So I have this 120 gal tank that I setup, let cycle with live rock, all parameters were in check and stable so I finally started to stock my tank, first with sps and lps then a few fish. Everything was going great for 2 or 3 weeks then I decided to swap out my sump for a new one I built and put 20 lbs live sand a 3lb live rock and chaeto. I think my tank is starting to cycle there are large air bubbles in a lot of places and the hardiest coral I have a Duncan that grew 4 heads in as many months closed up for the past 3 days and an acropora lost all it's purple color. Help!
I think I made a newbie mistake
- Thread starter BioMan
- Start date
I went back and read a few of your earlier threads..and your tank isn't as cycled as you think it is as it's been less than 4 week since you set it up.
You really shouldn't have fish & corals in there yet
The air bubbles you see on the rock is due to one of the numerous 'algae cycles' that a newly set up tank goes through..and I see you recently added more rock to the (new) sump. All changes like this can cause an additional mini cycle.
Keep a close eye on your basic parameters like ammonia, nitrate & nitrite to see if there is any spike and be prepared with extra SW in case you need to do a change.
Have you gotten the phosphates under control?
How many fish have you added to the tank?
You really shouldn't have fish & corals in there yet
The air bubbles you see on the rock is due to one of the numerous 'algae cycles' that a newly set up tank goes through..and I see you recently added more rock to the (new) sump. All changes like this can cause an additional mini cycle.
Keep a close eye on your basic parameters like ammonia, nitrate & nitrite to see if there is any spike and be prepared with extra SW in case you need to do a change.
Have you gotten the phosphates under control?
How many fish have you added to the tank?
- Location
- Garden city
I just made same mistake with my 240 # s where good so after few weeks added fish a bam hair algae forest fish where fine I lost alot sps
Finally getting it under-control now
Finally getting it under-control now
I installed A GFO UNIT in there and used phosban. It literally dropped my phosphates down 4 colors in 2 days then I tested the water coming out of the reactor and it was the same as the tank results so I got 2 more containers and used it up and my parameters were practically perfect as far as test kits could tell me. The tank got 2 new residents after that. Both chromis. After a week nothing was changing so I put corals in there. The following week I started live stock. The bubbles didn't come until I put the new sump in. Then my skimmer started skimming but the bubbles showed up. I got extra snails of all kinds and h haven't lost anything or anybody yet. I just swapped out 30 gallons just now and have my Rodi making water for another change next week. The color from one of my acropora is gone from purple to white and I moved my Duncan. I have no detectable nitrates or nitrites before my water change. I also went from running 2 pumps (a 9.5 and 7) to splitting the one mag 9.5 and my micro bubble problem is solved. Also the frog spawn is opening bigger and that is all since changing the water and pump just now. I'll give it until later tonight to see what's going on
all the fish in there came from my 29 gal bio cube and thats still running so I could put them back, I have 1 new fish, a powder blue tang. in addition I have 2 mated clowns, 2 chromis, 1 anthias, 1 6 line wrasse, 1 cleaner wrasse, 1 scooter blenny.
I figured with all those people telling me they put up tanks and added a bottle of this or that their tank cycled in a day, all I had was a phosphate issue that I needed to control and with the GFO I thought I was ok...guess not...pray for me!
I figured with all those people telling me they put up tanks and added a bottle of this or that their tank cycled in a day, all I had was a phosphate issue that I needed to control and with the GFO I thought I was ok...guess not...pray for me!
Those folks were wrong unfortunately. What is written on a bottle is there to sell the bottle of stuff..it doesn't usually work that easily..ask anyone with a successful tank..it's a slow pregression, nothing good happens fast in reefing !!
I definitely wouldn't move the tang to the bio cube. Just leave all the fish where they are now.
If you're sure your levels are ok, then just keep watching them and I would keep up with the water changes.
Let us know how it's going
I definitely wouldn't move the tang to the bio cube.
Just leave all the fish where they are now.If you're sure your levels are ok, then just keep watching them and I would keep up with the water changes.
Let us know how it's going
Some of the posts and research I've been doing said the bubbles were from photosynthesis. . Could that be a possibility since I have chaeto down there and the light on 12 hrs a day? Can this be corrected with more water changes. I surely can't be the first person to do this What's a safe "don't change anything except water"period for this to stabilize by?
The photosynthesis that is happening has nothing to do with the Cheato and everything to do with algae (that you may not even be able to see ).
I would bet it has eveything to do with the new rock you recently added to your new sump..all parts of a system co through a cycle..even the walls of the new sump..it's another surface where bacteria grows.
You could look at a cycle as an imbalance in bacteria levels going from where they are to an explosion of new places for them to grow onto (there is extremely little bacteria actually floating around in your water column).
Algae is also growing..and it releases oxygen (those are the little bubbles you are seeing on the rock) It will stop soon. You need to wait for it to finish up it's cycle. But keeping the parameters in good order while it is happening is your best defense from allowing it to get out of control and overgrowing the algae.
One of the things that slows down a cycle is water changes, but you need to keep on doing them (and practicing good husbandry all around as in changing reactor media when it is used up and so forth) to make sure you don't get a spike in your basic parameters.
I hope that all makes sense
I would bet it has eveything to do with the new rock you recently added to your new sump..all parts of a system co through a cycle..even the walls of the new sump..it's another surface where bacteria grows.
You could look at a cycle as an imbalance in bacteria levels going from where they are to an explosion of new places for them to grow onto (there is extremely little bacteria actually floating around in your water column).
Algae is also growing..and it releases oxygen (those are the little bubbles you are seeing on the rock) It will stop soon. You need to wait for it to finish up it's cycle. But keeping the parameters in good order while it is happening is your best defense from allowing it to get out of control and overgrowing the algae.
One of the things that slows down a cycle is water changes, but you need to keep on doing them (and practicing good husbandry all around as in changing reactor media when it is used up and so forth) to make sure you don't get a spike in your basic parameters.
I hope that all makes sense
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
