AquaRank.com

FishProfiles.com Message Forums

faq | etiquette | register | my account | search | mailbox
# FishProfiles.com Message Forums
L# Marine Aquaria
 L# General Marine
  L# Cycling Question...
 New Topic
SubscribeCycling Question...
mrlimpet
-----
Hobbyist
Posts: 52
Kudos: 57
Votes: 3
Registered: 11-Dec-2004
male usa
Hello! Just started my first marine tank. It's 20 gallons with about 12 pounds of live rock. Started the cycling process a few days ago, and as of this morning, ammoinia levels are .5 ppm, nitrite levels are almost off my scale at 1 ppm, and nitrate levels are 10 mg/liter, (lowest shade on my fast test scale) Does this seem about right? Also are there other ways to tell if things cycling correctly? Thanks so much..

Ed
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:40Profile PM Edit Report 
bboyin4lyf
******
-----
Hobbyist
Posts: 137
Kudos: 83
Votes: 0
Registered: 18-Apr-2004
male australia
things sound perfect. there is no real correct cycle. nor is there a time line to follow. once your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate reach zero ure done . any hitchhikers yet "the best bit about starting an aquarium" ? good luck with it. and dont stress
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:40Profile PM Edit Report 
mrlimpet
-----
Hobbyist
Posts: 52
Kudos: 57
Votes: 3
Registered: 11-Dec-2004
male usa
Bboy,

Thanks for the quick response and the reassring words. No hitchhikers to speak of - yet...Don't really know what to look for. Not sure how "live" my rock was when I got it. It's all pretty cool.

Thanks again.

Ed
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:40Profile PM Edit Report 
Week End
**********
-----
Big Fish
Posts: 414
Kudos: 436
Votes: 1
Registered: 16-May-2004
male australia
mmm...the nitrate will stay isn't it? the cycle completes when "nitrite reaches zero and nitrate rises"....at this stage u need a good cleaning up of crap on the tank bottom and a larger scale water change to remove the nitrate and dirts.
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:40Profile PM Edit Report 
ACIDRAIN
 
---------------
---------------
Moderator
Posts: 3162
Kudos: 1381
Votes: 416
Registered: 14-Jan-2002
male usa us-ohio
The NitrAtes will not be zero. As they are the end product of the cycle. Your cycle is just starting, the next thing you will see is a decline in the ammonia, down to zero. And then the nitrItes will decline down to zero. But your NitrAtes will continue to rise, until you do a water change to bring them down. This is the main reason for doing water changes, is to remove the nitrAtes.

Once your ammonia and nitrItes have both declined to zero, and your nitrAtes are steadily increasing, the cycle is done. Then you can SLOWLY start adding fish safely. As for slowly, I mean like one fish at a time, and then start testing again, as the ammonia is likely to spike somewhat, as your cycle bacteria increase to catch up to the now higher biological load. After the ammonia and nitrItes again drop, you can then SLOWLY add another fish, and so on.

HTH.....

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:40Profile PM Edit Report 
mrlimpet
-----
Hobbyist
Posts: 52
Kudos: 57
Votes: 3
Registered: 11-Dec-2004
male usa
Thanks for the responses folks.

Here's a quick one - How can you tell if "enough" ammonia has been released into the tank for it to cycle properly? Ultimately how do I know if I have enough of the "good" bacteria in my tank when it is through cycling?

Thanks again,

Ed
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:40Profile PM Edit Report 
ACIDRAIN
 
---------------
---------------
Moderator
Posts: 3162
Kudos: 1381
Votes: 416
Registered: 14-Jan-2002
male usa us-ohio
You know, when your ammonia and your nitrItes are down to zero, and your nitrAtes are slowly rising. Then you have enough for thw bioload that is in your tank. If you add more fish, your bioload will increase, then you have to do measurements again, and watch for the ammonia to go down again and the nitrItes to go down again as well. If these do not go down, then you will be considered overstocked, and need to move some fish. As the biological filter, or cycle, is not able to grow enough for the bioload you have.

HTH....

_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...
Post InfoPosted 26-Jan-2006 11:40Profile PM Edit Report 
New Topic
Jump to: 

The views expressed on this page are the implied opinions of their respective authors.
Under no circumstances do the comments on this page represent the opinions of the staff of FishProfiles.com.

FishProfiles.com Forums, version 11.0
Mazeguy Smilies