Mid cycle questions

[jdjeff58]

Hi...I have had my tank cycling for about 3 weeks now. And the questions are building up.

Just a background....On 5/27/07 I started up my 120 with sump/fuge and 120lbs of live cured rock and 120lbs of 'live' sand (Aragalive Reef)...approx 2" deep.

I added the shrimp a week after I started the cycle. I have pods in the tank and feather dusters popping out all over the place. I'm just wondering why first...the raw shrimp broke all apart and disappeared after a week and why I haven't seen an ammonia spike yet. I'm also concerned about this sump I have. Will my nitrates ever go to zero with a filter sponge in there. I currently have a fuge in the sump...also with sand and some rubble.

I just have this strange feeling these nitrates will never make it to zero. I'm using the Salifert kits.

I've been running the skimmer the last couple of days since I did a siphon of all the loose stuff and got things all stirred up. Up until that point, I had the skimmer just recirculating. I'm a little lost right now with a bunch of questions. Any help would be appreciated. Below is a history of my water tests.

Oh yes...my pH has dropped to 7.8 and 7.9...back and forth. And I just started the lights 8hrs/day about 3 days ago. I just checked the nitrates today and it still 5


5/27- Ammonia <.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2.5
pH 8.0
Alk/dKH 3.2/9.0
Calcium 450
Phosphate 0
Temp 78
Salinity 1.026
Conductivity 53.1

6/5-Ammonia <.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2.5
pH 8.0
Alk/dKH 3.2/9.0
Calcium 450
Phosphate 0
Temp 78
Salinity 1.026
Conductivity 53.1

6/7 (Added Shrimp)Ammonia <.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2.5
pH 8.0
Alk/dKH 3.2/9.0
Calcium 450
Phosphate 0
Temp 78
Salinity 1.026
Conductivity 53.1

6/10-Ammonia <.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH 8.0
Alk/dKH 3.2/9.0
Calcium 450
Phosphate 0
Temp 78
Salinity 1.026
Conductivity 53.1

6/13-Ammonia <.25 (was told no need for the Alk, Calc, Phosphate testing right now)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH 8.0
Temp 78
Salinity 1.026
Conductivity 53.1

6/15-Ammonia <.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
pH 8.0
Temp 80 (temp went up with lights, so I set the heater to 80)
Salinity 1.025
Conductivity 52.7

[drummereef]

Considering your live rock was cured, to some extent, your cycle might be over. I would continue to test for the next week to make sure. The sponges will collect detritus and cause nitrate problems down the road. If you can get rid of it now, I would. A test of 5ppm nitrate, like you are reading now, is negligible really. That's a good post cycle reading. I would do a large water change and continue to monitor your levels over the week.

[jdjeff58]

Originally posted by drummereef
Considering your live rock was cured, to some extent, your cycle might be over. I would continue to test for the next week to make sure. The sponges will collect detritus and cause nitrate problems down the road. If you can get rid of it now, I would. A test of 5ppm nitrate, like you are reading now, is negligible really. That's a good post cycle reading. I would do a large water change and continue to monitor your levels over the week.

That sponge is in a small section in the return section of the sump. When I take it out, the level in the return section starts to oscillate...up, down, up, down. It's sort of controlling the rate of flow after the water comes over the fuge baffle. I'm not sure what to do with that.

Now when you say a large water change, what amount of water would that be on a 120?

[bertoni]

I'd do a few 30% changes, if I had the energy. That'd do a lot.