Originally Posted by
mmikej24
So I recently set up my tank and have begun the cycling process. I used Biro-Spira (Not sure if its spelled corectly) and it says that it speeds up the cycling process and it should be complete in 24 hours. I tested the tank about 4 hours after putting the Biro-Spira in, and it said my Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite levels are fine, although it said my PH was way too high. Is this normal? Im going to test it again later on tonight when the 24 hour period should be completed to see if everythings ok. I'll include some pictures of my tank as well.
Welcome to the boards!!
congrats on your new tank...
now for a few questions
do you have live rock?
do you have sand or crushed coral or any other substrate?
do you have a hydrometer or refractometer to measure salinity?
can you post exactly what your paramaters are? (the test levels for amm, trite, trate, pH and other tests)
first off DONT BUY ANY FISH until we can get you straightened out, as you have been mislead by some fish store workers...
first off in a tank you need to fill it with salt water that has been properly made and measured for the correct salinity with a hydrometer or refractometer. i keep my salinity at around 1.024. and you will need a thermometer. typical salt temp range is 78-82 degrees F. once you have reached those two paramaters then you need to put in live rock and live sand. for that aquarium i would say 60 lbs sand and 75 lbs rock will be fine. the rock is part of the biological process in the tank... anyway.... then you have to let your tank cycle. the chemicals, while they may help a little bit, have never been proven to speed up a cycle. the best thing to do is toss in a piece of dead shrimp and let it sit in the aquarium for about 4 days and pull it out. this shrimp will release ammonia and then the rock and sand will mature and convert the toxic ammonia to less toxic nitrite and even less toxic nitrate. its all part of the nitrigen cycle. the actual cycle can take 2-4 weeks, but remember patience is the key in this hobby. the definition of a cycle is letting the bacteria and algae in your aquarium build up to beneficial numbers so they can convert ammonia to nitrate, and if you put a fish in before the cycle is finished it will be stressed, hurt, or killed by the level of ammonia released by its waste...
ok hope this gets you started in the right direction. welcome to the salt water hobby and you did the right thing by comming to the website and talking to people on here. the key to this hobby is patience, persistance, and research. it may all seem a little technical at first but it will all make sense in time, ive only been at it for 7 months and i have learned A LOT... make sure to read lots of info in the archives and before you ask a question use the search feature to see if it hasn't already been answered
