need help - cycling tank

[lead28]

Hi, any reefer kind comment and assistant will be appreciated.

I am setting up a 12 gal tank. This is the 2nd week of tank cycling. This is what i did.

First Week (Day 1)

Added salt water, live sand and market prawn and start the cycling.

Second Week (Day 6)

Added live rocks, removed the market prawn and relucantly gotten 2 clown fishes from my friend knowing that cycling tank is still in progress . Added the clown fishes and everything's since fine and fishes was also feeding.

This is the 13th days of tank cycling the tank, this morning, both fish died.

I was wondering any reefer could give me some comment of what should i do next? Am my tank in this stage now?

At this stage nitrite will start to peak. Nitrite is also very toxic to the fishes. Again we have to wait for another batch of bacterials to grow in population to bring nitrite level down. When this bacterials are sufficient in numbers, the nitrate will boom so slowly nitrite will be undetectable.

Can anybody advise?

[qwertman321]

Hi, any reefer kind comment and assistant will be appreciated.

I am setting up a 12 gal tank. This is the 2nd week of tank cycling. This is what i did.

First Week (Day 1)

Added salt water, live sand and market prawn and start the cycling.

Second Week (Day 6)

Added live rocks, removed the market prawn and relucantly gotten 2 clown fishes from my friend knowing that cycling tank is still in progress . Added the clown fishes and everything's since fine and fishes was also feeding.

This is the 13th days of tank cycling the tank, this morning, both fish died.

I was wondering any reefer could give me some comment of what should i do next? Am my tank in this stage now?

At this stage nitrite will start to peak. Nitrite is also very toxic to the fishes. Again we have to wait for another batch of bacterials to grow in population to bring nitrite level down. When this bacterials are sufficient in numbers, the nitrate will boom so slowly nitrite will be undetectable.

Can anybody advise?

Do you have test kits? once u test ammonia and nitrite is 0 then change 70% water , make all calcium, magnesium, etc proper level then u can start adding livestock.

[comycus]

bro some things cannot take shortcut yeah?

Anyway, just a few points to note.

1. You need live rocks as bio filtration for bacteria to colonize. Which means in your case, you never cycled the tank at all since you added your livestock in the same day as your live rocks.

2. Cycling process typically take 4-6 weeks. Don't add anything into your tank in this period of time. Don't make the same mistake twice. If you are a heavy smoker, you don't die from lung cancer immediately. Same analogy here, the fish may look fine, but you are slowly poisoning it.

3. You sound like you understand the ANN cycle, so stick to it. Wait till ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, and your tank parameters are stable before adding anything.

[lead28]

bro some things cannot take shortcut yeah?

Anyway, just a few points to note.

1. You need live rocks as bio filtration for bacteria to colonize. Which means in your case, you never cycled the tank at all since you added your livestock in the same day as your live rocks.

2. Cycling process typically take 4-6 weeks. Don't add anything into your tank in this period of time. Don't make the same mistake twice. If you are a heavy smoker, you don't die from lung cancer immediately. Same analogy here, the fish may look fine, but you are slowly poisoning it.

3. You sound like you understand the ANN cycle, so stick to it. Wait till ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, and your tank parameters are stable before adding anything.

bro, i was in this hobby 3 to 4 years ago and i still see my tank pic in this forum using my nick as marinesavy and own a JBJ 24g previously. After years, can't even remember the tank cycling procedure. Anyway, thanks for your info. BTW, since i removed the market prawn and added fishes, now since all gone, should i need to put any dead fish or market prawn again?

Guess the longer the cycling process result in a better stable tank in future. So.. i think i will leave the tank till after CNY.

[Ketchup]

bro, i was in this hobby 3 to 4 years ago and i still see my tank pic in this forum using my nick as marinesavy and own a JBJ 24g previously. After years, can't even remember the tank cycling procedure. Anyway, thanks for your info. BTW, since i removed the market prawn and added fishes, now since all gone, should i need to put any dead fish or market prawn again?

Guess the longer the cycling process result in a better stable tank in future. So.. i think i will leave the tank till after CNY.

I think the best way is to kickstart the cycling again... throw in prawn, dose bacteria and check the water parameters