Much longer til cycle is over

daredevil

daredevil

Member
I am not trying to rush this, I just want to know about how much longer it will take for my tank to cycle.
I just started this hobby and I love it so far. I started it the 5th. I put in a shrimp, took it out after 3 days, and then put in another one and its still in there from 4 days ago. I have LR and LS, 2olbs of LS and about( gonna get more) 4lbs of LR. My parameters are as follows:
SG:1.023
Temperature:80-82
Ammonia:1.0-2.0?(couldn't tell but I just said it was 1.5):)
Nitrate:20
Nitrite:5.0
pH:8.4
My LFS tested it tuesday(when I didn't have a test kit) and they said nothing is happenning. I know that everything should spike then when the nitrite comes to 0 last, u can put fish in. Does any1 have an idea on how much longer it will take til I can put fish in? Can I put them in when everything gets to 0?
Thanx alot :)
 
yellowtail

yellowtail

Active Member
with those water conditions (parameters you posted) you cycle has already started so there is definently nothing going on:rolleyes: (dumb lfs)if you add more lr and ls you cycle would go faster. dumb lfs:rolleyes:
 
daredevil

daredevil

Member
anyone out there. Can some1 help me by going through all of the steps to post a pic. Plz talk in english, I am no computer wiz. Also don't forget about my question.:help:
 
sly

sly

Active Member
In response to your question, if you have nitrates and nitrites then you probably already have a cycle started. Ususally the main way you get them is when the nitrification cycle starts; or else you would only have ammonia.
What kind of filtering do you have? 4lbs of LR is probably not enough. This may be why your cycle has started but your not seeing the drop in Nitrites.
Don't go overboard on the sand. It will cause problems if it's too deep. Put in about 2 inches of sand unless you have an undergravel filte... I don't even use sand. I use crushed coral mixed with crushed living coral. It's courser and lets water flow through it better.
I would add more LR not sand.
Make sure any floss pre filters are kept clean. If they get dirty they will add to your Nitrates.
It's not a good idea to add fish until your ammonia drops. Let's get your filter tuned and then you should be adding fish soon.
:happyfish
Also are you using purified water? :notsure:
 
frozenice

frozenice

Member
Make sure that when purchasing more LR you buy cured. If you buy uncured, the bacteria on the rock is still decaying... this can cause problems later on when you are adding to the tank. Make sure any additions later on are cured rock. You can tell if rock is uncured by the scent, smells of a light sulfer.. a nasty smell. If you are cycling uncured rock that is fine, but if you add it after your cycle has started or is complete it can have unhealthy side affects. My 2cents.
 
daredevil

daredevil

Member
I have an emperor 280 bio wheel filter. I plan to have 60 lbs of LR(2lbs per gallon). I will get more tommorrow. I am not going to put anymore LS it is expensive and my SB will then be around 4-5inches. I am pretty sure that it is cured LR, it has pink and purple algae or coral.. something growing on it. I do not have an undergravel filter. My SB now is about 2inches. I have another question. In about a week - 2weeks, I will get a clean up crew of 1 turbo snail, 3 hermits, a brittle star and a cleaner shrimp. Is this good? Also, my first fish are gonna be 2 false percs. Should I get 1 or 2? Tell me the pros and cons with having two percs and one perc. If they mate will it just be good fish food or will I have to buy another tank and set this up and do this or what?
thanx alot :)
 
daredevil

daredevil

Member
BTW about the water, my LFS gave me water to put in my tank and for top off I use Culligan water. It is RO water.
 
sly

sly

Active Member
It sounds like you are on your way to a good tank. That clean up crew is a real good combo but it would probably be best to wait until your ammonia breaks down. Shrimp are slightly delicate and could die if your levels aren't down. You've only had this running for about a week it seems. That's not a long time for a 'break in' period. It takes bacteria awhile to build up to the level to where they break down waste. It can sometimes take a month for the levels to drop finally. This is not cause for concern usually. It just takes patience.
It may speed things up a bit if you get a scoop from the lfs of their sand bed to add to yours. This will plant more bacteria. The lr will help your nitrite levels greatly but only after the first bacteria colony in the sand breaks the ammonia down into nitrite.
Also you didn't mention it, but I would not recommend any water changes until your cycle completes. This gives the bacteria plenty to feed off of.
After your cycle, if the nitrate levels are high, while the ammonia and nitrite are near zero, then you should do a water change. Nitrate is the best indicator of a water change being needed. Ammonia and Nitrite are indicators of a problem with your biological filter system, for future reference. :joy:
 
sly

sly

Active Member
I'm not real sure about the percs except that if you want to encourage them to mate, get one large one and one small one. Usually to raise their eggs you have to put them in a refugium or else they'll get eaten.

I can't think of a reason not to get two unless them breeding might be a problem.:notsure:
 
texasranchers

texasranchers

Member

Originally posted by daredevil
Trying to post a pic:confused: :help:

English is all I talk, no computer terms for me.
When you are posting a new thread or even a reply, scroll down until you see BROWSE on your page, click that, find your pic, select it, and submit reply.
There is one little trick to keep in mind....pics should be no larger than 500X500 pixels. Most of us have larger ones. To resize your pic you can use this FREE link. It is so easy to use that I can even make it work.
www.irfanview.com
Good luck on your new tank, interests, hobby.
 
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