So i've started my cycle

Jason04r

Reefing newb
Hi guys,

I started my cycle yesterday after changing my muggy water. My tank is a 55 gallon

Heres my reading:
Temperature: 77F
Salinity:1.022
PH: 8.0
Nitrit: 0mg/l (ppm)
Ammonium: 1,0mg/l (ppm)
Alkalinity: 10dKH

I've added a dead shrimp to the process and currently have 20KG of live rock. Water is getting alittle smelly.

Am i on the right track or is this something im missing or shouldn't be doing.

Thank you :)

Jay
 
Last edited:
Thanks for that info , on my test sheet theres 1,0mg/l (ppm) and then the next is 3.0mg/ (ppm)

Should i wait until its at 3,0 before taking the shrimp out?

Thanks
 
Okay,

Todays results:

Temperature: 77F
Salinity:1.022
PH: 8.0
Nitrite: 0.1 mg/l (ppm)
Nitrate: 10mg
Ammonium: 3.0mg/l (ppm)
Alkalinity: 10dKH

Ammonium has spiked but it guess its normal on the cycle. are my other results okay?

thanks
 
Depends on how much live rock is also in there, but then every cycle is unique, some people its only a week, others as much as a month. But it gives you a great chance to research!
 
I currently have 20KG of live rock in my 55 gallon tank. I'm going down my lfs tomorrow to get another 20-30kg of live rock and a nice skimmer.I shall keep you updated.

Thanks for your help :)
 
He has a hang on reef octopus skimmer which im interested in. Issue is i dont have a sump.

Can you recommend any good hang on skimmers?
 
reef octopus is actually a great brand, so you are fine :) however I would suggest comparing prices online. Usually the markup is so great I cant justify buying that stuff at my lfs. Be sure to get one rated for twice you system volume.
 
He is selling it second hand for 60 euros (88$) and new there 180 euros (242$)

Things are very expensive in Europe compared to US :)

Shall i go for it or not? He said its 2-3 months old.
 
So i went to my lfs and picked up 10KG of live rock. The skimmer he had wasnt reef octopus so i didnt buy it.

This is going to sound totally stupid but i ordered 20KG of live rock from a online store. When it arrived i had a feeling its very small for 20KG but thought nothing of it because im new to the hobby and the rush to get the tank started. After bringing home my massive pieces of live rock (8KG) home i compared it to my other live rock to find they only sent me 1KG! I'm currently talking to them now to sort it out.

I cant believe i've so so stupid.

Anyways , Yesterdays Tests:

Temperature: 77F
Salinity:1.022
PH: 8.0
Nitrite: 0.3 mg/l (ppm)
Nitrate: 30mg
Ammonium: 2.0mg/l (ppm)
Alkalinity: 9dKH

My nitrate has shot up , I dont know if its because i stirred my sand bed when putting the new rock into my tank. Advice?

Thank you
 
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