sloo50 Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 This is a Bio Cube 14. I am currently using 10lbs live rock, and 20lbs of live sand with a Bio Cube protein skimmer and the bio balls. ( i have a StevieT's media rack inbound) The tank is 1 month old... Live stock includes A few combo rocks with a mushroom, a few groups of zoanthids, a couple stalks of pipe organ, and a toadstool leather 2 clowns and a dottyback 2 Turbo snails Water reading are Ammonia .50 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20 pH 8.2 Gavity 1.022 Temp 78.5 Im trying to get a better understanding of cycle.......... Why would I have high ammonia and Nitrate, but ZERO Nitrites? Are my corals and fish in danger? Should I do another water change? When StevieT's media rack arrives, will I be okay to remove my bioballs and install the purigen and Chemi pure right away? All help is greatly appreciated!!! Wes Link to comment
Bill Nye Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 This is a Bio Cube 14. I am currently using 10lbs live rock, and 20lbs of live sand with a Bio Cube protein skimmer and the bio balls. ( i have a StevieT's media rack inbound) The tank is 1 month old... Live stock includes A few combo rocks with a mushroom, a few groups of zoanthids, a couple stalks of pipe organ, and a toadstool leather 2 clowns and a dottyback 2 Turbo snails Water reading are Ammonia .50 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 20 pH 8.2 Gavity 1.022 Temp 78.5 Im trying to get a better understanding of cycle.......... Why would I have high ammonia and Nitrate, but ZERO Nitrites? Are my corals and fish in danger? Should I do another water change? When StevieT's media rack arrives, will I be okay to remove my bioballs and install the purigen and Chemi pure right away? All help is greatly appreciated!!! Wes Ammonia Nitrite and Nitrate are all parts of the denitrification cycle. I believe that Nitrate is the first step in the cycle so it will be converted to Nitrite over time. I have read that bio balls are nitrate sinks and will cause your levels to spike as waste accumulates. I would remove them and that might help alleviate the problem. I would also do a larger size water change to help lower these levels immediately. Link to comment
sloo50 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Share Posted April 20, 2010 OK.... WATER CHANGE THIS EVENING. Any other thoughts on what occured? Wes Link to comment
Eole00 Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 i would add a few extra lbs of live rock so you hit about 14 - 15lbs, reduce feeding to once every 2 days or so, remove the bioballs and find some chaeto to put in the filter with a reverse light cycle. that should help a bit with the cycle. if your tank is new, the bacteria probably hasnt colonized the sand bed/rocks to a point where it can deal with the waste from the fish. best of luck. Link to comment
Markushka Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 Ammonia Nitrite and Nitrate are all parts of the denitrification cycle. I believe that Nitrate Nitrite is the first step in the cycle so it will be converted to Nitrite Nitrate over time. I have read that bio balls are nitrate sinks and will cause your levels to spike as waste accumulates. I would remove them and that might help alleviate the problem. I would also do a larger size water change to help lower these levels immediately. you got them backwards Ammonia => Nitrite => Nitrate The fact that you have ammonia still in your tank means that your either in a mini-cycle or your tank hasn't cycled, or hasn't done so properly. when did you add livestock? how long did you let the tank cycle? Did you cycle with your live rock? you should also retest your water for ammonia, and have your lfs run a test too. Link to comment
sloo50 Posted April 20, 2010 Author Share Posted April 20, 2010 you got them backwards Ammonia => Nitrite => Nitrate The fact that you have ammonia still in your tank means that your either in a mini-cycle or your tank hasn't cycled, or hasn't done so properly. when did you add livestock? how long did you let the tank cycle? Did you cycle with your live rock? you should also retest your water for ammonia, and have your lfs run a test too. I let the tank cycle (with LR and LS) for 2 weeks before adding livestock. Before adding the livestock I had reading of zero ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.......... After adding the livestock, I had a slight ammonia spike, but I did a small water change, and that left me with zero ammonia again. (tested the next evening) I feed the fish every 3 days (frozen brine) Should I do another water change this evening? How much? Wes Link to comment
Asureef Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 I let the tank cycle (with LR and LS) for 2 weeks before adding livestock. Before adding the livestock I had reading of zero ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.......... After adding the livestock, I had a slight ammonia spike, but I did a small water change, and that left me with zero ammonia again. (tested the next evening) I feed the fish every 3 days (frozen brine) Should I do another water change this evening? How much? Wes Did you add the livestock all at once? If so, your tank probably did not have enough nitrifying bacteria to handle the new load. Link to comment
amnestia Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Leave your bioballs in there as they are currently an important part of your bacteria population. Just do waterchanges every few days and try not to feed your livestock too much. Wait till your ammonia is at 0 (nitrite as well) then you can remove the bioballs SLOWLY out of your system. Link to comment
sloo50 Posted April 22, 2010 Author Share Posted April 22, 2010 Quick Update: I took a water sample to my LFS and asked for a water test...... Turn's out, I need better testing equipment. LFS test concluded zero ammonia zero nitrite almost zero nitrates gravity 1.025 All my testing equipment is inferior, I guess. Link to comment
spleenman Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 What brand of tests were you using? Do you know what the LFS used? Link to comment
sloo50 Posted April 22, 2010 Author Share Posted April 22, 2010 What brand of tests were you using? Do you know what the LFS used? The LFS store used 2 different "powder" formulas..... Never seen those before. I used a liquid type (not sure on the name brand), the LFS also ran the test w/ my kit. My kit read high on all perameters, while the powder formulas read considerably lower. Wes Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 How are you unsure about the name of your test kit? What was the brand used by the LFS? API (aquarium pharmaceuticals inc.) makes inexpensive reliable kits. Salifert, Elos, and Lamotte are more expensive but more accurate. What are you using to measure specific gravity, and what brand is it? For s.g./salinity, a glass hydrometer or refractometer are easy to use and clean measurement devices. Read this to learn about reef aquarium water chemistry: Part 1: The Saltwater Itself Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented Part 3: pH Part 4: What Chemicals May Detrimentally Accumulate Link to comment
sloo50 Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 How are you unsure about the name of your test kit? What was the brand used by the LFS? API (aquarium pharmaceuticals inc.) makes inexpensive reliable kits. Salifert, Elos, and Lamotte are more expensive but more accurate. What are you using to measure specific gravity, and what brand is it? For s.g./salinity, a glass hydrometer or refractometer are easy to use and clean measurement devices. Read this to learn about reef aquarium water chemistry: Part 1: The Saltwater Itself Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented Part 3: pH Part 4: What Chemicals May Detrimentally Accumulate I did not recall the brand, as I was at work at the time It is an API marine test kit. My hydrometer is an Oceanic with a suction cup.... It is still reading below 1.022 Wes Link to comment
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