piano15 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Hi everyone, need some advice. I have been cycling my tank since june 20th. During my testing I have seen ammonia and nitrate spikes but I never had a nitrite spike. I started testing june 22, not once when I tested have I seen nitrites. I have never experienced a cycle like this. I am seeing a small amount of brown dusting on my rocks, looks like diatoms. I'm just unsure of when I can start adding cuc? Current tests, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 10ppm nitrates Link to comment
seabass Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 It's possible to have an established cycle without ever having an ammonia and/or nitrite spike. However, we know that since your tank has nitrate, it's processing both ammonia and nitrite. With ammonia being undetectable, you could start adding a cleanup crew if you wish. I generally don't even test nitrite. It's not very toxic in marine systems (due to the pH), so ammonia is a better test to administer to determine if the nitrifying bacteria is able to keep up with the ammonia production. Link to comment
piano15 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Thanks so much seabass! If my ph is low, is there anyway to up it? When should I start doing water changes? Link to comment
dillct Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 How did you start your cycle (bacteria in a bottle)? At only 10 days it's likely you're not cycled. Why are you running your lights during your cycle (not necessary and just fuels algae growth)? I wouldn't add a cuc until you've got something for them to eat (more than a dusting of diatoms). Link to comment
seabass Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 What's the pH? It's likely that you don't need to adjust it. If you want, you could start water changes now. I wouldn't add a cuc until you've got something for them to eat (more than a dusting of diatoms). I agree. Hold off on getting herbivores until you notice a little algae growth. However, you could add a few carnivores (like Nassarius Snails), and omnivores (like Cerith Snails or a Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab). Then you could feed them sparingly with fish food for awhile. Link to comment
piano15 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 I'm not running my lights during my cycle. That was part of my set up specs. I cycled my tank with liverock and live sand. The livesand came with a bag of bacteria. I have always cycled my tanks with liverock and fish food. My ph was 7.4 I was thinking of adding a hermit or two Link to comment
seabass Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 My ph was 7.4 That is pretty low. Try a water change and see if that helps any. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.