cycling question.....HELP
- Thread starter cajamajo
- Start date
F
fishrul11
Guest
your best bet would be to do small water changes for a couple more weeks. this should solve your nitrate problem. good luck with the new set up!
lilchris
Member
Your Nitrates will go down when you do your water changes. Are you going to keep corals and inverts? If not I will not worry about a protein skimmer. One thing that I had to learn the hard way is that once my nitrites went down and I did a water change I was in a hurry to go and stock my tank. Don't do that! Let your tank settle more. You have a pretty small tank so you do not have alot of room to play w/ params. (ie ammonia) Go out and get 1 or 2 chromis (perferably 1 because of the size pf your tank) let him stay in the tank for a 2 weeks and check your params.You should see a slight increase in ammonia. Thats good once the ammonia goes back to zero you can add another fish. Just don't add too many at once. Your Biological filter is still new and if you add too many fish at once it will not be able to handle the load that the fish will put in your tank. If your nitrates don't go to zero do get discouraged, keep up w/ the water changes and you will be alright. Keep the temp aroud 79 to 81 degrees. Good luck w/ your tank.
poniegirl
Active Member
Originally Posted by cajamajo
I was wanting to keep a few soft corals, and a seahorse. What protien skimmer do I need to get? I dont have a sump, will it work without one? should I do a water change now?
If you put a seahorse into a freshly cycled tank, you will have to feed it 2 or 3 times a day. They need a constant flow of nourishment.
In a mature system there will be pods breeding that the seahorse can hunt for himself (and boy will he!) You can also buy pods to stock your tank. I would strongly suggest that you do.
Be sure you see the seahorse eat at the LFS BEFORE you buy him. Ask to be sure they are tank bred.
What kind of seahorse are you thinking about?
I was wanting to keep a few soft corals, and a seahorse. What protien skimmer do I need to get? I dont have a sump, will it work without one? should I do a water change now?
If you put a seahorse into a freshly cycled tank, you will have to feed it 2 or 3 times a day. They need a constant flow of nourishment.
In a mature system there will be pods breeding that the seahorse can hunt for himself (and boy will he!) You can also buy pods to stock your tank. I would strongly suggest that you do.
Be sure you see the seahorse eat at the LFS BEFORE you buy him. Ask to be sure they are tank bred.
What kind of seahorse are you thinking about?
engineer
Member
I agree with ponigirl about seahorse. I am a huge fan of the Aqua C brand of skimmer. Tey make a HOB skimmer, the Remora, Remora pro, and urchin. I have had the Remora & just got rid of it when I set up my 120 and got a bigger style. The day I took it out of the tank to sell it, it pulled just as much junk out of the water as it did from the first day that it was broke in.
So what all do you have in your tank right now? I saw the LS part, but dont mention about anything else.
PH is way low. Nitrates should go down on their own, with LS you will tend to have lower trates also, because CC seems to be hide detritus, and consequently will have higher trates unles when you do 20% water changes regularly and vacuum ALL the CC.
So what all do you have in your tank right now? I saw the LS part, but dont mention about anything else.
PH is way low. Nitrates should go down on their own, with LS you will tend to have lower trates also, because CC seems to be hide detritus, and consequently will have higher trates unles when you do 20% water changes regularly and vacuum ALL the CC.
poniegirl
Active Member
Originally Posted by cajamajo
There is a used red sea Prizm protein hob skimmer for sale. WIll this work for me?
I have a PRIZM on my 55 and it works fine. I've had it for about a year. They are a PITN to clean. I did just replace the hoses on it. It does break down far enough to maintain it easily.
There is a used red sea Prizm protein hob skimmer for sale. WIll this work for me?
I have a PRIZM on my 55 and it works fine. I've had it for about a year. They are a PITN to clean. I did just replace the hoses on it. It does break down far enough to maintain it easily.
hatessushi
Active Member
The trates won't drop on there own. That is one of the reasons you need to do water changes. The water changes add calcium and trace elements as well as lower your nitrates. The only reason your nitrates will go down during a water change is that you are removing the trates by pulling out old water and replacing with new water that has no trates, that is if you are using RO water.