Newbie needs help, parameters gone crazy!!

[Slayer213]

Hi everyone, finally after all these years in freshwater, i finally threaded into marine territory! I just set up a 1 1/2 ft IOS tank, planning to keep so LPS, shrimps and 2 clowns. Ok, heres how i did it:

Filter: Wool, bag of coral chips, bag of glass bio-ring, bag of seachem sea gel, bag of seachem Denitrate

Water: Sea water bought from Coral Farm

Substrate: 1.5kg of live rock from Coral Farm, coral sand 2inches from Irwana

Protein Skimmer: Dymax mini protein skimmer

Chiller: Resun CL280

Power overhead: Dymax 600, 600l/hr

Lights: LED

Bacteria: Fritz Zyme Live Nitrifying bacterial, one capfull

Testkit: API Saltwater Master Test Kit

My overhead pumps water from the sump behind into the chiller and back into the tank. The tank was setup on 23/12/2011. Its been 3 days into cycling now, i have been testing the water every other day. So far i have run two tests and the reading really puzzles me...

First test (24/12)

ph 8.2

temp 25oC

sg 1.025

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 40ppm

Second test (24/12)

ph 8

temp 27oC (off the chiller)

sg 1.025

ammonia 0

nitrite 0

nitrate 40ppm

ok heres the thing.. to my limited knowledge... i thought the cycling process should be spike in ammonia, then i will detect nitrite and lastly nitrate with 0 ammonia and nitrite. WHY IS MY NITRATE 40PPM THIRD DAY INTO CYCLING WITHOUT ANY AMMONIA AND NITRITE???? Initially, i thought i have use the test kit wrongly, but cant be wrong the second time round!! I really want to do it the right way, but im at loss as in whether have i done anything wrong with my setup. This is the first time im attempting saltwater, please can anyone advise on my situation? Will this setup work? im losing sleep over this.... thank you soooo much.

[Terryz_]

Becos you are using nsw and cured liverock from cf and plus you are dosing bacteria.. just drop a cube of mysis or a small piece of market prawns to trigger a ANN cycle if it is still the same after the prawns start to decompose then it is safe to stock the tank.

[Terryz_]

And I would take out the media first, exception of the bio rings.

[bubblefish000]

is this iq5

[src7014]

Becos you are using nsw and cured liverock from cf and plus you are dosing bacteria.. just drop a cube of mysis or a small piece of market prawns to trigger a ANN cycle if it is still the same after the prawns start to decompose then it is safe to stock the tank.

Hello,

I also face problem at this stage of setting up a new tank.

I tested my tank and has detected zero reading for ammonia and nitrites but after I introduce a few fishes into the tank and on the 2nd day my test for nitrites went from light blue to purple (2.0 ~3.0 ppm).! I used API test kits ! but ammonia was clear! the fishes are still alive but why? Do I have to try to get the nitrites down to "0" light blue and alway keep it "0"?

if I have fed too much! I should have reading for ammonia but instead I have high reading for nitrites ? puzzling ....

Regards

Ronnie

[kira76]

Hello,

I also face problem at this stage of setting up a new tank.

I tested my tank and has detected zero reading for ammonia and nitrites but after I introduce a few fishes into the tank and on the 2nd day my test for nitrites went from light blue to purple (2.0 ~3.0 ppm).! I used API test kits ! but ammonia was clear! the fishes are still alive but why? Do I have to try to get the nitrites down to "0" light blue and alway keep it "0"?

if I have fed too much! I should have reading for ammonia but instead I have high reading for nitrites ? puzzling ....

Regards

Ronnie

That means the BB the converts Ammonia to Nitrite is establised already but not those BB that converts Nitrite to Nitrate. Don't stock up more fishes and monitor your ANN readings till you get zero for both ammonia and Nitrite.

[Slayer213]

Thanks alot for the advice! I will try to get hold of a piece of shrimp... No cooking in my house... How to buy one shrimp? Haha... I will figure out a way.., will updated on the progress!! thanks again!!!

[Slayer213]

Nope... This is not iq5... Iq5 is more cube like, mine is more landscapey... Got it from a lfs at pasir ris farmway 2

[src7014]

That means the BB the converts Ammonia to Nitrite is establised already but not those BB that converts Nitrite to Nitrate. Don't stock up more fishes and monitor your ANN readings till you get zero for both ammonia and Nitrite.

Thanks!