Yet another new tank question

[flounderer]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the neighborhood.
My question is, how long will it take for the DSB to start the denitrification process? I cured 36 lb. of Lalo LR in a semi-established tank. After 15 days the NH3 has finally hit 0 after going as high as 25 mg/l, NO2=1.77, NO3=4.7 and PO4=0.67. I'm just starting to get the golden-brown diatom. Its going to stay dormant until after x-mas then I'll start to lightly stock it if everything checks out. Should I reduce the NO3 thru water exchanges or let it take its natural cycle? Is the NO3 needed at elevated levels for a short time to establish the anarobic bacteria needed to start the process?
My set up is....
-29 gal.
-CRP BakPak 2
-Skilter (just used for flow and occasional carbon)
-2 Powerheads
-36lb LR
-3.5-4 inches sand
now for the bad part
-55 W of NO lights of all kinds (i'm a poor biologist)

Thanks.

 

[Len]

I'd let the tank cycle fully before doing anything. After the nitrifying bacterias have established (that is, when nitrite reads zero and nitrate begins to climb at a faster pace), you can do a 25% water change or so, but I wouldn't do anything very drastic. The DSB will start kicking in a few months later because all the oxygen has to slowly be consumed/expelled first before the bed's condition becomes anoxic and ripe for denitrification. Nitrate is always going to be produced, so don't ever worry about not having enough nitrate to feed the denitrifying bacteria. Besides, bacterial popultions quickly multiply and recede depending on available nutrients.

A series of algae growths during the first half year is very normal and even if your tank looks plagued with algae for the first year, chances are it'll all die off naturally if you aren't importing nutrients (for example, not using RO water in a city with high nutrient municipal water). Don't be alarmed or disheartened to see some algae (even lots of algae) in the first few months. Reefkeeping is often a test of patience

And ya, you'll need more lights if you want to keep a broader variety of corals.

 

[hdtran]

Wait until both ammonia & nitrite hit zero before doing some light stocking. You may also perform a water change to make sure your ions all stay happy. One of my friends who cured 'raw' LR didn't test alkalinity and calcium, and got hair algae that wouldn't go away; he recommends testing both, and adding calcium or doing water changes to keep the calcium up (and keep corallines happy).

Your nitrates of 4.67 (which test are you using that gives you two decimal places? I've got a cheapie where 5ppm is the basic resolution!) are not a concern.

55 W on a 29g tall tank isn't bad. You can keep low light corals (leathers, some gorgonians, maybe some zoanthids higher up), and you'll have low light coralline algae. (I've got 30 W of NO on my 29g FOwLR, and it's doing just fine--in fact, it's so purple that my wife wanted me to scrape or bleach some of the rocks 8O ) Your lower lights will help you from getting cyano or hair algae, but they'll favor diatoms, so when you stock, think snails. I've found snails (Mexican turbo & astrea) to love munching on diatom films.

 

[flounderer]

hdtran thanks for the encouragement with the lights and the additive info. I've done the reef thing before with the same lights and had wonderful results. I've just never done the DSB and didn't want to screw it up before I really even started. As for the water quality test kit I have access to a nice spectraphotometer which can test way down into the parts per billion.