Cycling a new reef

[Falcn]

Hi guys,

I've just converted what was a Fish Only 55gal into whats going to be a reef after a crash.

I now have a 4" bed of aragonite sane with LS seeded in there, 30kg of premium Fiji, newly added. 2x 250w MH lights and added a tunze 6055 to the 3 maxijet powerheads.

I checked the ammonia and nitrite levels today - ammonia is zero and nitrite at 0.25. However, there is no current bioload so I was thinking of dropping in a piece of frozen shrimp to give it a kick. Any thoughts on this approach?

I don't want to add fish just yet until the LR and sand gets established.

Thoughts on ways to progress are welcome.

 

[NaH2O]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!

IMO, adding a piece of shrimp would be fine, however, if you already experienced an ammonia spike (seeing as your ammonia is zero and your nitrites are 0.25), then you have already started the cycle. I imagine some of your live rock had a bit of die off, which started your cycle. Was your live rock already cured? If so, then your initial nitrogen cycle will be rather quick. How high did your ammonia get? How long has been running with this new set-up? Once your ammonia and nitrites are zero, then proceed with a water change, and then you can start adding some snails. What are your fish plans?

 

[Falcn]

Day four since the new live rock was introduced. I checked the ammonia and nitrites again, ammonia still zero, nitrites closer to zero than to 0.25 looking at colour chart.

Added the piece of dead/frozen prawn just after tonight's test. I wonder whether that will cause the spike. I havn't seen an ammonia spike yet which worries me a little.

Also added a tunze 6000 stream to replace one of the smaller maxijets, boy is that one mean flow.

Tank details:
4ft 55gal ex fish only marine
1 tunze 6000 stream
2x 250w MH pendants.
30Kg Fiji cured premium LR, 4 days since overnight courier delivered
30Kg Aragonite sand bed 3-4" deep seeded with 2 bags live sand.

 

[burning2nd]

i would get your self another 30lbs or lr... 30 in a 55 isnt gonna do what you need it to do..

 

[Falcn]

Thanks for the reply burning2nd - that's 30Kg not 30lbs

my previous setup was a fish only with just 40kg of live rock as the only filter medium other than a skimmer. That tank was successful for about 7yrs

 

[gary shandling]

Nitrite is a reading seen during a cycle. A cycle is to build your bacteria population. This needs 4 to 6 weeks minimum.

I would be more concerned with why your FO tank crashed. FO tanks are much easier to keep compared to a reef tank.

If you really want to si it right then we need more info.

Tanks size?
Water source?
All equipment used from skimmers to powerheads?
Do you have a water test kit?

 

[burning2nd]

ahhhh sorry my error..

 

[Falcn]

Tonight's update:

ammonia zero
nitrite near zero
nitrate 20ppm

Turned the skimmer on assuming the cycle has just about completed needing to get those nitrates down. I had the skimmer off whilst the new tank/LR/LS was cycling.

20% water change also completed
will check nitrate again tomorrow am

3 turbo snails added (the only livestock in the tank)

Also added a tunze 6055nano stream to even out the flow from the tunze 6000 stream

I reckon this is starting to look reasonable

Tank details:
4ft 55gal
5gal sump (small)
backpack skimmer on sump
1 tunze 6000 stream + 1 6055 nanostream
2x 250w MH pendants.
30Kg Fiji cured premium LR, 5 days since overnight courier delivered
30Kg Aragonite sand bed 3-4" deep seeded with 2 bags live sand.

 

[NaH2O]

Falcn - looks good. Just keep an eye on your parameters after adding the snails. Make sure ammonia doesn't spike up again.

 

[gary shandling]

Nitrates are to high. You need to find the source.

 

[NaH2O]

gary - the nitrates are too high because it just finished cycling. They will go down with subsequent water changes and skimming. All part of the normal cycle process.

 

[Falcn]

just ordered a Deltec MCE600 skimmer - which should really start to clean the water. It will replace the bacpak which is a little short of breath these days ;-)

also have an activated carbon and a phosphate scrubber to put in for the first few weeks.

todays readings - ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 15ppm ish
another 20% water change this evening

Just got the diatom brown bloom, so the silica in the system has now been depleted. I guess the next stage is the algae bloom! - (hence the phosphate scrubber)

 

[Falcn]

Update:

Ammonia zero
Nitrite: zero
Nitrate 5ppm
New sump under construction to incorporate a fuge and auto top-off


;-) looking good

Now starting a slow stocking regime - might have something to look at pretty soon !
I'll drop in a couple of photos as soon as I can

 

[burning2nd]

slowly now

 

[Falcn]

Getting a brown algae bloom, but can't identify anything which could be feeding it.
Any suggestions?

Ammonia - zero
Nitrite - zero
Nitrate - near zero
Phosphate - near zero
ph - 8.5 <- need to drop this a little to 8.2ish
Alkalinity 100ppm CaCO3 <- need to raise this target 125-200
Calcium 60 ppm <- target 380!! long way to go
Salinity 1.026

10gal water changes done twice this week - with RO/DI water, so shouldn't be introducing new nutrients

Any suggestions as to what other params to check?

4ft 55gal
5gal sump (small)
Deltec mte 600 skimmer on sump
1 tunze 6000 stream + 1 6055 nanostream
2x 250w MH pendants.
running activated carbon and phosphate scrubber in hang on power filter for now - no other filtration
30Kg Fiji cured premium LR,
30Kg Aragonite sand bed 3-4" deep seeded with 2 bags live sand.

3 turbo snails
1 cleaner shrimp
3 red legged hermits

 

[DonW]

Thats normal for a new tank but your ca and alk parameter are really funky. Something is not right.

Don

 

[burning2nd]

algae

Getting a brown algae bloom, but can't identify anything which could be feeding it.
Any suggestions?

Ammonia - zero
Nitrite - zero
Nitrate - near zero
Phosphate - near zero
ph - 8.5 <- need to drop this a little to 8.2ish
Alkalinity 100ppm CaCO3 <- need to raise this target 125-200
Calcium 60 ppm <- target 380!! long way to go
Salinity 1.026

10gal water changes done twice this week - with RO/DI water, so shouldn't be introducing new nutrients

Any suggestions as to what other params to check?

4ft 55gal
5gal sump (small)
Deltec mte 600 skimmer on sump
1 tunze 6000 stream + 1 6055 nanostream
2x 250w MH pendants.
running activated carbon and phosphate scrubber in hang on power filter for now - no other filtration
30Kg Fiji cured premium LR,
30Kg Aragonite sand bed 3-4" deep seeded with 2 bags live sand.

3 turbo snails
1 cleaner shrimp
3 red legged hermits

yes..

your po4 isnt really 0 really.. its just being used at a rate that your kit cant detect...(dont know if that came out right)

but what ever the case is.... your tank is new and you will have meny meny diffrent out brakes of different algae blooms.... let the tank do its thing.

your newly made water is clean and fresh so over time... (b4 you add fish) at some point the algea will reside.

Im gonna use this time right... 2 suggest something above all others.

keep your hand outta the tank unless you need to do something useful like flip a snail or something... get your self a long poker so you can flip and move stuff with out your hands in the tank... (good habit to learn early)

the main point is DONT mess with the algae untill your confirmed on its id.

I had (and still have) bryposis that was this cute little patch of algae....
and i sounded much like you did in the post above "help i have algae" "dont know what to do"

well i went and did the fist thing someone told me to do (pull it out)

was happy it was gone... little did i know that i had just started the end of my tank. what im trying to say

is time is your best friend, you see something in your tank you dont know what it is... wait.. it will be there tomarrow and the day after and the day after..

dont take it to heart im not saying dont help a sick fish or a traped something..... thats you job to save life...

but the aglae i picked (knowing what i know now) at that time, if i would have just shut the power heads off... and mixed a new bucket of water. doing a water change and sucking the spores outta the tank as i pulled it easily from the rock....

i could have ended it right then and there.... so if i where in your shoes again, i would wait it out... keep your hand out, and figure out what it is...

brown algae
red algae
diatoms

all part of the new tank...

cyano

bryposis
(very very very bad algae)

 

[Falcn]

Thats normal for a new tank but your ca and alk parameter are really funky. Something is not right.

Don

You are correct - the test results were copied down incorrectly -

Ca is 360ppm
Alk is 87.5ppm

still low in both cases.

 

[burning2nd]

so your not that bad..
normal for a new tank

 

[Falcn]

so your not that bad..
normal for a new tank

No its not too bad and thanks for the advice about waiting it out - very good advice indeed.

What I can't figure out is what the algae is feeding on - next to nothing in the water that I can detect.

I'll do another 10gal water change tomorrow just to make sure