What is going on?!?!? someone help me!

jtt

jtt

Member
got a new 12g nano 7 days ago, been testing ever since the 5th day (couldnt afford the test kit, spent all my cash on live rock, as you do) so here are the parameters since then...
day 5~
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.5
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates:0
Day 6~
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.5
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates:0
Today~
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates:0
12g nano, since day 1 I have had a 3 stripe damsel in there, 3 hermits, and 1 of those huge snails that looks like theyve got 2 b u t t cheeks as feet. I know this may be looked down upon to have a damsel in there, but my lfs told me the damsel is impossible to kill, hes incredibly resilient and hearty, so the cycle would be no problem for him to endure, additionally, it will actually help jumpstart the cycle (that is, in his opinion)
Ive got about 14 pounds of live rock, 10 pounds of live sand, and im clueless as to why my levels are so good, furthermore i am astounded that the ammonia level has dropped (be it a little) from day 6 to day 7.
The Damsel has been happy as can be, he swims around as if he owns the joint. no labored breathing, no quick breathing, hes not jumpy or agitated, hes just, chillin, lovin life, living the dream, hes got 12 gallons all to himself!
I have been informed by many saltwater savvy folk that i should first expect an ammonia spike up to 4-6, then the same with nitrites and nitrates, then [to be on the safe side] after that i let it marinate still and cycle for a bit longer before adding in corals and fish... I am also fully aware that this first cycle is meant to take up to 2 months if not more to get goin, so, yes, i know that, you dont need to remind me. so am i to just keep waiting for these spikes to happen? is this usual for the first week to have such spot on levels? is it possible that the first ammonia spike already happened, and now from day 5 i was tracking the end of the ammonia going down? I would think with the damsel and crabs in there that the levels would be a lot higher and show a sign of the stages of the cycle, but they are good readings... i know they arent ideal, but its not toxic or dangerous or anything. can anyone help me understand what is going on?
 
jtt

jtt

Member
Hes doin fine, the lfs assured me that it wouldnt be a painful thing for him to endure because damsels apparently are such resilient fish. i went in today to talk to him about the levels, and i specifically asked (because someone brought this up in another thread) if it was considered "fish abuse" for the fish to cycle with him in there. he kept assuring me that its no problem and i shouldnt worry in the least bit about it.
If i am overwhelmed with responses to this post to take the damsel out, then i have no problem doing that. but i do trust my lfs, i dont think he was that desperate for my $3 for the damsel to sell it to me prematurely or with any false intentions of otherwise getting my money. In a previous thread another member on here mentioned that there is a well known company who shall remain nameless that actually direct you to put a damsel in your first saltwater tank for the cycle to get it goin quicker...
regardless, unless i am directed otherwise, im just gonna leave the little fella in there, and at the first sign of trouble ill take him out, how does that sound? like i said before, hes swimmin around like he owns the place, i see and have not seen any signs of trouble from him, so on this matter, i think (until proven otherwise) that i will have to side with my lfs.
 
rotarymagic

rotarymagic

Active Member
Originally Posted by JTT
http:///forum/post/2807663
Hes doin fine, the lfs assured me that it wouldnt be a painful thing for him to endure because damsels apparently are such resilient fish. i went in today to talk to him about the levels, and i specifically asked (because someone brought this up in another thread) if it was considered "fish abuse" for the fish to cycle with him in there. he kept assuring me that its no problem and i shouldnt worry in the least bit about it.
If i am overwhelmed with responses to this post to take the damsel out, then i have no problem doing that. but i do trust my lfs, i dont think he was that desperate for my $3 for the damsel to sell it to me prematurely or with any false intentions of otherwise getting my money. In a previous thread another member on here mentioned that there is a well known company who shall remain nameless that actually direct you to put a damsel in your first saltwater tank for the cycle to get it goin quicker...
regardless, unless i am directed otherwise, im just gonna leave the little fella in there, and at the first sign of trouble ill take him out, how does that sound? like i said before, hes swimmin around like he owns the place, i see and have not seen any signs of trouble from him, so on this matter, i think (until proven otherwise) that i will have to side with my lfs.
I lived through pneumonia last week, I was resilient, but it wasn't painless LOL...I assure you of that.
 
jtt

jtt

Member
so then... i should take him out...?
remember, im a newbie, i trusted the advice of the lfs because hes been in business for years... so its not like im plotting a way to bring the damsel the most pain it could ever suffer. should i return him to the lfs?
 
jtt

jtt

Member
damsel issue aside, the purpose of the thread was to ask what is going on with the chemistry of my tank and what i should do about it (if anything at all)... thoughts?
 
rotarymagic

rotarymagic

Active Member
Originally Posted by JTT
http:///forum/post/2807678
the ammonia is at 0.25, can that do any damage?
yeah, but it most likely won't do long term damage.. just wait it out and feed the fish.. don't add anymore fish or coral at all till the cycle is complete.
 
jtt

jtt

Member
Originally Posted by Rotarymagic
http:///forum/post/2807681
yeah, but it most likely won't do long term damage.. just wait it out and feed the fish.. don't add anymore fish or coral at all till the cycle is complete.
precisely what i was going to do, and what the lfs told me to do
 
rotarymagic

rotarymagic

Active Member
Originally Posted by JTT
http:///forum/post/2807684
precisely what i was going to do, and what the lfs told me to do

becareful what you hear at a LFS, remember it is a business... they make more money if you keep buying stuff because stuff dies or is wrong.. instant success doesn't make them as much money. As far as equipment goes, they have the "sell what you see" attitude which means if they only have those crappy coralife skimmers, they're not gonna tell you that you can go order a bubbleking elsewhere even though its way better.. stuff like that.. say you want a starfish, but they only have a green death brittle star...they'll probably push that on you even though it could wreck your tank as long as they're selling..
 
jtt

jtt

Member
funny you mention that green death star, i saw them for the first time tonight! they put them in the "not for sale" live rock tank. Apparently when they get live rock they put it in this tank for 4 months to ensure its cured and its quality or something. they put the green brittles in because the brittle stars eat all the hitchhikers that may come in on the rocks. i thought that was cool, that they are lookin out for my rock. the last piece of rock i got from them was covered in that purple algae which is apparently very desirable in a tank?
Ill update the thread tomorrow with what the levels are for the tank on day 8. however wont get to it til the evening, you know, work and family stuff comes first before swf.com. Im just astounded that the levels are the way they are... is there any kind of logical explanation for that?
 
rotarymagic

rotarymagic

Active Member
Originally Posted by JTT
http:///forum/post/2807688
funny you mention that green death star, i saw them for the first time tonight! they put them in the "not for sale" live rock tank. Apparently when they get live rock they put it in this tank for 4 months to ensure its cured and its quality or something. they put the green brittles in because the brittle stars eat all the hitchhikers that may come in on the rocks. i thought that was cool, that they are lookin out for my rock. the last piece of rock i got from them was covered in that purple algae which is apparently very desirable in a tank?
Ill update the thread tomorrow with what the levels are for the tank on day 8. however wont get to it til the evening, you know, work and family stuff comes first before swf.com. Im just astounded that the levels are the way they are... is there any kind of logical explanation for that?
yeah its called coralline algae... its desirable because it produces magnesium which is beneficial for the tank and also prevents nuisance algaes from growing where it does. It's typiclly the indicator of a well running thank.. Dunno about the logical explanation but be aware that a spike could happen any moment lol. you getting any real algae on the rocks yet?
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Hey JTT, doesn't Rotarymagic's avatar look a lot like KC? Every time rotary posts something, I see his avatar and think "hey, that's KC!"
 
rotarymagic

rotarymagic

Active Member

Originally Posted by YearOfTheNick
http:///forum/post/2808147
Hey JTT, doesn't Rotarymagic's avatar look a lot like KC? Every time rotary posts something, I see his avatar and think "hey, that's KC!"
nope nope, that's ME sitting outside of Huntington Surf and Sport on Main St. Huntington Beach, CA...wearing dem Spy sunglasses..
 
jtt

jtt

Member
Sorry i was supposed to update this yesterday, but i was too exhausted from work. yesterday was totally the same as the day before, but today... something weird happens in my nitrates... yes... nitrAtes not nitrItes.
does anyone have any explanation as to whats going on?!?!
Day 8~
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
Day 9~Today
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 20 !!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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