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HB Fash
01/18/2014, 04:58 AM
Just carried out nitrite and nitrate tests this morning on the third day of cycling and got 0 mg/l for both. My salinity was high so I brought this down by adding RO water. Got my salinity back down to normal and left it a good few hours and tested again and got the same results 0mg/l nitrites and nitrates.

This has baffled me as I'm expecting it to take 3 weeks to get to this level.
This is my first marine tank and am looking for some advice.

Tank is 13 gallon with 18lbs of love rock and 20lbs of live sand. The live rock came from a sump from a fish stores main sump for all their displays.

lrs183
01/18/2014, 05:52 AM
My cycle went quickly as well after I did a first day dosing of bacteria and put a dead shrimp in for a week. Though I monitored my tank parameters on a once a day basis to ensure that I saw the spikes. Did you check ammonia?

What's your salinity at and what tool to read it? I used a hydrometer for the first two weeks and it was. .002 lower than my refractometer.

In regards to it being your third day, I think it hasn't actually cycled yet if you're seeing zero nitrates on day 3. And even if it had somehow cycled, its not done yet. I've been very maticulous with my tank and I had a decent little nitrate spike prior to doing a water change. This was week 3. My LFS claimed I actually had ammonia readings when I did a test prior to coming in and had zero and did two more when I went home to confirm. Dated test kits most likely as I had 2 others confirm with me. And my tank is very healthy with a very happy and active goby and cleaner shrimp.

My recommendation would be the following

Check parameters daily, about an hour after turning the lights on. Some people consider this zealous but I've been able to understand my tank from point A to Z and when to do water changes etc.

Ignore your PH while its cycling. Irrelevant. Though I still tested for it for whatever reason. Later in the day is better.

Keep your lights off during the cycle. Doesn't do anything productive.

I put a CUC in after a week and a half. Do this at your own risk. I did it because the parameters (after observing the cycle personally) were holding steady. Don't overdo your CUC. And I don't personally recommend hermits or basic crabs.

Don't contemplate adding even a CUC after 3 days since you can't be sure of what's going on. That and there could be hitchhikers you don't know of yet. I personally in the last 4 weeks battled aiptasia and colonial hydroids at the same time. As of right now I feel that I've won.

As well, what filter media are you running? This could be a reason for enhanced readings. These things could actually be masking the cycle to an extent if you're running them. But as of close to a month for me, this hasn't proven to be a negative factor. However I still do water changes when permitted. Do not do a change before the cycle is complete for sure. I don't know if it'd hurt anything but I've read mixed opinions about it.

As well, be ready for a diatom bloom eventually. How you handle it will dictate whether or not it gets crazy. Mine started and I actually did a 2.5 days with no light scenario. Hasn't come back and disappeared during it. That may be incorrect as I am not 100% sure if they're photosynthetic but they did go away.

Finally, after a few weeks, do your first water change. I did 20%. I vacuumed my sand bed at the same time as I've heard this is either a do it in the start thing or don't do it at all. Reason for this is if you wait for months to do it then kick up the bed, itll be full of harmful particles. If you wait to do it, do small sections at a time per WC. That is a good practice to do regardless of old or new. But I love my pearly white sand bed!

I'm new to this as well, just introduced my first coral actually. I figure I can try telling you what I did in hopes of similar results. Good luck!

HB Fash
01/18/2014, 07:41 AM
I had no intention of adding any livestock even at this early stage. I was just curious if it was normal to see the levels drop in the first few days.
Reading your reply you say do the tests an hour after putting the lights on but further down you say no need to have the lights on? Is this lights on just for carrying out the tests?
Curious to what was in your CUC initially wil give me guidelines on what to add when the time comes.

Filter system is HOB with sponge,carbon and mech apical filter. Also running protein skimmer as well

lrs183
01/18/2014, 01:36 PM
Well originally I was turning my lights on in the tank before reading from multiple people that it wasn't doing anything productive except likely promoting algae. So in the beginning I was doing it with lights on. Some people cycle their tank as if it were a regular day. Either way works in the end I'd say.

My CUC is 3 cerith snails, 2 nassarius snails and 1 turbo. People are back and forth on turbos but I truly like mine. It wasn't an intention to buy him but my LFS only had two nassarius at the time so I went with it. He's all over the tank day and night. I may take him out down the road if I find myself with fragile coral.

In terms of productivity, couldn't ask for a more clean cut looking tank. No hair algae, no blooms of any sort at all. So between good water changes and them, it has been a success.

I know I used a chemi pure bag and a bag of purigen in the beginning (which are still there) and my readings always held very steady. I'm fact, I never actually saw nitrite and still haven't to this day despite there being 0-5 nitrates in the tank. Before my first WC id say I was around 10ish nitrates. Only conclusion my LFS and I could come to was there was enough bacteria in the tank to promote a straight transition.

If you really want to see what your cycle is doing, drop a shrimp in the tank. A dead, raw one that is. After a couple days till start to spike your ammonia and it'll start getting this nasty clear film on it. It won't cloud your tank or make it smell. After a week yank it out. If your cycle is through, like mine, your ammonia will zero out and you'll be left with nitrates only.

wrott
01/18/2014, 01:52 PM
If your rock did not dry out on the way home from lfs, then you may not get any cycle at all since it came from established sump. The bacteria will start to die-off if you do not "feed" the tank w/ NH3 or a pinch of flake fish food every day. Create an NH3 spike and test 1hr later for NH3 and NO2. If zero, test sooner or use another kit. When you register NH3 test again after 2hrs, etc..., until zero--then you'll know that you have a biologically active system.
Add a few hermits (if you like hermits), they will eat flakes and are very hardy.

lrs183
01/18/2014, 04:23 PM
Flame food terrifies me, personally. I quit using it in my freshwater due to random buildups, slowing sinking into substrate etc.

Though he is right, I'd do something to cause a spike. I liked the shrimp method.

CoralReeForrest
01/18/2014, 05:37 PM
I didmt see it mentioned, have you seen the initial ammonia spike? I used 4 pieces of shrimp in my 75 and it took over a week, then about 4 days for rites to go up.

lrs183
01/18/2014, 05:50 PM
I didmt see it mentioned, have you seen the initial ammonia spike? I used 4 pieces of shrimp in my 75 and it took over a week, then about 4 days for rites to go up.

Agreed. With no other readings yet you're looking for ammonia. Spike it to see. I did readings every day to assure I saw it.