need help

[Chris Roberts]

Hi guys i have a problem, I have a 125 with 30 gal sump, I have finished my cycle about 42 days total. I used the live rock method. All my specs have reached 0 so i did 50% water change and ordered 80 dwarf blue leg hermits from live aquaria which are due today. Problem is i tested my water today and for some reason going through some mini cycle now my ph is 8.2 ammonia 0.25 nitrites 0.25 question is will the crabs survive this? I had no plans of fish till my quarantine tank is done cycling so thats not an issue but i have to place these crabs. I wonder if the low amounts of the amm and nit will hurt them if i acclimate them well.

[Ngoodermuth]

50% water change is too much... likely what started the mini-cycle. It is possible the crabs will die.

Maybe someone else can chime in as to what level is toxic... but it's always said that inverts are particularly sensitive to ammonia.

[Cymonous]

What did you use to start the cycle? A shrimp? Chemicals? Any type of ammonia? How long ago did you do the water change? You could try doing another water change to lower the Ammonia and nitrites. Ammonia and nitrites could hurt and possibly kill your inverts.

[Cymonous]

50% water change is too much... likely what started the mini-cycle. It is possible the crabs will die.

Maybe someone else can chime in as to what level is toxic... but it's always said that inverts are particularly sensitive to ammonia.

A 50% water change would not start a cycle. A 50% water change is usually recommended after the cycle finishes to help clear up any leftover nitrates.

[Chris Roberts]

i used 125 lbs of liverock to cycle went through all of the spikes and the cycle lasted 42 days, anyway the crabs just got here and are really tiney i think i can put them in a container and work around it till this is over. thanks guys

[Ngoodermuth]

A 50% water change would not start a cycle. A 50% water change is usually recommended after the cycle finishes to help clear up any leftover nitrates.

I've never done a 50% water change after a cycle. And I've never had any leftover nitrates either... levels have always been zero before I would do a wc.

Maybe that's just me... I've only cycled 3 tanks now so I could be wrong.

Edit: When you are wrong, you are wrong :)

[sponger0]

Changing water wont start a cycle. Bacteria that keeps those numbers in check lives on the rock and sand, not in the water column.

Sounds like it wasnt dont cycling.

[billsreef]

0.25ppm ammonia is negligible at that pH. The hermits won't have an issue, and it should drop down quickly. Nitrites also aren't in issue at modest levels in SW, so again, not a worry.