FocusReefing

Just a podcaster from Queens
Location
Queens
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
Ok so I couldnt help my self. The plan was to set up my 72g bowfront. But the more Ive read & seen around here the more I realize... I want to go bigger. Ironically while I gather resources & info for that build, I decided to get a 24g nano cube. The "reef bug" is an evil little bugger! So the cube has been running for 48hrs now. I have 6lbs of live rock and the rest is dead rock. 20lbs of live sand. I know that typically more live rock should be used but I figured the live rock and sand will seed the dead rock. (If this is wrong please let me know). So today I checked the water perameters for the 1st time these are the readings.

Salinity- 1.024
ammonia-0ppm
nitrate-0ppm
nitrite-0ppm
ph-7.8 (I know its low)
Test kit- API SW master kit
Are these reading normal? I thought there would be an ammonia spike or something. Am I be doing something wrong? There are no fish in the water. Oh and the live rock was not cured.
 

MikeyZO

Advanced Reefer
Location
Deer Park, NY
Rating - 100%
16   0   0
you said 6 lbs of live rock and the rest is dead... how much "dead" rock is there? It is possible that either a) there was enough beneficial bacteria in the 6 lbs (if it was from an established tank) to take care of the die off from the rest of the rock (again, depending how much "dead" rock you got" or b) not enough time has passed for any real die off to cause any amonia spike yet. So I would say yes, it is possible that this is all normal. I would still give it at least a week or two and test again to make sure the numbers stay there.
 

FocusReefing

Just a podcaster from Queens
Location
Queens
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
Sorry, by "dead rock" I mean it was dry when I bought it. maybe iused the wrong term. But thanks I was thinking it was probably just too soon for things to get started. Also I started using stresszyme biological booster. Does this stuff help any? Its supposed to jump start the cycling process right? Thanks again.
 

MikeyZO

Advanced Reefer
Location
Deer Park, NY
Rating - 100%
16   0   0
lol its all good I know what you meant by dead rock, but how MUCH dead rock is there? And where did the 6 lbs of live rock come from?

As far as Stress Zyme, I've never used it, I know what it is supposed to do but I am of the old school "let nature take its course alone" thinking. It wont hurt to use it but I would let it be now and see where it goes. I'm sure you've heard many times in the hobby that patience is a virtue. So sit back and let the tank be and take a reading of the water in about 5-7 days and see where the parameters are. Remember, too early and you'll have lots of problems. But there is nothing wrong with taking too long and making sure all is right.


Now if only I could convince my fiancee that that way of thinking works for EVERYTHING.... :lol:
 

FocusReefing

Just a podcaster from Queens
Location
Queens
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
ha ha! Thanks alot Mikey. I would say I have about 10lbs of the "dead" rock in there. I bought alot more than I needed so im not sure exactly how much I put in. and I got the live rock from NY Aquarium Service. They have alot of cool pieces. Ur right about the patience, thats one Im learning the hard way. Thanks again.
 

CHEMCHEF

PERMANOOB
Location
westbury ny
Rating - 100%
79   0   0
I started my 72 bow with mostly dead rock, same as you.
I started stocking in 4 weeks and that was still a little too soon. If it was now, I would wait 6-8 weeks.
if you are running a skimmer... Turn it off
You can also try putting a little flake food in every 3 days or so. this will speed up the process.
JMHO
 

mcnuggget

Advanced Reefer
Location
bronx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
do yourself a favor and get some more quality live rock. even if that 6 lbs are great live rocks, it'll take quite a while before it will seed the rest. and dont count on the so call "live sand" in a bag to be really live. your better off getting some clean dry sand and seed it with some live sand from an established reef tank.
 

tosiek

Senior Member
Rating - 100%
48   0   0
all you need is "some" bacteria to be sort of "live" on it. 1 rock to be live in a 30g tank is more than enough to cycle a tank. More live rock in a new tank will only strengthen the stability of your tank after the cycle is done but its not needed. Just give the tank about 4-6 weeks to set itself and then add things real slow. You shouldn't have more than 1 descent size coral and 1 fish in there after 3-4 months kind of slow. Low gallon tanks tend to be very unstable after their cycle. All this stuff is in the newbie threads on cycling and tank parameters. Reread it all if you haven't because you have alot of time =0) Plus there's like 50 threads here from people that just set up their tanks anxiously posting questions about cycles and their tanks also that your going to find the answers to the next 10 questions your going to want to ask about over the next 4-6 weeks. :tub:

Your not going to see an ammonia spike until a week or two after the tanks been set up, and with a 20g i wouldn't be surprised if you seen one at all. Its going to happen quick, probably even overnight. Keep testing every few days to see your No3 start to rise.

And work on better test kits for no3 as well as the later test kits your going to be using alot once the tank cycles like cal/alk/po4. APi kits aren't the best thing you want to base your tank inhabitants lives with.
 

FocusReefing

Just a podcaster from Queens
Location
Queens
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
The tank is still cycling. I havent taken anymore readings. I figure ill take one at the end of the week. I saw signs of life in there though, the other morning when I turned on the day lights something was crawling along the rock in a hurry. Looked kind of like a pill bug but...moving alot faster. I also noticed that same evening all of my dead rock was now covered in green, which I can only imagine to be algae. Is this correct? And is it normal? It wasnt there in the morning... at least not so much. Lights stay on for about 12hrs. Thanks,
JV.
 

tosiek

Senior Member
Rating - 100%
48   0   0
yes otherwise RO/DI wouldn;t be mentioned at all. Green hairy or furry stuff or does it look like your rocks were dyed with green food coloring a little? Without the lights on the rocks tend to look like they are green rocks untill they get covered in corraline. If its furry hairy stuff i would be worried.

Also during your cycle you don;t need any lights on. Keep them off as its not needed at all and its only gonna give the algae food to grow. 12 hours is way more than you should be keeping them on anyways. A set up tank should have a 4-6h, 8 hour max light cycle so your overdosing the tank 2x with light =0)

Do a big water change since you just started cycling with RO/DI and start using RO/DI. The rock will be fine and your going to get some of the nasty stuff out of your tank from the tap. Save you headaches later on. It might mess with your cycle though. subsequent water changes over time will remove the rest of the bad tap water stuff out of the tank. Don't say forget about the water change and the RO/DI and rush to get stuff in it will bite you in the arse later :tub:
BTW keep away from bacteria addatives. Kinda pointless anyways although people set up a tank in 2 days using some of them, and i can assure you with alot of problems later unless they know what they are doing. Your gonna end up adding too much of the zyme and screw with your cycle. Again, this is another thing thats gonna bite you in the arse later on. Wait the 2 months and cycle it the right way the way its written. Its fool-proof.
 

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:


Top