Fishmonger70's 75 Gal Reef Journal
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Well after day 3, my params are unchanged. Ammonia is staying at 0, Nitrite at 1.0, Nitrate at 20, pH a hair low at 8.0, SG at 1.024, temp at 78. I'm adding some pH buffer up so hopefully that will bring up pH to normal levels. Not sure about other params. Just going to have to wait and see if they change.
don't worry so much about the ph, it will settle down once your cycle is over it should settle out at around 8.2 to 8.3. Just give it some time, did your ammonia ever spike up bit, then come down to zero? if so once the nitrites are zero also you will be cycled.
Do you have plans for inhabitants yet?
Do you have plans for inhabitants yet?
You know, I never really checked my params other than SG and pH prior to putting in my LR. It could have started cycling way back when I took out the bioballs and put in the Tonga rock in my sump. I guess I will never know. My guess is that if the ammonia spike before after putting in the Tonga rock, it will spike again now that I put the LR in the display. The LR has only been in for 4 days now and I would think it would take longer for it to cure than that. I should really brush off some more of the crap hanging off my LR. I've been looking every night with a flashlight and there is no action yet.
As far as inhabitants go, I am going to eventually transplant my 2 Percs and my pep. shrimp and probably get a yellow or blue tang down the road. After that I am going to focus on corals.
As far as inhabitants go, I am going to eventually transplant my 2 Percs and my pep. shrimp and probably get a yellow or blue tang down the road. After that I am going to focus on corals.
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Well I brushed off some of the rock that had a lot of crap on tnem still. I am actually starting to see small patches of orangish-red on some of the rock surfaces. Not too much, but just enough to give me hope though. Only drawback is that I stirred up a lot of stuff when I pulled out the rock and set them back in. It's slowly starting to clear up though. Probably be a couple days before its clear again. expecting to get my new skimmer tomorrow.
Anyway, while we're waiting for more excitemant to happen I thought I would post a few pics of my 20 gal just to pass the time.
Anyway, while we're waiting for more excitemant to happen I thought I would post a few pics of my 20 gal just to pass the time.
Day 6 readings:
Ammonia still at 0
Nitrite and nitrate still up, 1.0 and 20, respectively
pH still slightly low, about 7.8 - 8.0
SG at 1.024
Noticing a little more color in my LR...very light pink and light green areas.
Per Lotus's advice, I have not done any water changes.
Skimmer is set up in sump and noticed the first yellowish-brown liquid in collection cup today.
Ammonia still at 0
Nitrite and nitrate still up, 1.0 and 20, respectively
pH still slightly low, about 7.8 - 8.0
SG at 1.024
Noticing a little more color in my LR...very light pink and light green areas.
Per Lotus's advice, I have not done any water changes.
Skimmer is set up in sump and noticed the first yellowish-brown liquid in collection cup today.
Day 10 param readings:
pH 8.0-8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 80.0
SG 1.024
Temp 79
Ok, other than Nitrates, my params are still holding. pH may have gone up a hair. But my nitrate has spiked from 20 up to 80 in just a couple days. That can't be good at all. I'm thinking now I should do a major water change, even thougjh Lorna said it wasn't necessary.
pH 8.0-8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 80.0
SG 1.024
Temp 79
Ok, other than Nitrates, my params are still holding. pH may have gone up a hair. But my nitrate has spiked from 20 up to 80 in just a couple days. That can't be good at all. I'm thinking now I should do a major water change, even thougjh Lorna said it wasn't necessary.
your nitrates arnt going to drop any until u do water change! but again u wanna wait and let the cycle do its thing.... 80ppm does seem a bit high tho.... ammonia turns in to nitrite, nitrites turn into nitrates and that the cycle.... only way to get rid of the nitrates is through water changes and skimming 