initial_reefer Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I went topless with a Par38 fixed my temp problem I'd relax on the testing as well I have not tested my water in months. Happy Reefing Link to comment
banshee Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 I went topless with a Par38 fixed my temp problem I'd relax on the testing as well I have not tested my water in months. Happy Reefing I don't have a temp problem anymore. I didn't read the directions for the Jagr 50W correctly so once I went back and got it calibrated properly I haven't budged from 79.5-79.7 day and night. As for the testing I'm curious to watch what happens. I made an Excel spreadsheet with a graph to show the levels. I'm a bit of a geek but at least I feel like I'm doing something! Thanks for stopping by! Link to comment
initial_reefer Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I don't have a temp problem anymore. I didn't read the directions for the Jagr 50W correctly so once I went back and got it calibrated properly I haven't budged from 79.5-79.7 day and night. As for the testing I'm curious to watch what happens. I made an Excel spreadsheet with a graph to show the levels. I'm a bit of a geek but at least I feel like I'm doing something! Thanks for stopping by! Reef Geek! Link to comment
cuber14 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Reef Geek! AREN'T WE ALL. Link to comment
banshee Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 Reef Geek! AREN'T WE ALL. Link to comment
cuber14 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Be patient, after 9mths( oops 10) and having nitrates too high I finally got my tank in order nitrates 0 or close to 0 fish( clown,purple firefish,chromis,bengai card) happy coral happy trochus snails having babies( like a friken million) and numerous ball of yarn worms all happy,ME HAPPY NOW! Time to sit back and enjoy. Til friday when I go to LFS and buy something I shouldn't. (i said you should be patient I'm a lost cause)good luck. Link to comment
banshee Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 Be patient, after 9mths( oops 10) and having nitrates too high I finally got my tank in order nitrates 0 or close to 0 fish( clown,purple firefish,chromis,bengai card) happy coral happy trochus snails having babies( like a friken million) and numerous ball of yarn worms all happy,ME HAPPY NOW! Time to sit back and enjoy. Til friday when I go to LFS and buy something I shouldn't. (i said you should be patient I'm a lost cause)good luck. I'm trying! I have my list of corals picked out but I promised myself I would set foot in the LFS (except for some more salt) until my tank is stable enough to start adding them! Link to comment
cuber14 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I'm trying! I have my list of corals picked out but I promised myself I would set foot in the LFS (except for some more salt) until my tank is stable enough to start adding them! OH NO! everyone with a tank has the old "just went in for some water and look what I got story"hahaha Link to comment
banshee Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 OH NO! everyone with a tank has the old "just went in for some water and look what I got story"hahaha That's how I got my CUC! But I went to PetSmart (no saltwater livestock) and got my salt so no temptation to leave with anything but salt and another heater to start mixing my own now that my refurbished SpectraPure RODI system came in! 2-29-12 CYCLE MAY BE ENDING! Ammonia: 4ppm Nitrite: 5+ Nitrate: 160+ Going to test again tomorrow and if the ammonia is still dropping then I'll do a big water change and test again at night! Off to go mix up my first batch of SW! Any tips for the noob? Link to comment
notwithit Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 That's how I got my CUC! But I went to PetSmart (no saltwater livestock) and got my salt so no temptation to leave with anything but salt and another heater to start mixing my own now that my refurbished SpectraPure RODI system came in! 2-29-12 CYCLE MAY BE ENDING! Ammonia: 4ppm Nitrite: 5+ Nitrate: 160+ Going to test again tomorrow and if the ammonia is still dropping then I'll do a big water change and test again at night! Off to go mix up my first batch of SW! Any tips for the noob? A bucket and powerhead go a long ways :-) ohh and a heater Link to comment
banshee Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 Did about a 25% WC last night (2-29-12). Ammonia is now 1-2ppm. Nitrites and Nitrates are still off the charts. Filling up a bucket with RODI water from the SpectraPure now. Going to do another WC, probably closer to 50% to get things back to levels that I can actually test for. Diatom bloom has begun and my hermits and snails are busy! Excitedly planning the purchase of the rest of my CUC (maybe this weekend) if the cycle finishes up! 3-1-12 Did another 2.5 gallon water change. Ammonia: 0.5-1 Nitrite: 5+ Nitrate: 160+ Got another 2.5 gallons mixing/heating now. I WILL get these params into testable levels before the end of the week! Link to comment
swilbert76 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Wow I dont know how you've made it this far without adding anything. I'm only 6 days in and I swear if I don't put a snail or a crab in there soon I might just crack!! I pace around the tank staring in at rock and water wondering how long? How long? LOL almost feels like the days leading up to Christmas when I was a kid. Link to comment
banshee Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 Wow I dont know how you've made it this far without adding anything. I'm only 6 days in and I swear if I don't put a snail or a crab in there soon I might just crack!! I pace around the tank staring in at rock and water wondering how long? How long? LOL almost feels like the days leading up to Christmas when I was a kid. I do have a couple snails and hermits in there. I was too impatient! But learn from my fail! My cycle has been never ending because of that! I'm 16 days in and Nitrites haven't started to drop yet! I could have been done cycling by now but no! I have to make the dumb decision to add a small CUC too early! Did my third water change (2 gallons) and tested again. Ammonia: 0.25-0.50 Nitrite: 5+ Nitrate: 80-160 Calcium: 340-360 dkh: 11 Phosphate: 0 I need to get my calcium up over 400 right? The dkh and Phosphate is good? Link to comment
swilbert76 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Wow I hope your able to get that in check. Maybe pull the CUC out and see if it helps. I woke up this morning and my tank tested all 0's and it's only been 7 days. As far as the calcium, unless you upgrade your lights the stock bio14 lights really only support soft coral which don't require the higher levels of calcium. That's what I've read on the forums anyway, any experts out there wish to confirm or deny? Personally I'm just gonna try my hand at softies and maybe upgrade the lights in 6 months if all goes well. Link to comment
banshee Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Wow I hope your able to get that in check. Maybe pull the CUC out and see if it helps. I woke up this morning and my tank tested all 0's and it's only been 7 days. As far as the calcium, unless you upgrade your lights the stock bio14 lights really only support soft coral which don't require the higher levels of calcium. That's what I've read on the forums anyway, any experts out there wish to confirm or deny? Personally I'm just gonna try my hand at softies and maybe upgrade the lights in 6 months if all goes well. If your nitrates test 0 you probably haven't cycled yet. I was still testing 0 around 5-7 days in. My cycle didn't really start until about 10 days in. That's why the LFS thought I had enough cured LR and suggested the CUC, we thought it wouldn't cycle. I'm looking at mostly soft corals for now too. I think I'll upgrade to the AI nano after I get my feet wet so to speak. Link to comment
cuber14 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Wow I hope your able to get that in check. Maybe pull the CUC out and see if it helps. I woke up this morning and my tank tested all 0's and it's only been 7 days. As far as the calcium, unless you upgrade your lights the stock bio14 lights really only support soft coral which don't require the higher levels of calcium. That's what I've read on the forums anyway, any experts out there wish to confirm or deny? Personally I'm just gonna try my hand at softies and maybe upgrade the lights in 6 months if all goes well. I was told at my LFS that frogspawn and torch are calcium hogs both do well in BC14s. I have had to start dosing now after 10 mths with the addition and growth of corals (WCs just not replentishing enough). Link to comment
notwithit Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 If your nitrates test 0 you probably haven't cycled yet. I was still testing 0 around 5-7 days in. My cycle didn't really start until about 10 days in. That's why the LFS thought I had enough cured LR and suggested the CUC, we thought it wouldn't cycle. I'm looking at mostly soft corals for now too. I think I'll upgrade to the AI nano after I get my feet wet so to speak. The cure for wanting to buy stuff too early.....buy it and make your buddy keep it in his tank til yours cycles :-) You probably wont be happy with the colors of the zoos and other soft stuff you buy with just the stock PC's btw Link to comment
banshee Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 The cure for wanting to buy stuff too early.....buy it and make your buddy keep it in his tank til yours cycles :-)You probably wont be happy with the colors of the zoos and other soft stuff you buy with just the stock PC's btw I wish I knew someone with a SW/reef tank! Unfortunately I don't so I'm just hoping I don't kill everything in the tank. I want to get the AI nano but I just can't bring myself to pay the price yet. Maybe after I am done with all the intial setup costs. I'm already well over a grand in and not even done cycling yet! Link to comment
solefald Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I wish I knew someone with a SW/reef tank! Unfortunately I don't so I'm just hoping I don't kill everything in the tank. You should probably get to know these guys http://www.pmasi.org/frm/ Link to comment
swilbert76 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 If your nitrates test 0 you probably haven't cycled yet. I was still testing 0 around 5-7 days in. My cycle didn't really start until about 10 days in. That's why the LFS thought I had enough cured LR and suggested the CUC, we thought it wouldn't cycle. I'm looking at mostly soft corals for now too. I think I'll upgrade to the AI nano after I get my feet wet so to speak. My ammonia , Trites, and Trates were off the charts until yesterday. Then just started to drop off like crazy. Woke up and tested today and they were at 0. Does it really cycle again? Confused.... I was told at my LFS that frogspawn and torch are calcium hogs both do well in BC14s. I have had to start dosing now after 10 mths with the addition and growth of corals (WCs just not replentishing enough). I definitely want to get some frogspawn so that is good to know. Thanks Link to comment
Jai1985 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Swilbert, If it happened that fast my guess is that something was feeding ammo into your system and your bacteria just managed to catch up to the decomp. rate of whatever was feeding the system. Please post these questions in your own thread from now on.. dont want to be a hijacker Link to comment
banshee Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Swilbert, I don't mind you asking questions here! They help me too! I don't think you'll cycle again. It seems like I just got really unlucky. Keep checking your levels for 5-7 days and if they're stable then have fun (have some for me too)! solefald, I've seen that site. I hope I'll be able to make a meeting sometime soon! Link to comment
banshee Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Tonights tests are about the same: Ammonia: 0ppm Nitrites: 5+ Nitrate: 160+ Getting a huge water change ready now. Link to comment
banshee Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Changed water and tested with 2 different test kits, same results. Getting another 5 gallon bucket ready. Tested it and zeros across the board so it's not my salt mix or my RODI system. Hopefully a few more water changes will get my cycle under control. Link to comment
solefald Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Tonights tests are about the same:Ammonia: 0ppm Nitrites: 5+ Nitrate: 160+ Getting a huge water change ready now. holy crap. that is insane! mine were staying in the top 3 color range... possibly because i did not test for the first 3 weeks at all Link to comment
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