teenyreef Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 I haven't added any ammonia since last Friday or Saturday. It's been a weird cycle all around. Yep! Patience is the biggest thing, but adding the bio-spira could help, and doing a water change would be OK too since they are so high. You could also add a little food so there's something to feed the bacteria. One thing to consider is that most test kits will give inaccurate nitrate readings when nitrites are high. So all you really know at this point is that you've worked past the ammonia stage and you're into the nitrite stage. Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 4, 2016 Author Share Posted June 4, 2016 Yep! Patience is the biggest thing, but adding the bio-spira could help, and doing a water change would be OK too since they are so high. You could also add a little food so there's something to feed the bacteria. One thing to consider is that most test kits will give inaccurate nitrate readings when nitrites are high. So all you really know at this point is that you've worked past the ammonia stage and you're into the nitrite stage. Thanks for the reminder! Just dropped a couple of flakes in there lol Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 4, 2016 Author Share Posted June 4, 2016 20 hours after a water change and bio spira and I'm at Ammonia: 0ppm Nitrite: 2ppm Nitrate: 20ppm Not doing anything but testing at this point. Link to comment
teenyreef Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 20 hours after a water change and bio spira and I'm at Ammonia: 0ppm Nitrite: 2ppm Nitrate: 20ppm Not doing anything but testing at this point. Nitrites going down and nitrates going up is great news! Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Nothing to do with the thread but my little boy wants to be a building engineer!!! How do you like it? Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 Nitrites going down and nitrates going up is great news! Lol finally! 5 weeks later! Nothing to do with the thread but my little boy wants to be a building engineer!!! How do you like it? I love it! It's not for everybody though and it can be a lot hours Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 So I got my screen top made today. I based the filter hole off my AC70. I don't want to get that started until this thing is done cycling. The best news is that my nitrites are down to 0.5ppm! Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share Posted June 6, 2016 How did you make the top?I got the 2ft x 2ft diy kit from BRS. I ended up going to the hardware store for extra corner pieces to go around the HOB filter but it's a real simple kit and has everything you need to make it if you're making a square or rectangular top. The screen also has a uv coating. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/diy-aquarium-screen-top-kits-1-4-netting.html Link to comment
Bcb577 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Thanks for the advise. Think I'll probably make my own screen top and go ahead with the orbit marine or aquamaxx Nemo light. Getting closer. Ammonia is down to a definite 4 and I can read nitrites now that are at 1ppm. My water is cloudy now for some reason. Not like sand got stirred up but not as clear as it was. Another thing that I'm finding Koop is a build up of salt on my HOB and the cord for it. Is this normal? don't worry this is normal it's called salt creep,everyone has it! Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 I've got snails! Received my package from reef cleaners today. They did a great job of packaging which is a good thing because apparently the USPS like to drop back ten and punt packages marked "FRAGILE". Anyway, all of my parameters are looking good. 0ppm Ammonia 0ppm nitrite and 20ppm nitrate. I'll do a 20% wc over the weekend. I forced my lights into moon mode for right now and Most of the new inhabitants have already started moving around and climbing rock and glass and it hasn't even been the first hour. I'm hoping some of these little guys have some good coralline on their shells so my rock can start getting some color. I'll post a pic either later today or tomorrow. I want to give them some rest after their travels Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Cool, some life to watch in your tank!! It's exciting!!!??? Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Little update. Did a 20% water change and installed my ac70. Going to leave my old filter in it for a few days. I now have cerith eggs stuck to the front of my tank and I don't think some of my snails made the trip. Going to contact reefcleaners today if they still haven't moved from the spot I put them in. Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Well performed the sniff test on all of my snails that haven't moved since Monday. 3 Florida ceriths and 4 dwarfs smelled like rotting meat in my trash can in the dead heat of august so I'm pretty sure they're gone. Emailed John at reefcleaners with pictures of the box when I got on Wednesday so maybe he could file a claim with USPS. Looks like I had a small ammonia spike as well. Cant confirm because my ammonia right now is dead 0 but my nitrites are back at 0.50ppm. Nitrates around 10 I guess? Definitely not 20 lol stup I'd Api test... Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Well it's good you got those out of there and realized what was going on!! Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Well it's good you got those out of there and realized what was going on!! Yeah I cleaned the shells out and rinsed the pretty well and put them back in the tank. They all had great coralline coloring on them so I'm hoping it transfers to my rock Link to comment
teenyreef Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 It's common to lose a few snails in two day mail but it's good that you got them cleaned out! And it looks like your tank is doing a good job of processing the heavier load caused by the dead snails Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 It's common to lose a few snails in two day mail but it's good that you got them cleaned out! And it looks like your tank is doing a good job of processing the heavier load caused by the dead snails It's working on it! I'm hoping it will "season" my ac70 a little quicker lol. I'm also looking at the inTank basket filter for later down the road. John at reefcleaners wanted to refund me the snails but I told him to not worry about it but he should file a claim with usps to try to get his shipping money back Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 It's working on it! I'm hoping it will "season" my ac70 a little quicker lol. I'm also looking at the inTank basket filter for later down the road. John at reefcleaners wanted to refund me the snails but I told him to not worry about it but he should file a claim with usps to try to get his shipping money backsounds like a nice stand up guy!! Have only heard good things about him? Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 sounds like a nice stand up guy!! Have only heard good things about him ? He's been great to work with. I'll definitely be using him in the future! Link to comment
teenyreef Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 The very first time I ordered from John at Reefcleaners, the shipment got held up in a freak snowstorm (in Florida!). All the snails were DOA. Even though it wasn't his fault at all, he ate all costs and sent me another shipment at no charge. Ever since then, I'm a satisfied customer for life Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 The very first time I ordered from John at Reefcleaners, the shipment got held up in a freak snowstorm (in Florida!). All the snails were DOA. Even though it wasn't his fault at all, he ate all costs and sent me another shipment at no charge. Ever since then, I'm a satisfied customer for life Not surprising at all from all of accolades he's been getting throughout the years on here and other websites! I'll definitely be ordering again from him on my next tank setup because we all know we can't have just one! Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 I will say that even though this cycle has been one of the longest and hardest ones I've had to deal with, I'll do it exactly like this again. Watching the tank grow is just as exciting and interesting for me as watching fish float around. I'm starting to have white string like things poke out of my rock here and there. At first I thought they were escaped pieces of polyfill but they only come out with the moon lights and not during the tank's day cycle. I'm also thinking about a scarlet hermit...if I can find one... Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 18, 2016 Author Share Posted June 18, 2016 Very small update. The rest of what's left of my snails are doing awesome. Nothing to update on the eggs the floridas left on my tank. Ammonia and nitrite is 0ppm and my Nitrate is holding around 5ppm. A small amount of diatom has begun to bloom but the snails are taking care of it at a rapid pace. My only Florida cerith left is even showing it's face more often. I'm on the hunt for an ocellaris clown this weekend. I'd love to find one under an inch. I'll do a small 10% water change this tomorrow. Just to replenish nutrients. Off topic but my gf's freshwater tank needs a large water change. 40ppm nitrates and cloudy water. Ugh. Oh yeah. I want a skunk cleaner or fire shrimp! Link to comment
Bldgengineer Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Picked up my clown today! Lfs 40 miles away had a great selection of gladiator clown and I picked one that I thought had great coloring and didn't act territorial but also swam really well. I drip acclimated him and I have just the moon lights on right now to help him get used to his new home. He's just hanging out in his corner right and I just now fed him a quarter cube of mysis which he seemed to like. Link to comment
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