New Setup and how it is going

p65t

p65t

New Member
Hi everyone,

I set up a 55g tank with live sand and a biowheel 350 filter and have a circulation pump running. All this was done (mostly) on Monday. I've tested the tank using API on Wednesday and today and had the following results.

Wednesday
Ammonia 1.0ppm
Nitrite .25ppm
Nitrate 5.0 ppm

Friday
Ammonia 1.0ppm
Nitrite .25ppm
Nitrate between 5.0-10pp

Does this sound right?

Should I seed the tank with a little fish or wait another week or so?

Thanks for your help.
 
catc

catc

New Member
I'm new as well, but everything I've read has said it'll take approximately a month, sometimes longer for the tank to cycle. That ammonia has to drop to zero before you want any fish in there, according to various forums and the Saltwater book for dummies (My current read! lol)

I think it's also the Nitrates that don't have to read zero, but the nitites should also be zero. I'm sure someone more experienced will come along to give us the correct answers, but if you do want to seed it to get the bacteria started a little faster, buy a dead shrimp from the grocery store. That's what I've done, and it looks like it's going well so far.

Best of luck to you!
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by CatC http:///t/396536/new-setup-and-how-it-is-going#post_3533299
I'm new as well, but everything I've read has said it'll take approximately a month, sometimes longer for the tank to cycle. That ammonia has to drop to zero before you want any fish in there, according to various forums and the Saltwater book for dummies (My current read! lol)

I think it's also the Nitrates that don't have to read zero, but the nitites should also be zero. I'm sure someone more experienced will come along to give us the correct answers, but if you do want to seed it to get the bacteria started a little faster, buy a dead shrimp from the grocery store. That's what I've done, and it looks like it's going well so far.

Best of luck to you!


It's an initial cycle... but the cycle is always ongoing. Your system has to build up enough bacteria to handle a bioload. In it's current state with ammonia at 1ppm, it's still unable to hold the current bioload. There isn't any real need for you to add additional organic matter for it to decompose, since your ammonia is holding steady at 1ppm. Just keep testing and over time you will see ammonia and nitrite drop and nitrates appear. Do a small water change to lower your nitrates and ghost feed the tank (feed your first would be small fish) for about a week and then test again. If ammonia and nitrite are still zero, add a fish. The thing though is... is if your bioload after this point ever exceeds your aquariums bacterial capacity to break down ammonia present, it will have a mini-cycle... this can happen when moving rocks around, disturbing the sand bed, moving tanks and so on...

Just a little additional information... probably unnecessary at this point. If you come away with anything that I have said... just watch and wait, feed, watch and wait. You'll do fine!
 
p65t

p65t

New Member
Yes, tap water. What should I do? I was out of money and could'nt buy an RO unit or purchase the water :( I looked for local places to fill your own bottles but couldnt find any.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Tap water is fine especially for a fish tank.

I would add some macro algae like caulpera or chaetomorphia. It consumes the ammonia directly while the aerobic bacteria builds up.

Then wait a week before adding fish.

After a week add a single male molly. Aclimated slowely to saltwater.

then wait a week with no food being added.

If you can get a molly to live for a couple of week then try marine type fish.


my .02
 
silverado61

silverado61

Well-Known Member
First off, why would you use tap water for anything? Salt or fresh? That's the worst type of water to use without an ro system. Walmart has to water for 37 cents a gallon. Second, why would you sacrifice a molly (a fresh water fish) in a salt water tank? That's just fricking cruel.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Silverado,

Bob is an old-school aquarist. Mollies can adapt themselves to a saltwater environment because they are osmoregulators, unlike many other freshwater fish, they have the ability to live in both freshwater and saltwater environments. The process takes hours upon hours to do, but it's kinda neat seeing a molly swimming around in a salt tank. :D

Bob,....

You may want to reconsider telling new hobbyists that it is ok to top their tanks off with unconditioned tap water. You do not know their local water conditions enough to give the go-ahead. In my area, I have 500 +-ppm TDS in my tap water, and it is treated with chloramine - which is not removed by a salt mix. At that rate and topping off with 15g a week, my tank would crash in no-time. While I respect your old-school ways and lines of thought, I simply have not seen pictures of your overwhelming success to recommend your methods for keeping saltwater aquaria happy, alive and thriving.
 
silverado61

silverado61

Well-Known Member
My apologies to Bob. Just speaking my .02 especially since this guys a nuby like me and would take Bobs advice literally but not know how long to acclimate. Plus, I didn't know that about mollies.
 
p65t

p65t

New Member
ok...thanks guys for he feedback. So, what I'm getting is I should remove tap and go with RO from Walmart? Should I remove it all or do partial? Thanks again for your advice.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
If you conditioned the tap water using a dechlorinator that removes both chlorine and chloramine before you added your salt then just do regularly scheduled 30% monthly water changes. If you didn't dechlor your tap water, I would do a 50% water change (or more) using RO water from walmart and do another 25% a week later, after topping off with only RO/DI water after that.

I have actually started many tanks with conditioned tap water and let it cycle and then did a 50% water change at the end of the cycle - ghost fed for a week and did another ammonia, nitrite, nitrate series of tests and then added my first fish. But,... now days, knowing my tap water conditions better, I will only start my tanks out with RO/DI water.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by silverado61 http:///t/396536/new-setup-and-how-it-is-going#post_3533330
First off, why would you use tap water for anything? Salt or fresh? That's the worst type of water to use without an ro system. Walmart has to water for 37 cents a gallon. Second, why would you sacrifice a molly (a fresh water fish) in a salt water tank? That's just fricking cruel.
(in response to later post) No need to apologize.

I am old school.

And I do get your reaction from my advice.

What I try to do is basically establish a balanced eco system right from the start. So the tank basically takes care of itself.

And I realize this is counterintuitive with the water change, chemicals, filters, skimmers type ideas.

I have simply found a sweet spot that works wonders.

But what I don't do is fill a tank with tap water toss in plants and fish and start feeding like everything is ok.

The one week waiting with plant life is the tank IME is critical. As is the 1 fish and 1 week of no food.

And probably the only adding top off water to replace evaporation.


I have found out that when I do that, the fish show absolutely no signs of stress whatsoever.


And this has worked in 1/2 dozen cities in the U.S. as I was moved around in the air force. All with the same exact results.


There are some more nerdy reasons I think this all works which I could go into more detail on.

But all that just confuses the newbies.

But the bottom line is it just works.

Still Just my .02
 
p65t

p65t

New Member
Went to Walmart as you all suggested and was surprised at just how cheap it was. Replaced most of my tap with RO and I'm starting over as you all suggest. Thanks again for your guidance and help.
 
p65t

p65t

New Member
Ok. Raw shrimp added 10/28 (11 days ago). Left to sit. Ammonia spiked and went to zero. Nitrites spiked and now 1. Almost ready to populate. Ok. Question: should I add a small cleanup crew (I'd love a crab or two, shrimp etc) or a few fish (when nitrites=0).

Thanks again. I've been getting alot of flack from people who have seen the tank empty the last few weeks. "Boy, those are some SMALL fish" :)
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
You can add a small clean-up crew with fish at this point. However, until you have some algae growth avoid herbivores - they'll starve.
 
p65t

p65t

New Member
Day 15 (after water change).

Purchased two beautiful clowns, 5 Astrea snails, 3 Hermits, and a Sally Lightfoot crab. Tried feeding the clowns brine. First two times they ate it, then they seemed to not care much for it. Then tried the Mysis Shrimp and they seemed to love that.

Came in this morning and the crab was on the filter intake. At first I thought he was stuck, then I realized he was eating all the debris was there. Amazing and beautiful.

Levels still 0, added a second heater.

Thanks all. This site has been invaluable.
 
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