Need help with cycling my tank please

[newbie6295]

I could really use some help with cycling my tank. I have a 20 gallon tank with about 14 lbs of LR. I have 2 hang off the back filters and a 425 gph circulation wave pump. I'm not sure what kind of sand i have. I have had it going for almost 2 months now but have never had an ammonia or nitrite spike, they have been at 0 since day 1, and my nitrates are at 40 ppm. The lady at the store said just to use the live rock that i don't need to use the cocktail shrimp method. I would like to know if it is done cycling or has it even started.

 

[beaslbob]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Newbie6295 http:///t/392702/need-help-with-cycling-my-tank-please#post_3488786
I could really use some help with cycling my tank. I have a 20 gallon tank with about 14 lbs of LR. I have 2 hang off the back filters and a 425 gph circulation wave pump. I'm not sure what kind of sand i have. I have had it going for almost 2 months now but have never had an ammonia or nitrite spike, they have been at 0 since day 1, and my nitrates are at 40 ppm. The lady at the store said just to use the live rock that i don't need to use the cocktail shrimp method. I would like to know if it is done cycling or has it even started.
IMHO an initial nitrate spike with no ammoina nor nitrItes spikes is a normal cycle when plant life like algae is consuming ammonia instead of nitrates. Then when the aerobic bacteria build up and consume ammonia, the algae will start consuming nitrates so nitrates drop down.
Live rock is usually covered with various algae as well.
But still that's just my .02

 

[newbie6295]

Am i supposed to do a water change to get rid of nitrates? and when can i add fish?

 

[beaslbob]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Newbie6295 http:///t/392702/need-help-with-cycling-my-tank-please#post_3488807
Am i supposed to do a water change to get rid of nitrates? and when can i add fish?
Depends on how mature the tank is. If the live rock is covered with lotsa algae then it could be safe.
If you would add some brillo pad (chaetomorphia) macro algae that would help also.
I use algae (macros) to "get rid" of nitrates. One advantage of that is the macros also consume carbon dioxide and return oxygen. Plus consume phosphates as well. What actually happens is the macros recycle fish wastes into fish food as some fish eat the macros and almost all eat the pods the macros produces.
For a first fish, just to be sure you could try a male molly. If you can aclimate a molly from FW to salt, aclimating a much more expensive saltwater only fish would seem easy.
Be sure either way not to add any food for the first week. that helps lesson or prevent spikes as the system matures.
my .02

 

[florida joe]

I am a little confused(nothing new for me) in the two month period what were you introducing into your tank to sustain whatever cycle you had going on

 

[deejeff442]

exactly joe.looks like the lr was cured .probably lost all the good bacteria because he didnt add any food. i would suggest putting in a piece of raw shrimp.not a big piece maybe a dime size. let it go for 4-5 days and test.imo if the rock was cured and had good bacteria on it day one you probably could have put a fish or 2 in. but without feeding the bacteria you have to start over.

 

[newbie6295]

The lady told me not to use the shrimp method that the rocks will do it all, so i don't think they are cured. I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just saying what they told me. There is also white circles growing on 2 of them and on the walls of the tank. I also can't get my ph to go up if you could help with that too it would be much appreciated.

 

[stdreb27]

If you have tiny white circles, that's good. It's little stuff from the lr coming out to play.
If your levels are fine, start lightly stocking your tank.
As for ph. I really never wrapped my head around it. I used aragonite sand which is a ph buffer and never had any issues.

 

[florida joe]

Quote:
The lady told me not to use the shrimp method that the rocks will do it all, so i don't think they are cured
ummm with all due respect the statement should be "so i think the rock is cured and can support bio filtration"
that is why she told me not to use shrimp

 

[mr. limpid]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Newbie6295 http:///t/392702/need-help-with-cycling-my-tank-please#post_3489145
The lady told me not to use the shrimp method that the rocks will do it all, so i don't think they are cured. I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just saying what they told me. There is also white circles growing on 2 of them and on the walls of the tank. I also can't get my ph to go up if you could help with that too it would be much appreciated.
What is your PH reading at? I agree with deejeff442, if it's been 2 months and you haven't been ghost feeding then you have lost some bacteria on your rocks. You need to add food to keep the cycle going. Since out tanks never are done cycling you need to add something other than a fish to get it start up again. To add a fish now would be cruel to the fish.