Biotope Cycle Question

[BDAbio]

Hi,

 

Apologies for posting a cycle question, but I cant find anything documenting my situation.

 

Well, My Biocube 14 arrived on island a few weeks ago so i leaped into setting it up. It has now been 12 days and I'm still wanting for an ammonia spike. I assume i should have seen one by now?

 

Here's a little more background into the tank.

The tank is destined to be a Bermuda tide pool Biotope Nano.

About a year ago, I placed some small pieces of rock I had found on the island and scattered them around the various beaches and tide pools ( I had a sneaky suspicion i would be doing something like this) This was to be the rock for the nano.

So 12 days ago i collected the rock and water and added it to the tank.

So now I'm waiting for the cycle. I left the tank to do its own thing, but this morn thought i would check the water parameters to see how its doing. At 12 days, they are as follows;

 

SG 1.024 (Its high here)

Temp 78.2

Nitrate 0

Nitrite 0

PH 7.8

Ammonia 0.01

 

Am i just being too impatient?

 

Cheers

 

BDA

[warhol1]

That's odd. I heard that if you put a piece of shrimp in a tank during cycling it will increase the process of amonia but not too sure on that. Look it up and see what info you can get on it.Good Luck.

[spanko]

You collected the rock and the water direct from the ocean?

[BDAbio]

Yes, exactly.

The rock had coralline growth on it ,so I assumed that it was ready for the tank and the water was direct from the sea. tested the parameters when i collected it and the water quality hasn't changed. the only test i hadn't been able to check for at the time was the Ammonia as I needed a new test kit.

 

P.S. this weekend i caught a Mantis shrimp in one of the rock pools. It was hard to put him back, but didn't want to kill the little fella. also caught a juvenile moray eel, he'll have to wait until i get a 100g....

[spanko]

How far away from the collection site is your tank? you may not have a cycle or a very minimal one that you don't even notice.

[StevieT]

If it has been in the ocean you are not going to see an ammonia spike since you had no die off. In a normal situration in the USA we would call this fully curred rock. I would watch out for unwanted hitchikers.

[BDAbio]

Spanko, I'm about 0.25 miles from the collection site and the rock was transfered directly into a bucket with sea water. prob spent more time out of the water while i was trying to arrange the rocks..

 

StevieT, I have a few hitchhikers, a couple of bristle worms, brittle star and white flatworm, from what i can tell its one of the algae eating species. oh and a couple of anemones. Nothing I'm concerned about... yet!

[StevieT]

Spanko, I'm about 0.25 miles from the collection site and the rock was transfered directly into a bucket with sea water. prob spent more time out of the water while i was trying to arrange the rocks..

 

StevieT, I have a few hitchhikers, a couple of bristle worms, brittle star and white flatworm, from what i can tell its one of the algae eating species. oh and a couple of anemones. Nothing I'm concerned about... yet!

 

good good. You will not see any die off if it wasn't out of the water, thus you will not see any ammonia spike.

 

Are you planning on local collection of fish and or corals?

[spanko]

Okay BDAbio, Stevie and I have done our best to answer your question and I think we have done well, don't you?

 

Now is the time to reward us with some pictures and to keep this thread going so that we can see the progress with your tank...

[StevieT]

+1

 

 

i love hearing about people on islands that can just swim out and pick their own coral. I hate you all

[spanko]

Yeah not only that but pick a specific spot on the reef, the flat - lagoon - wall etc - and create a true biotope from collections there.

[OB1]

Lucky you. I'm sooooooooooo jealous I've always dreamed of being that close to a tropical ocean so I could do that. I doubt you will see any cycle at all. Have you added any cuc yet? Lets see some pics

[BDAbio]

Yes yes, you have both told me exactly what i wanted to hear, thank you both. I would have left the tank for another 2 weeks waiting to see the ammonia spike..lol

 

And yes, local collection is the only way. were are prohibited from importing any marine life onto the island. there are very strict controls even for the import of fresh fish for restaurants. There is a downside to this though... I mean if i fail at catching the critters then I'll have a very elaborate bucket of watter to look at... Here's a pic of the tank as of last night..

So i'm guessing the CUC can be added this weekend too... sanils, hermits and shrimp i think??

[drunken monkey]

That is too cool. I am so jealous. Good luck with your tank. I can't wait to see the updates.

[spanko]

It is beautiful already. Have you identified Genus Family etc on the livestock you have so far?

[StevieT]

Are you going to be using natrual water for water changes? what about top offs.

 

I have seen other threads on tanks that were in the same situation as you. On an island, using natrual corals and water. They all look great and I am jealous

[OB1]

Yes yes, you have both told me exactly what i wanted to hear, thank you both. I would have left the tank for another 2 weeks waiting to see the ammonia spike..lol

 

And yes, local collection is the only way. were are prohibited from importing any marine life onto the island. there are very strict controls even for the import of fresh fish for restaurants. There is a downside to this though... I mean if i fail at catching the critters then I'll have a very elaborate bucket of watter to look at... Here's a pic of the tank as of last night..

So i'm guessing the CUC can be added this weekend too... sanils, hermits and shrimp i think??

So cool. Looks like you have a snail already. Don't you have a mask and fins?

[BDAbio]

Thanks guys,

 

I'm not to happy with the aquascaping yet, but some of the pieces i put in the sea to seed were just to large in the end and the rock here is more boulderous than the Fiji rock etc.

 

Spanko: I have identified some of the species, I have a reef identification book, but don't have it to hand. I'll post the info tom when i get hold of the book.

 

StevieT: Yes Natural water changes are the plan. This will take some good documentation though as the salinity goes through the roof here in the summer (3rd highest in the world) so to keep it a true biotope I plan to increase the water temp and salinity in line with the natural tide pools. Hopefully this way I will be able to see different characteristics from the inhabitants as it varies.

 

As for top offs, I will be using the natural rain water we collect from our roofs. on occation we do run out so i'll be keeping a 5 gallon bottle of distilled water to cover my back. The top offs will get quite lage in the sumer as i replicate the natural water temp. for this i have the Biocube connected to a heater/chiller to maintain it as well as possible.

 

Now when can i add that mantis???

[BDAbio]

So cool. Looks like you have a snail already. Don't you have a mask and fins?

 

Yes i have a mask and finns, out every weekend in the summer. I've found it very hard to catch things far out on the reefs though. Waiting for a fish when your down 20' is hard work. Its illegal to use scuba gear to catch fish and inverts. Plus the tide pools seem to be even more abundant with life.

I have access to a boat this year so will be venturing further afield with my searches this year...

[StevieT]

what is the salinity at in the ocean?

 

Maybe it was you that I was talking to but this person also used natural rain water from the roof. We just made sure it didn't come into contact with metal during it's collection.

[BDAbio]

what is the salinity at in the ocean?

 

Maybe it was you that I was talking to but this person also used natural rain water from the roof. We just made sure it didn't come into contact with metal during it's collection.

 

At the moment its at SG 1.024, but am expecting it to get up to around 1.032 in mid to late summer. the visibility of the water decreases over 50 feet because of it.

 

Thanks for the heads up. So is that all metals? I know copper is deadly, but steel and iron too? maybe i'll try and source so RO water instead, its not like I'll ever need much.

[StevieT]

WOW, that really climbs up there!!!

 

I would be nervous to introduce any metals into a reef. Copper is posion but over time, if you add bit by bit, metals can not be removed with water changes. They will settle in the bottom of the tank.

 

If you want to test your water, get a TDS test done on it, they will tell you what exactly is in that rain water. Overall the ocean is experiencing the same water as you are adding to your tank, but on a much larger scale and it can filter itself.

[BDAbio]

WOW, that really climbs up there!!!

 

If you want to test your water, get a TDS test done on it, they will tell you what exactly is in that rain water. Overall the ocean is experiencing the same water as you are adding to your tank, but on a much larger scale and it can filter itself.

 

Yep its supposedly meant to be the 3rd highest in the world.

 

Great suggestion. Now where on an island the size of airport do I find a place to have a TDS test done on it? I guess i may be taking a sample on vacation with me in the uk to have it done.. Sometimes island life sucks.

 

Found my chiller was broke today after importing it. Unfortunatly the shipping to have it sent back for repair will cost more than i paid for the chiller

[StevieT]

That sucks. Did it get shipped in broken? Did the shipping company break it or is the manufacture responsible? i would ask for a new one and make them pay for the shipping. IF they want to sell to an island, they need to take responsibility for damaged goods.

 

Edit: i know what you mean about visability when salinity changes. It is blinding when you are in the water. I am surprised the corals can take this drastic change.

[BDAbio]

That sucks. Did it get shipped in broken? Did the shipping company break it or is the manufacture responsible? i would ask for a new one and make them pay for the shipping. IF they want to sell to an island, they need to take responsibility for damaged goods.

 

Edit: i know what you mean about visability when salinity changes. It is blinding when you are in the water. I am surprised the corals can take this drastic change.

 

I think its the manufacturer as it wants to work, but just doesn't switch. They have offered to replace it, but there policy is that they are not responsible for the shipping. They are being decent, if they held me to the warranty then they owe me nothing as the unit is outside the US and therefore outside of the policy. I'm borrowing a Voltmeter at the weekend and will open it up. Speaking with them it sounds like they are willing to send me a replacement part, which will also be easier on my wallet.

 

The drastic change in salinity is one of the reasons i believe the tank inhabitants must change their characteristics. I'm hoping its a catalyst for seasonal behaviors. Similar to fish breeding in the amazon after the monsoon rains etc.

Another reason for doing this is so that any creatures i catch will not have to endure a heavy acclimatisation on their transition to the tank.