Foodnotbombs Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 I'm currently cycling a 10 gallon tank with liverock. I'm on day 5 and my ammonia is currently peaking. I recently bought a 20 gallon i want to move everything to it. Should I wait until the cycling is done or go ahead and move the rock/substrate in and add 10 more gallons of water. Is that going to retard my cycling at all? thanks. Link to comment
seabass Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 The bacteria population that is being established is mostly on the rock surface (sure on the tank's surface too). Moving the rock and sand certainly won't stop the cycle. However, you will be reducing the bacteria population and essentially performing a large water change during the process. It will impact the cycle's duration a bit, but nothing that dramatic. It's arguable to let your rock finish curing in the 10 gallon tank and transfer it to your 20 after ammonia and nitrite become undetectable. However, if you move it over now, the difference isn't really going to be that great. If you are going to be adding any more rock, do so ASAP. This will give it time to properly cure before you add any livestock. Link to comment
pyrocreep Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 The bacteria population that is being established is mostly on the rock surface (sure on the tank's surface too). Moving the rock and sand certainly won't stop the cycle. However, you will be reducing the bacteria population and essentially performing a large water change during the process. It will impact the cycle's duration a bit, but nothing that dramatic. It's arguable to let your rock finish curing in the 10 gallon tank and transfer it to your 20 after ammonia and nitrite become undetectable. However, if you move it over now, the difference isn't really going to be that great. If you are going to be adding any more rock, do so ASAP. This will give it time to properly cure before you add any livestock. +1 Link to comment
Gwoardnog Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 a cycle is what's happening with the water, rocks, and sand. You can move it all you want with variable effects. Either way it will end up cycled one way or another. Monitor your crap, if it's all 0'z just let it set another couple weeks. like you should have anyways (and go slow). ( if your cycle is going slow and you dilute it by half, it's going to have an effect, but it'll end up ok in the long run, just like if you put a cycled tank into twice the volume.... give it time, and acclimate the critters) so if you do it, multiply your schedule by 2 in other words. Link to comment
Foodnotbombs Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Thanks for the help everyone. I moved everything to the 20 gallon with the addition of 10 gallons of salt water and my ammonia is still spiking at around 8ppm. Everything seems to be on its way. I've been keeping the temp around 82 degrees and i'm on day 7 now. Link to comment
Foodnotbombs Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 So i've been cycling for about a week. I purchased live rock and had a lot of die off on the rock which i concluded resulted in a high ammonia spike. In my 10 gallon before I transfered, I had 8ppm of ammonia and the next day after transfering to a 20 gallon it still read 8ppm. Ive been testing for the past 3 days and my ammonia levels are about 8ppm steady. Are my readings too high? Will this retard my cycle? Should i do a water change? Link to comment
seabass Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Should i do a water change?Nope, not until the ammonia level goes down substantially. Link to comment
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