What to do?!?!

[Mateo]

I am curently running a 20L with a 2.5" sandbed (aragalive or whatever that crap is) an air driven counter current skimmer, and a rotating powerhead w/ sponge filter. I dont have any LR yet, and the tank has been setup for about 3 weeks. After having the tank up for about a week I threw 2 damsels in there. One of them died within 2 days from injuries at the pet store. The other one seemed fine and healthly until 2 days later when I noticed he was kind of huffin and puffing for air and died that day. So a week or so later my po lazy white ass found a test kit and tested the water PH 8.0, Ammonia 2.5, Nitrite 33. Two days later my amonia was 0 but the nitrites are still high. Is my tank still cycling since the ammonia dropped and will the nitrites follow? Or do I need to do a water change to bring things into check?

[gobies]

Yeah, you're still cycling. And the nitrite killed the fish.

Do a search.... check the "Information" link, too.

[Mateo]

So will my nitrite drop on its own when the cycle is done or do I need to do a water change? I read something on reefcentral that said doing a water change before the cycle is complete will only make it take longer. Is that true?

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[Satchmo]

IMO, there's no reason to cycle your tank before adding rock. What would you be cycling? Bacterial cultures on the glass? Get some live rock and put it in now. Then you need to do nothing else but wait. When ammonia and trites hit zero, slowly start adding stuff, keeping an eye on your levels.

 

Your white ass can be a little lazier later, but your tank is new so you should really be testing now. Don't just plop in animals. Read some old posts or ask what to do... people will walk you through the process. I doubt anyone here would have advocated putting 2 damsels in a week-old empty tank. If you establish your tank correctly now, you'll be successful later. I'm not barking at you, but there's no need to kill fish and throw your money out the window. Good luck.

 

EDIT: Just reread your original post. If it were me, I'd do a close to 100% water change just to get those nitrites out of there. I don't know what effect that would have on the life on the rock if you were to add it now. I'd put new water in the tank, add the LR and start over.

 

Even if you finish cycling your tank empty, I doubt you'll have enough surface area to support much of a bioload, and you'll have to re-cycle again anyway when you add the rock. OK, I think that's it.

[Crakeur]

Originally posted by Mateo

One of them died within 2 days from injuries at the pet store.  

 

what did they do, rough up the fish? spear it?

 

Without the live rock in the tank, the cycling is a waste, unless you don't plan on adding any live rock. Satchmo, you stated that cycling isn't need but in my experience, that isn't always true. There is a powerhead with a sponge filter on the tank that will gather detritus and become a bacteria haven, as well as the sandbed.

 

The truth is, it is possible that the first fish died because of something other than cycling, although this doesn't seem likely, and that death, along with the second death added to the water's instability.

 

In any case, if you are adding lr, add it now, let the tank cycle for at least a month. My heart goes out to the families of those two poor damsels.

[Mateo]

They were blue and gold damsels, when they were put in the bag they stressed out and got a really dark color and other than that they both looked ok. After a few hours in the tank when their colors went back to normal I could tell that the first one that died had a buch of scales missing like it had gotten its ass kicked in the pet store. I didn't really know how they were going to do, according to the aragalive crap it says you dont have to wait for the tank to cycle. I didn't totaly belive it but thought what the hell. Live and learn I guess...well not the damsels.

 

I am going to stop by two fish stores tonight that I just found in the area and check out their LR. If it looks good I will pick some up and do a BIG water change and let the tank cycle again. If not I will wait and order some after I move in a couple of months and just stare at my baja hermits until then.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[Crakeur]

those missing scales might have been the hermits picking at the dying fish. just a thought.

[Mateo]

Hermits were not in the tank at the time. While on the subject...what are the best hermits to have as far as a versitile clean up critter that won't screw with other inhabitants? Are the baja's ok?

[Satchmo]

Bajas aren't hermits- they're snails. And they'll be fine, although the hermits might decide they want their shells. In any event, don't worry about that now. You shouldn't have anything in your tank at this point. You need to develop some sustainable algae growth first for the inverts to have something to eat, and there's a good chance they won't make it through the volatile water chemistry that occurs during cycling. Don't get ahead of yourself. Get the rock and you'll find plenty off cool things to look at while you wait out the cycle.

 

Crak- I didn't mean cycling wasn't neccessary, just that there's no need to do it twice.