help!! I feel like I am drowning slowly

pezcadora

pezcadora

New Member
Please help I am new to salt water. We purchased a 24 gallon tank (Nano-Cube) and put 25# of live rock and two bags of live sand in. That was about two weeks ago. We are not planning on adding fish until the last of March. But I am getting so frustrated with our water levels
The LFS where we got the rock claimed that it was cured but our ammonia has been 6.1 the whole time. Nitrates, Nitrites 0 and ph 7.9. We are doing water changes every other day about 30%. I just don't understand :notsure: We use RO water and have had it tested it has no ammonia or chlorine. What is happening!!! Do I need to do more water changes? No matter what I do, nothing seems to help.
I guess my question is: Is the ammonia killing any bacteria that exist? I have used a cycle assist type bacteria a few times. Nothing seems to work. Please help!! :help:
Thanks for any and all responses.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
sounds like you are just going through a cycle. it takes up to 6 weeks, so just hang in there.
 
cain420

cain420

Active Member
funny.. i got some lr, didnt even bother to ask if it was cured or not, threw it in my tank and the ammonia just wont go up! I even threw 3 dead shrimp in for 4 days and fed the tank for 2 days with no results in ammonia rising.. but amazingly my rites went up a hair, then back down and my rates are goin thru the roof now.. wish i coulda had a dose of ur ammonia! LOL I dunno what u can do.. You arent supposed to do water changes during cycling tho.. especially just to remove ammonia.. if u have no stock in there, just let it cycle.. sounds like something is dead in that rock to me! itll take some time, but will clear up eventually..
 
cain420

cain420

Active Member
yes, u arent supposed to do water changes during cycling, the tank needs the ammonia to get the bacteria growth starting that gets the rites to raise up.. then the next bacteria comes in and converts the rites to rates.. its a whole cycle..LOL get it.. CYCLE.. i know im not funny..
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
just let nature take its course. do you see a lot of dead stuff on your rock. if so get a clean stiff brush, and a bucket of saltwater, and scrub it really good.
 
pezcadora

pezcadora

New Member
I have scrubbed the rock twice. Is that too much? The LFS said that the ammonia is so toxic that the "good" bacteria cant build up. They suggested 30% water changes until the ammonia came down.
 
cain420

cain420

Active Member
is this the same store u bought the rock from???? water changes sounds like they are havin u cure the rock.. did u take it out of the tank to scrub?? some people even boil rocks..
 
pezcadora

pezcadora

New Member
Sounds like the LFS was full of it.
Oh well you live you learn right. At least I didn't add any fish. We had to schedule a vacation just so we had an excuse for wating so long. My husband is getting sick of staring at the rock.
There are just so many conflicting opinions from LFS to LFS. Even the literature that I have read contradicts itself.
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
Originally Posted by pezcadora
Sounds like the LFS was full of it.
Oh well you live you learn right. At least I didn't add any fish. We had to schedule a vacation just so we had an excuse for wating so long. My husband is getting sick of staring at the rock.
There are just so many conflicting opinions from LFS to LFS. Even the literature that I have read contradicts itself.


I agree, it can be very confusing. I have honestly found my best source of information here.
 
pezcadora

pezcadora

New Member
Yeah, The same store that I bought it from. I called them up on about the 3rd day when we tested the ammonia and it hadn't come down yet. The manager said that he just got the rock the day before (though no-one bothered to tell us). I have taken the rock out of the tank and scrubbed it twice along with a 30-40% water change.
 
cain420

cain420

Active Member
Originally Posted by alyssia
I agree, it can be very confusing. I have honestly found my best source of information here.
yes.. let our mistakes help you!
 
bombshell2

bombshell2

New Member
Can i ask anyone a quick ? I had a bamboo shark egg that has since died (2 days after buying it!!
) but the egg itself has a crack in it aw suggested that I leave it in there and check in the morning But will it contaminate my tank?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top