Cycled ?

[coil1002]

Ok this one has got me scratching my head. My tank is 2 weeks old 29 gal. I have been testing daily my ammonia never got over 0.25 I never saw the nitrites go up at all and now my nitrates are close to 5.0

So as of today my tank is at
ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5.0

I have 35 pounds of live rock and a 2 inch sand bed all my rock was well cured when I bought it. How ever I still don’t believe I only had a .25 ammonia spike and a nitrite spike so quick I never saw it.

Any thoughts?

 

[Krish]

Was the rock out of an established tank? If so, the rock may have been cured really well and you may not have experienced much die off or things are just going really slow. Not sure if you reading nitrates is an indication of the tank being cycled (2 weeks is kinda early unless water, rock etc were all transferred really quickly from an established tank) because I can turn on my tap and get fresh water with over 160 ppm reading of nitrates! Were the nitrates there on start up? Just a thought...

 

[ronj]

i agree..it could have been cured already..i never trust LFS's about LR..i want to cure it to be sure, but in your case, it could have actually been cycled...one of my LFS owners sells any LR he gets as "CURED",when he puts it in the water..some are probably honest though

 

[coil1002]

All the rock was out of well established tanks The nitrates just showed up today I use ro/di water. I thought things might be going really slow so I threw in a damsel the amonia spiked to .25 and then down to zero. I am going to watch it longer I do not trust the tank is cycled but it is just damn strange I have cycled tanks before and normaly my amonia spikes are a lot higher.

 

[ronj]

if it was out of well established tanks and you put it in within an hour or two, i would say that it is fine to add one fish!!!

 

[coil1002]

if it was out of well established tanks and you put it in within an hour or two, i would say that it is fine to add one fish!!!

Ya it was. I added the damsel I will wait a while and just watch it before I add anything else. I would hate to stress an animal out

 

[ronj]

that definately wouldn't hurt !!! it never pays to go fast with a tank!! no sense in rushing

 

[Scooterman]

Nitrate 5.0
Any thoughts?

This will eventually be the culprit of a spike, It may need time to break down.

 

[coil1002]

Was the rock out of an established tank? If so, the rock may have been cured really well and you may not have experienced much die off or things are just going really slow. Not sure if you reading nitrates is an indication of the tank being cycled (2 weeks is kinda early unless water, rock etc were all transferred really quickly from an established tank) because I can turn on my tap and get fresh water with over 160 ppm reading of nitrates! Were the nitrates there on start up? Just a thought...

You got me thinking about nitrates and my water. I tested my ro water and all be damned. It tested nitrate 5.0. I have ordered new filters for my ro the membrane is only a year old so I left that alone but my sediment and carbon stages are all 1 year old too so I am thinking that is where my prob is.

I tested my water when i started up as well and no nitrates so this nitrates from the filter is new. Lets hope the new filters clean it up

 

[ronj]

if the RO membrane is a year old as well, i would replace it.....you can buy a tds meter for like $25-$30..it will let you know when to replace the filters...

 

[Scooterman]

if the RO membrane is a year old as well, i would replace it.....you can buy a tds meter for like $25-$30..it will let you know when to replace the filters...

I wouldn't replace the RO unless your sure you need to because they can on average last over three years, unless you don't change out your pre-filter regular.

 

[coil1002]

I wouldn't replace the RO unless your sure you need to because they can on average last over three years, unless you don't change out your pre-filter regular.

That is my thought on the matter as well. I did how ever order in an inline tds meter. no more guess work

 

[ronj]

i thought they were only good for a couple thousand gallons.....i guess it depends on how much you use them too

 

[sarmo]

i get 13ppm on my TDS meter. how much is to much? i have fish, sps and a few softies.

 

[sarmo]

PS-- sorry to jump in... i think your LR is cured and that's why you didn't get the cycle you expected. i'd add a couple fish and continue to test.....

 

[shallowreef]

I agree with sarmo.

 

[Scooterman]

i thought they were only good for a couple thousand gallons.....i guess it depends on how much you use them too

Yes usage would affect it but you can make a lot of water & not harm them, one thing the I was talking about is changing your pre-filters, remove contaminates before they get to the RO. Silica some other contaminates will destroy it, changing your carbon & floss filters will greatly extend the life, also back flushing it, this is where a TDS meters helps determine when to change it, like if you clanged all the other filters & still reading TDS's over 2.

http://www.kentmarine.com/instructions/maxxima.pdf

Kent rates theirs at 25,000 gallons under normal conditions, or 3 to 5 years, change your pre-filters & they will last.

 

[coil1002]

well I just got my tds meter in water going in is 107 water out is 3 now all I have to do is get me the di add on and i should get to zero