biofiltration

[mscenter58]

when there is ammonia and nitrite in your aquarium does that mean the biofiltration is working or should i be worried??

 

[geridoc]

It really depends on where you are in the life cycle of your aquarium. I fyou are just starting up, then the presence of ammonia and nitrite are part of the normal cycle that will lead eventually to accumulating nitrates, and no ammonia or nitrites. On the other hand, if your tank is mature, then something has died in the tank and is producing nitrogenous waste faster than your biofiltration can deal with it, and you need to start making water changes to help out.

 

[reefkprz]

if biological filtration is established there will be no testable amounts of ammonia or nitrate. it doesnt mean its not working it just means there isnt enough capacity yet tyo handle the amount of waste available. it could be lack of surface area or just lack of bacteria. if its lack of bacteria time will fix that. if its lack of surface area only more media will fix that.

 

[mscenter58]

well i just put a clown in the other day and a crab and both are still alive so does that mean its just part of the cycle?? when would all the ammonia and nitrite be gone??

 

[subielover]

How long has the tank been set-up? Could you give us some more details on your tank? What are your current parameters?

 

[mscenter58]

my tanks has been set up for about 3 weeks now i got around 10-12 pounds of live rock using a bio filter and just regular lighting(dont plan on getting corals anytime soon) my lfs said the rock was already cured but i let it sit just to make sure and i just got a clown and i tiny version of the blue hippo(did my research)

 

[subielover]

What size is your tank? So you have a clown and a tang already in the tank?

 

[mscenter58]

20g long and yea thats all i have is that ok i didnt plan on getting much more fish but prlly a few inverts

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by MSCenter58
http:///forum/post/2733562
my tanks has been set up for about 3 weeks now i got around 10-12 pounds of live rock using a bio filter and just regular lighting(dont plan on getting corals anytime soon) my lfs said the rock was already cured but i let it sit just to make sure and i just got a clown and i tiny version of the blue hippo(did my research)

(did my research)
there is no tiny version of the blue hippo only babies.

 

[mscenter58]

i saw there was but still is it bad that i have one and is there a tiny version of a yellow?

 

[subielover]

I thought I went through this on your nano thread. But you really do not have a large enough tank for any tang. Stick with clowns, gobies, etc. I don't wanna seem harsh, but you need to take the tang back asap.

 

[metweezer]

You don't want to be thinking about adding anything at all to your tank until the cycle completes. Ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish. It is not until these parameters are both zero and you start showing nitrates that your tank is cycled. Once ammonia and nitrites are zero you should do a water change to bring down your nitrates. Then and only then should you add anything live to your tank.

 

[subielover]

When you enter the new hobbyist forum, which we are in here, there are a few threads at the very top called stickys. You should really read through them all thoroughly. I still am a beginner, but reading through most of those threads really helped me and pointed me in the right direction. In the meantime, you should return the fish and let your tank finish cycling. Patience is key in this hobby, and without it you will waste a lot of money. Sorry that you are getting flamed on here, but better us tell you now, then have all your fish die, and your local fish store keep selling you more fish

 

[mscenter58]

when i added the fish there was no ammonia or anything thats why i bought them then i have had them for almost a week i just need to no how to get the ammonia and nitrite lvls down