Fun with ammonium and cycling

[MrKrispy]

Hey all I have an odd question for yas:

 

Set up a new tank 5 days ago:

 

10gal tank

17 lbs marshall island LR uncured

10 lbs live sand

Instant Ocean water from a DI source, 0ppm TDS.

 

I started doing water tests on day 4.

Using a Seachem Marine Kit, I am getting a reading of

0 for free ammonia. However, the reading was off scale for Total ammonia (>6 mg/L) , which I take to read as just NH4+ (ammonium). Nitrites/Nitrates still at zero.

 

More importantly, I DID notice a dramatic pH shift, from 8.3 to 7.8

(using a lab grade pH meter, samples taken middle of day, 79 F)

Not good.

 

SO: Do I need to raise the pH to try and shift some of the ammonium back to ammonia (de-protonate it) and get the bacteria going?

 

I assumed the pH dropped from the NH4+, I do not know what else could have caused it.

Any other ideas what is going on? I am pretty familiar with denitrification but I could easily be forgetting something. That's why I love nano-reef.com

 

Thanks

[Lebowski]

You can try raising the PH... It's a new tank so the Ph and such will be unstable for a lil....

 

I'm guessing your tank probably hasn't started the cycle or is in the process.. Throw in a cocktail shrimp and let the thing rip with ammonia and start the cycle.... Live sand cycles the tank the FASTEST by far in my experience, so you might like to try that out.. You have some, so it should start cycling ulness it did a super cycle in 5 days:D

[MrKrispy]

Well I highly doubt my tank cycled that fast, but it would be nice!

 

I got marshall island rock right out of the box, I think it may have been sitting dry for a day or two. So unfortunately I probably won't discover any critters. I was expecting an ammonia spike by now, I usually see them after a couple of days with fish. I wouldn't think the LS could keep up with the rock decay, and I should see some nitrates if it did.

 

I am kind of worried about the pH also, haven't seen that big of a shift before. My alkalinity checks out fine, didn't really want to add anything to raise the pH only to have it shift up again in a week.

 

Maybe I am too anxious and shouldn't run tests every day.

Any other opinions?