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Slick Eelie 
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 Topic: Initial Tank Setup
Posted: September 20 2006 at 2:20pm |
I am new to the hobby and need some advice.
I just set up a 90 gallon tank. I was wondering when I will get the ammonia spike that I've heard about. It has been about 2 weeks and the ammonia is still at 0 ppm. I used RO/DI water, 70 lbs of cured live rock, and about 150 lbs of CaribSea Aragonite sand. I have two canister filters and a UV sterilizer running. Inside the tank I have 3 power heads running (rio 1700, Maxijet 1200, Powehead 802). I haven't finished the canopy, so there is no lighting at the moment. I also haven't put a heater in yet so the temp is at 70 degrees F.
I'm anxious to add fish, but I don't want to kill anything. Any advice would be appreciated.
thanks,
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James Mellor
Eagle Mountain
210 gallon reef
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amorgenegg
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Posted: September 20 2006 at 2:25pm |
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James,
Are you seeing any nitrates? Do you have any algaes that have started growing? If so, what color are the algaes, and what do they look like? If the rock was really completely cured then it might have already had both bacteria colonies and they could have quickly established in the new tank.
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Andrew Morgenegg
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Slick Eelie
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Posted: September 20 2006 at 3:01pm |
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The nitrates and nitrites are both 0 ppm as well. I purchased the rock from the lps back in February. It was supposedly cured when I bought it. Due to my basement not being finished, I have had the rock churning in the tank since then. There is no alge at all in the tank. During that long timeframe of curing the rock, I had brown alge grow and then disappear.
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James Mellor
Eagle Mountain
210 gallon reef
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amorgenegg
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Posted: September 20 2006 at 3:06pm |
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Are you lighting the tank at all? If so what lights and how long?
Is there anything other than rock, sand and water in the tank?
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Andrew Morgenegg
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GARFVolunteer
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Posted: September 20 2006 at 3:15pm |
James,
Are you feeding the tank and were you feeding it while it was curing? For live rock to remain live rock, it needs to be fed.
If you haven't been feeding the tank I would start feeding as though there were a few fish in there to start with then watch for spikes in ammonia and nitrites. With the filtration you have I would expect nitrates to start increasing in a few weeks or so.
Thanks,
Scott
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President Idaho Marine Aquarium Society
A fair and biased reef hobbyist
"How do you make poor people rich by making rich people poor" Rush Limbaugh on Obama taxes
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Slick Eelie
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Posted: September 20 2006 at 4:02pm |
There is only the water, rock and sand right now. I haven't been feeding the tank. No lights at the present time. This week I will put up the lights. I only have four 65 watt compacts. I will try this and see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks,
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James Mellor
Eagle Mountain
210 gallon reef
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: September 21 2006 at 1:36am |
I don't agree with Scott. I would not feed the tank at this point.
The temperature being 70 is slowing metabolism. Depending on how much light is getting to the tank from a downstairs window or room lights, not having tank lights is preventing algal and invertebrate growth.
IMO, the combination of low temp and low light is keeping the tank in sort of a state of suspension. Excess nutrients are there, but being worked on slowly, so the usual textbook nitrogen cycle evidently hasn't happened.
I'm not certain, because your method, especially the low temperature is not something I have ever tried, but be prepared for a possible "cycle" of nitrogen and algal growth when the temp is raised and the lights are added. FYI, you may discover some ideas for helping avoid problems in this thread: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Edited by Mark Peterson - September 21 2006 at 1:41am
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Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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sukie
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Posted: September 21 2006 at 9:53am |
Besides feeding . . this might sound gross but you can put (1) uncook
shrimp (that you buy at the grocery store) in the tank. Let
the ammonia spike and then it will start the cycling. . . .
After the spike you can. . . . take it out!  But don't cook it and eat it afterwards. . it's not going to taste very good.
If you need a site to explain the cycle ck this out:
http://www.algone.com/cycle.htm
and this one:
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html
Edited by sukie - September 21 2006 at 9:54am
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GARFVolunteer
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Posted: September 21 2006 at 11:46am |
Well I guess Mark and I will have to disagree. Your tank will cycle at 70 degrees just not as fast as it will at higher temps. However if there is nothing to create the waste, there will not be a cycle. If you are trying to get your tank ready for critters, I would add a heater, set it to 78 degrees, feed the tank, and monitor the cycle...
Thanks,
Scott
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President Idaho Marine Aquarium Society
A fair and biased reef hobbyist
"How do you make poor people rich by making rich people poor" Rush Limbaugh on Obama taxes
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Slick Eelie
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Posted: September 22 2006 at 3:32pm |
Thanks everyone for the input. I'll try a combination of the above suggestions. I finally purchased a heater. I'm gradually raising the tank to 78 degrees and I'll add a couple damsels or chromis. They are fairly inexpensive fish. That way I can feed the tank and have something to create waste. One of my canister filters creates a great ripple effect at the surface. Would it also be beneficial to temporarily add an oxygen pump to the tank? In the site that Sukie suggested it talked about the oxygen helping speed up the cycle.
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James Mellor
Eagle Mountain
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amorgenegg
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Posted: September 22 2006 at 3:45pm |
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You don't need fish to create waste. Any organic like fishfood will do that without stressing out fish in a potentially toxic environment. You do have to make your own decisions from many ideas and opinions, which can be a pain at times. Personally I would recommend that you not put animals through this stress when it can be avoided.
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Andrew Morgenegg
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Gahlenfr
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Posted: September 22 2006 at 4:09pm |
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IMO I would bring the temp up, put the lights on, get live sand from a number of sources and not put fish in yet. This is an experience of patience..... Next would come the cleanup crew and after that.... fish.
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sukie
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Posted: September 22 2006 at 4:26pm |
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Plus. . once you put the fish in there you might not like them. And then you'd be left w/ fishies.
Go w/ Garf, Amor, & Gah suggested. . . don't add fishies if you don't need to.
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Mike Savage
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Posted: September 22 2006 at 4:45pm |
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Never put a fish in your tank that you are not prepared to keep. They can be very difficult to catch and remove. I too would put the lights on, live sand & not go with any fish yet.
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