Pre-Judging...

[gimme]

but I think i may have set myself back like 2 weeks. I have been 3 weeks into my cycling and as of Thursday, everything was perfect except for my nitrates, they were at 20. Today I bought 4lbs of rock and re-did my rock scape. My worry is i stirred up too much and will need to basically start over on my cycling. I am sure I am jumping the gun here, but do any of you think I should worry?

 

ps, I will re-test everything tomorrow.

[Weetabix7]

Only time will tell.

[gimme]

i know, just wondered what some of you may have thought from experience

[Tinytank]

I doubt you set yourself back significantly unless the rock you bought is REALLY uncured.

[neuwave]

Depends how cured the new rock is. Depends how much life is encrusted on the rock. Like weetie said "time". Just monitor the water for now. Small tip smell the rock depending on the odor you can judge how bad things are decaying.

[gimme]

Depends how cured the new rock is. Depends how much life is encrusted on the rock. Like weetie said "time". Just monitor the water for now. Small tip smell the rock depending on the odor you can judge how bad things are decaying.

 

no smell at all. I have smelt the "smell" before and this doesn't have it. the rock is supposedly cured, and appears to be so. I even gave it a dip before placing it in my tank. I am most likely just being paranoid, which in this case cant be all that bad

 

i appreciate the input from all of you.

 

THANKS!!!

[Neto]

no smell at all. I have smelt the "smell" before and this doesn't have it. the rock is supposedly cured, and appears to be so. I even gave it a dip before placing it in my tank. I am most likely just being paranoid, which in this case cant be all that bad

 

i appreciate the input from all of you.

 

THANKS!!!

 

 

You will recycle again but it will be faster since your current rock has bacteria.

[mmelnick]

You will recycle again but it will be faster since your current rock has bacteria.

Exactly.

[gimme]

Exactly.

 

just tested after letting it settle for about 2 days. All levels are fine, as before, except my Nitrate level is still at 20ppm. Talk about the great waiting game, I'm just waiting on my nitrates to drop then I am all set

[neanderthalman]

You will recycle again but it will be faster since your current rock has bacteria.

 

 

 

No. It always had bacteria. It will be faster (and less extreme) since the bacteria population will already be near equilibrium.

 

Your tank never actually stops "cycling". It just reaches equilibrium. Every addition, every death, every feeding, they all bump the bacteria population up and down a bit, and this is no different than the initial "cycle" in principle. The reason it's not a problem is because it's simply not as extreme.

 

Think of it like an old-time scale with bioload on one side and bacteria on the other. If you nudge either side, it will start oscillating ("cycling") up and down until it evens out again as the bacteria population changes. If you push it too far, then you start seeing deleterious effects in the tank (like the initial "cycle").

 

 

Gimme - just be patient. Don't worry about it, don't stress, don't be thinking that you have got to get some animals in there. Chill out and slow down.

[lakshwadeep]

20 ppm nitrates is normal for a new tank. Denitrification (the removal of nitrates into eventually nitrogen gas) take much longer to get set up than nitrification (what happens in the "cycle"). This is caused largely because areas of low oxygen are the sites of greatest denitrification, which are much rarer in a reef tank with decent water movement.

[Deleted User 6]

Your tank never actually stops "cycling". It just reaches equilibrium.

 

Theoretically. I would say it "approaches" equilibrium.

[gimme]

20 ppm nitrates is normal for a new tank. Denitrification (the removal of nitrates into eventually nitrogen gas) take much longer to get set up than nitrification (what happens in the "cycle"). This is caused largely because areas of low oxygen are the sites of greatest denitrification, which are much rarer in a reef tank with decent water movement.

 

I have a nano koralia and a rio for flow. I am going to add another head to the flow so I can get one more direction.

[faerl]

just tested after letting it settle for about 2 days. All levels are fine, as before, except my Nitrate level is still at 20ppm. Talk about the great waiting game, I'm just waiting on my nitrates to drop then I am all set

 

Also keep in mind. Your Nitrate level will not drop no matter how long you wait. Ammonia=>Nitrites=>Nitrates. The only way to remove Nitrates is through a water change (well, macro algae etc will do it as well but if it's a small tank water changes are what's going to do it).

[neanderthalman]

Theoretically. I would say it "approaches" equilibrium.

 

"You are technically correct. The best kind of correct."

[JohnOTS]

I think I know your problem gimme... Last time I was at your house I peed in your tank...

[gimme]

I think I know your problem gimme... Last time I was at your house I peed in your tank...

 

 

see what my real problem is, guys? the only reason I keep him around is he has my rics and Hammerhead in his tank