progress of my new tank (cycle, etc.)

bluelagoon

bluelagoon

Member
i set my new tank up yesterday! i'm upgrading from my 5 gal to a 10 gal tank. it has to stay small cuz i'm in a dorm...
so far i've got the tank up with a HOB filter (an aqua-tech that's made for 20-40 gal tanks) and 9 lbs of live rock. there will be more added when the tank is done cycling and i add the 5 or so pounds from my 5 gal. to kick my cycle off i dropped in 6 or 8 shrimp pellets (don't laugh, it worked and i didn't have a chance to go to the grocery store to get real shrimp)
first tests!!!
day 2:
ammonia: somewhere between .5 and 1
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
pH: 8.0
salinity: 1.025
(with a glass hydrometer--i think it's right cuz the nutri-seawater is at 1.027 just like it's supposed to be)
i know it isn't really necessary to test for trates and trites until there's no ammonia, but i figured it would help to illustrate the way a cycle is supposed to go.
i'll keep you updated!!!
 
bluelagoon

bluelagoon

Member
here's a pic of my tank.... i know it's bad cuz i took it with my new camera phone. i didn't feel like fighting with my digi camera it just takes so long! lol. ok, here's the pic! i know i should get a background, i'll put one on when i move the tank to it's new temporary home. :happyfish
 
bluelagoon

bluelagoon

Member
day 3!!! and my second test!
ammonia: now appears between .25 and .5
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
pH: 7.8
salinity: 1.025
maybe it's just me, but it's hard to read the stupid tests in the saltwater master liquid test kit. all i can really tell for the ammonia is that it's not as dark green as it was yesterday. (is it supposed to spike and then fall that quickly?? i didn't cycle my other tank since it all came from my mom's)
i finally plugged the powerhead in today! lol
 
drew2005

drew2005

Active Member
Nice setup. If your going to add more LR then now is the time to do it. Your cycling, so do everything now to avoid problems in the future. You need some sand in there as well. Id say 20lbs of live sand will do the trick. This will most likely kick start the cycle again. Good luck.
 
bluelagoon

bluelagoon

Member
i have about another 5-7 lbs of lr to put in there from my 5 gal. it's obviously fully cured being in there since august, and in my mom's tank before that, so that's no problem. and i am not putting sand in there, it's not necessary, and would be a hassle for me since i live in a dorm and have to move the tank back and forth. so no sand. lol. there's absolutely nothing wrong with bare bottom.
thanks for the reply!!!
 
bluelagoon

bluelagoon

Member
Originally Posted by saltnewbee
shrimp pellets helps in cycling?
just started my tank today. been reading here all night.
you'd be better off if you can use a piece of fresh raw shrimp. thats just what i had...you can cycle by ghost feeding the tank, that's what we did with my friend amanda's.
btw, good luck!! i hope you have lots of fun staring at your rock for a few weeks! lol. i know i keep studying it!

why don't you post a pic of your tank so we can see how your rocks are set up! there's instructions for posting pics in fish photography.
welcome to the boards!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top