Why am I not seeing a cycle? (1 Viewer)

[adahm]

Started my 90 gal last Saturday with 80lbs dead rock from BRS, about 30 lbs liverock + 3 fish I got from CL, and 40 lbs aragonite live sand and 30 gals of old water from the same tank as LR and fish. Today is day 8.

Had lots of froth and ditretus floating on surface for 4 days after which it all went away. One damsel fish died due to stress after two days, it thrashed around a lot when I got it out of his old tank and probably hurt itself. It could also have been ich. Anyhow I did not take it out of the new tank. It's remains are still there.

The other two clownfish are doing well eating well and now moving around the tank. No clamped fins or any other signs since day one, just hiding mostly for first 3-4 days except when fed.

Been testing for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrites since day one, but have been zero or very close to zero (seachrm test kit) with nitrates steadily climbing. Did a 20% water change on Friday. I used seachem test kits I got from FJW with reference solution and they work. Just in case I got a red sea test kit 3 days ago which show .25 ppm ammoia and .2 ppm nitrite and today upwards of 50 ppm nitrate. No change in ammonia and nitrite with redsea test.

Sachem shows zero ammonia and nitrite with nitrates between 4 and 5 mg/l.
PH keeps dropping and alkalinity is within normal range. SG is 1.024.

 

[Tempset]

If you've chosen to start with used tank water & SOME live rock, get the dead fish out of the tank.

You don't need EXTRA decaying matter present. Your ammonia may spike to high & stress out your other fish.

As far as your cycle? I'd say just because you aren't reading #'s you want doesn't mean you aren't in one.

 

[fingas]

I am not sure why you say you aren't seeing a cycle. You have ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. That is proof that you are in the cycle right now. When you see no more ammonia or nitrite then you are out of the cycle but you are definitely seeing a cycle now. Quite frankly you shouldn't have fish in there right now.

 

[adahm]

Thanks for your input.

Just to be sure, I tested fresh saltwater made with my RO/DI with both the kits. The result was the Red Sea kit was bad. It showed the same ammonia & nitrite readings for the new water as it did for the tank water. I'll be taking that one back.

Got Pet store to test water also, and there is no ammonia or nitrite (at leat not detectable). I can understand there probably is a cycle goign on.

Fishes are doing well, eating well, and pooping well too.

 

[trb]

Great to hear the tank is coming along. I started my tank the same way, with mostly live rock and didn't have a measurable cycle that I saw. But I did have an incident where all of my fish died about 4 months later. My guess was when the first fish died, it caused a spike then, and by the time I realized it, the rest of the fish were too far gone to save them. It was during my busy time and I didn't test the water until after like the 3rd fish died. So be careful, slowly add your fish, and keep a close eye on the water parameters.

And we need some pics of the new tank! Did you use the glass you had cut for the overflow? If not, I might be interested.

Thomas

 

[adahm]

I took the dead fish out upon Tempset's recommendation, phew it was one stinky mess.

The glass is on the tank with the cracked back pane. I got the new tank reef ready. So i can cut it out of that tank if you want it.