Cycling Problems

J

jconner

Guest
Hi I am new here and i have some questions about why my 4 week old sw tank doesn't seem to be cycling. I have read numerous websites and forums and talk to a guy at a local pet store who owns a sw tank and everything everyone says is suppose to happen doesn't seem to be happening.
Tank specs:
75 g tank
405 Fulval Canister filter (top tray has chemi-pure (1) and polishing pads, next is bio-max, next two a carbon.
Powerhead
Heater
Around 30-40lbs of lace rock (Scrubbed clean)
around 40lbs of live sand
And a normal fish tank light.
1 Ocellarus Clown
1 Yellow tail Damsel
1 Dragon Goby
1 Bi-color P something
We let the tank sit for week before we put the clown in, another week the goby, damsel, and bi-color.
we started the tank off with Stress Zyme + by API been following the directions.
Salinity: 32 ppt
Gravity 1.024
okay so here are my levels with the Red Sea "Marine Lab"
from what i can match..
pH 8.0 or 8.2 ?
Nitrite 0.5 or >1 ? p.p.m (was 0.2. last 2 days it went to present reading)
Nitrate 5.0 low range - 25 high range p.p.m (for the last 3 days)
Alkalinity 2.9 - 3.6 mep/l (for the last 3 days)
Ammonia 1.0 p.p.m (for the last 3 days)
I can't tell if i am reading this test kit wrong or what is going on. is this normal for a 4 week tank's last 3 day reading?
not sure what to really do the girlfriend is freaking out about it. I was raised around saltwater and fresh water tanks i just wasn't there when my dads sw tank was cycling so i don't know what is going on lol. any help would be wonderful. Please. Thank You
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
The problem is that your tank did not cycle before you started adding fish.
The goal of cycling is to grow abd stabilize bacteria populations that process Ammonia and Nitrite. In order to grow these bacteria you need to supply a starter population, which you did with the live sand, and then food for the bacterial colonies to grow, which you did not until you added a fish.
Your tank is cycling now. With the ammonia source (fish) the bacteria are now able to reproduce. Unfortulately the amount of Ammonia you are showing is very stressful to fish even though it's beneficial for the bacteria.
 
J

jconner

Guest
okay thanks you. some of the forums (i don't know them) my girlfriend was reading said we should add hardy fish to speed up the process and some websites i have found said the same thing. I don't know. I told her that we should take it easy but ehh... can't win that fight.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Alright, I'm going to point out a few things and I don't want you to get upset. First of all, whatever LFS sold you those fish with your tank being so new is not a good live fish store. They should know better then to sell you fish with the tank. If it was your decision to add those fish, then I guess it would be your fault for not researching your fish and cycling the tank properly. I'm glad, though, that you came here so that you can get better advice and some knowledge and research to do better.
Your actually just starting to cycle. If your ammonia is correct at 1.0ppm... you should do a water change as soon as you can and hit the tank with some Amquel to lock up some ammonia so that it doesn't kill your fish. If you can, take em' out of the tank and back to the store for some store credit. If you don't want to do that, then risk it and if your fish make it then Horray!
That mandarin Dragonet goby is not for new tanks. It might be able to be kept in a 75g tank, but it needs a lot of copepods in order to survive. That usually requires refugiums or algae scrubbers and a really mature tank (1+ years) to maintain a dragonet. It's nothing to really fret about, just need to take him out of the tank and back to the LFS so that someone with a more mature tank might be able to keep him better.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Just keep in mind that your pets are probably suffering if ammonia gets above 0.5ppm. Something like AmQuel will detoxify the ammonia but don't do it all at once because it depletes oxygen as it works. If that were my predicament right now I would do my best to mix up 30 gallons of saltwater and to a large water change tomorrow. Meanwhile I would call the fish store or a friend to see if anyone would hold these fish for me for a couple of months while I cycle my tank.
 
J

jconner

Guest
okay i have people saying to use fish ...to not use fish. i know everyone has there opinion but who can you trust... I realize i should have put my foot down and told her no fish but with countless sites and forums saying yeah do it it is the best way to go now i am finding other sites saying no your a pet killer if you do. (not trying to start something i did come here for advice) Who do i trust we have spent well over $1000 on this investment. I can't take my fish back no refunds on SW fish. my dad is no longer an aquarist. we told these people how old our tank was and that it hasn't cycled yet. the place we bought the "Dragon" Goby (this is a "dragon" goby-> http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/gobyfish/dragon.php) the dude said he would be fine to help cycle the tank. not sure about the bi-color i wan't there for that purchase. Its so frustrating! Again thanks your all the advice. I truley wish we would have done a no fish cycle but it's too late i guess. I'm not going to let these fish just die. I will think of something.
 
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