheato algy/ protein skimmer/ chemi-pure. after I saw the nitrite thew the roof about 2 weeks ago i did a 100% water change and now the tank tests fine.

[JeF4y]

If you use fully cured liverock you may never experience a full cycle. However, I would be very reluctant to ever do a 100% water change. At this point you should be letting things work themselves out naturally and once they settle in, start SLOWLY adding livestock.

[rednkfish]

If you use fully cured liverock you may never experience a full cycle. However, I would be very reluctant to ever do a 100% water change. At this point you should be letting things work themselves out naturally and once they settle in, start SLOWLY adding livestock.

[tahammo]

I agree with the previous post. If something went so wrong with the rock that you had to do a 100% water change then things dont appear stable enough to begin adding fish. Have patience and let the rock run its course, then add the fish.

Good luck and hope this helps...

Thomas

[bassdrummer1]

the live rock was cured. lots of purple and green coraline algy was on them. There was a lot of die off tho and I just put the rock in the tank with out rinsing it off :( my lfs told me to do qa 100% water change since nothing was living in there yet besides the LR.

[Floowid]

I would never recommend a 100% water change unless someone spilled a bottle of Pine Sol in there or something drastic. The things we hear from Local Fish stores...

[bassdrummer1]

So that information was wrong? what can I believe lol?

[Palting]

There are specific indications for doing a 100% WC, usually if livestock is in jeopardy. One instance is a massive and rapid rise in ammonia, nitrite, or even nitrate with livestock in the tank. It would be reasonable to do the 100% WC to bring the levels down while correcting the underlying problem. One specific experience for me was a massive die-off of invertebrates from a mature substrate mistakenly left intact while doing hyposalinity.

In the bassdrummer1's instance, althpugh I agree I don't see the need for a 100% WC, I am willing to give the lfs a little wiggle room. Maybe the LFS believed that the liverock he sold contained higher level organisms, such as baby shrooms, coral or inverts, that he thought should be "rescued" from the toxic nitrite with a 100% water change.m Just being nice to the lfs here, guys :).

Anyhow, here's an interesting article on 100% WC: http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/nitratecontrol/ss/sbsnitratereduction.htm

[bassdrummer1]

My lfs ordered me a 40 pound box fully of hatian rock. that rock came in on a wed. and without even opening the box at the local fish store ( I opened it to see how it looked at LFS) but I got home and put it in the tank. The rock had a bunch of stuff hanging on it. so the LR was in that box for who knows how long. I think there was a lot of die off from the rock....

[JeF4y]

Even IF a situation warranted a 100% WC, I would never do it all at once. Granted, you can get away with this if you have no livestock in the tank, but in my opinion you'd do better to do a 200% water change over 2 weeks (change 25-30% at a time every few days) than the shock of a 100% change at once.

Your hatian rock WILL have some die off to it and will need a month or so to cycle. During that time, monitor the essentials (nitrates/nitrites/ammonia) and do 25-40% water changes WEEKLY. Make sure you are aggressively skimming as well and keeping the temp up, salinity stable, etc...

Flown in liverock is NOT the same as pulling it out of an established tank 20 minutes away from your house...

[bassdrummer1]

Yea I see where you are getting at JeF4Y. Thanks for the advice.

[JeF4y]

NP. The one thing I've learned in 2 years of doing this is that there are about a million ways to skin a cat and none/all of them are right. It's like each is right with major caveats... You have to pick apart your scenario to see if the solution fits.

Good luck!

[noahm]

^^ good advice

Yeah, enjoy your rock for a while. Watch the stuff start to appear and keep an eye on params. The 100% WC was not a 'bad' thing at this stage, just more of an overkill action. You don't have to wait 6 months to start adding things, but a good 6 weeks after the rock is added should show signs of cycling. Another few weeks after it stabilizes is fine to add a couple of things. One new thing a month is a good start for the first 6 months after the cycle.

The reason the rules are in place is because people can't help themselves and break them badly. You can say 6 months and people put stuff in in 3 weeks. The main thing is take it very very slow and you will have far fewer losses and problems. Most people just have to learn the hard way at the expense of living things though.

[bassdrummer1]

Thanks guys, the advice is much appreciated! I have been watching the LA fish guys videos on youtube and noticed he does 100% water changes with his customers new tanks after he adder he added the lice rock to the tank and after the rock cycled there tank. This is what I exactly did. After I realized from everyones advice I should of done them in smaller amounts threw the period of a couple months. I will keep everyone posted on how the tank evolves! Thanks

[Shaqinwi 65]

Tank cycling is so 1990's. It was a wonderful (actually the only) way to get a marine tank established but the industry has matured.

This is not the only product available but I link it because I have personal experience with it. It was recomended by a company that sets tanks up in offices and rich people's homes who told me, imagine if I told a client that a saltwater set up will cost you $6000 and you have to stare at an empty tank for 6 months.

http://www.tetra-fish.com/sites/instantocean/biospira_splash.html