Water Test Results
- Thread starter WWS
- Start date
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Looks like you managed to skip a cycle. Looking good! Might want to get your salinity up to around 1.023 to 1.026. I'd say it's safe to add your first fish and a small cleaner crew consisting of just a few animals.
reeffreak
Reef pro
Sounds like the cycle is complete.Like Biff said,raise the SG a bit.I believe you are ready.Take it slow,add a fish or two and clean up crew if needed.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
The best way to increase salinity is to use salt water instead of fresh water when you top off your evaporation every day. When you do water changes, you can also add new water that has a higher than normal salinity. The important thing is to increase the salinity gradually.
You can add some hardy corals now if you want. Some good ones to start with are kenya trees, leathers, mushrooms and zoas. These are not demanding as far as water quality and lighting go, and they don't need any special feeding attention.
A good clean up crew consists of a variety of animals. You definitely want snails, I prefer a mix of turbos, astraeas, conches, nassarius and trochus. You can get hermit crabs if you want -- I don't like them because they will end up killing your snails for their shells. You could get an algae eating crab like an emerald crab, they are cool. A cleaner crew usually consists of some shrimp too, like cleaner shrimp or peppermint shrimp. I would wait a bit before adding shrimp though, they require a more stable environment than a brand new tank. Also, you could get a starfish, like a brittle star or serpent star. Those are two of the hardiest and best at cleaning up detritus on the substrate.
You can add some hardy corals now if you want. Some good ones to start with are kenya trees, leathers, mushrooms and zoas. These are not demanding as far as water quality and lighting go, and they don't need any special feeding attention.
A good clean up crew consists of a variety of animals. You definitely want snails, I prefer a mix of turbos, astraeas, conches, nassarius and trochus. You can get hermit crabs if you want -- I don't like them because they will end up killing your snails for their shells. You could get an algae eating crab like an emerald crab, they are cool. A cleaner crew usually consists of some shrimp too, like cleaner shrimp or peppermint shrimp. I would wait a bit before adding shrimp though, they require a more stable environment than a brand new tank. Also, you could get a starfish, like a brittle star or serpent star. Those are two of the hardiest and best at cleaning up detritus on the substrate.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I forgot to mention, add your cleaner crew gradually. You don't want to get 20 snails at once and have half of them die off of starvation. Start with a few animals, then if your tank stays nice and pretty, you can go with them. If your parameters start to go up or you see algae or detritus building up, buy a few more cleaners. A lot of people buy really large cleaner crew packages because they are having tank problems, and the cleaners quickly eat up all the junk then a lot of them die off and cause a crash because they all starve to death once all the food is gone.
yote
In Memoriam
Biffs got you covered.
Just remember that now is sure nuff not the time to rush things.
Another good hardy first coral is Xenia.
Just remember that now is sure nuff not the time to rush things.
Another good hardy first coral is Xenia.
DavidA717
Soon to be Reef Expert
yeah i would definitely wait a while before adding corals. you dont want to spend $30 to $40 on some frags and them die soon after you put them in. you could try some damsels for now, good hardy fish
reeffreak
Reef pro
Wait a second,did you edit your post.I thought originally it was 3-4 weeks and not days.How long has your system been running?
reeffreak
Reef pro
Biff gave good advice on raising salinity.You are not ready for corals or inverts yet.You should see a spike of ammonia then nitrite.Once both ammonia and nitrite return to zero,then the cycle is complete(2-6wks).Then you should be good for a fish or two and a clean up crew.Corals,you may need to wait a little longer,maybe another month.Zoanthids,mushrooms, and other softies should be good.Of course,it all depends on what lighting that your running.
So what you are saying is that your tank cycled that fast. Or could it be that it has not started the cycle yet. I know when I started my tank day one and two showed nothing afterwards everything sky rocketed and had two wait a month till it showed low readings but not ready.
Its been a week since I got my tank up an running and my third time testing the water. I keep hearing that the water cycle takes 2 to 6 weeks and to add fish etc. after the cycle. So I am assuming during the cycle time I should see higher nitrites, ammonia, and nitrates in the water. At this time I still have not seen any changes in the water.
Here are my third test results:
Ph - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates 10-20
Salinity - 1.022
Here are my third test results:
Ph - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates 10-20
Salinity - 1.022
reeffreak
Reef pro
You need something to start the cycle.
Did you add uncured or cured live rock?Did you add any live rock?
Did you add a shrimp or something to start the cycle?
Are you "ghost feeding''
Something has to decay to start a cycle.
Did you add uncured or cured live rock?Did you add any live rock?
Did you add a shrimp or something to start the cycle?
Are you "ghost feeding''
Something has to decay to start a cycle.
HAWKS12thMAN
NWKRC THUG!
ya your tank readings will be zero for the first week or two. You need to let it cycle usually 3-4 weeks then you can start adding stuff.
yote
In Memoriam
There is a big BUT here though.And I would doubt it myself if I hadnt seen it done several times at Bermuda.
If you use enough good cured live rock,it is possible to completely skip the cycle.But you have to start with completely cured rock,and no more than one 2 small fish.
If you use enough good cured live rock,it is possible to completely skip the cycle.But you have to start with completely cured rock,and no more than one 2 small fish.
At my LFS they told me something like that. Start with good cured rock with a lot of bacteria on it and your set, I heard of them do it when they do the customer tanks. Well put something peppermint shrimps something to see what happens to the water levels. Good luck:bounce:
reeffreak
Reef pro
This is how I always set up a new system.Lots of cured live rock at least and a mix of live sand/dry sand.I didn't exactly skip a cycle but sped up the cycle.,less than 2 weeks maybe even only one week.BTW,I ''ghost feed'' every other day a tiny amount of food.Its possible for sure.
HAWKS12thMAN
NWKRC THUG!
I do the same thing reef does except I dont ghost feed I use liquid ammonia to kick start a cycle.
