[sundaybum]

I just set up my tank about two weeks ago. I have been keeping a real eye to make sure my ph, nitrate, carbonate, amonia, salinity, etc. levels stay where they need to be. After the first two weeks I put three damsels in and some live rock. My questions is, to better help the tank go through it's natural cycle would it be better to put some filter feeders in or focus on building the live rock. My tank is 60 gallons and so far I have only put 8 1/2 pounds of live rock in. I would like to have a pound per gallon. Any suggestions on my next move? Thanks...

[stacef]

First of all, Welcome to RB!

Secondly, I would say that you need to worry about adding more live rock. Adding the three fish was most likely to early. How many pounds of sand do you have? Here are some good links on the cycling process. When you start to see brown diatoms or amphipods and such, I use that as a guide to add a small clean up crew. Has your tank already went through all of it's "spikes"? Ammonia etc.

Here are the links:

Beginner FAQ: The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

[pogodzib]

Welcome to RB!

You don't need (and actually it is recommended to NOT have) any fish in your tank during the cycle process. I'd see if the fish store that you got them from will take them back. Before adding any fish, you'll want to get all of your LR added into the tank and let your tank finish cycling once all your rock is in place. This process will take anywhere from 2-6 weeks typically.

Regarding testing your water parameters, you don't need to worry about the pH, alk, calcium, or testing your salinity except after water changes. They aren't critical until you start adding fish (pH and salinity) or corals (alk and calcium).

During the cycle process is a great time to sit back and read everything that you can because you essentially should be leaving the tank alone for a month or more.

BTW - NEVER add additive to your tank to adjust your pH. If it is off, adding chemicals to solve the problem will only make the matter worse. All water parameters are interrelated with one another and by trying to fix one level, you can throw other parameters off if you do it incorrectly. pH is one of those parameters that you want to know what it is, but you need to be very careful if you need to raise or lower it that you use the right methods and don't start dumping in pH buffers.

[dinor2]

Question Brian: To keep alkalinity up, would it be considered ok to add dkh buffer? Or, is there something else I need to change in the tank that affects that? So far, all my levels are great, it's just the alkalinity dips a little low at times and I couldn't find any other way to keep it stable. My tank is 55 gallon reef going on it's 7th month. (just upgraded my lights to t5's at 234w total also, not sure if that had anything to do with the alk).

Thanks!

[tomc1980]

Ok not to threadjack or anything but i saw an earlier post that says they use the diatoms showing up as a indicator for a clean up crew. My tank has a ton of diatoms sprouting up and i was wondering what i should get as cleaners to clean that mess up. Parameters as of this morning are 1.024 sg 0 ammonia nitrite and nitrate. Calcium 460. alkalinity of 3miliequivalents/liter. Danged diatoms are driving me crazy lol.

[sundaybum]

Yea, I think after I posted my question I answered it. Live rock is what I need to put in the tank before anything. The three damsels were a bad move. The guy at the aquarium store said the damsles would be fine, which was correct, but I should have waited. Maybe they really needed the $15; who knows? Anyway, I dont believe my tank has peeked yet. I have had the tank for two weeks and after the fist week I started testing for things other than salinity and it has all stayed right where it should be. Do I just wait for ammonia levels, etc. to shoot up high and then go back down? Does that mean my tank has hit it's complete cycle or how do I know?

[pogodzib]

Originally Posted by dinor2

Question Brian: To keep alkalinity up, would it be considered ok to add dkh buffer? Or, is there something else I need to change in the tank that affects that? So far, all my levels are great, it's just the alkalinity dips a little low at times and I couldn't find any other way to keep it stable. My tank is 55 gallon reef going on it's 7th month. (just upgraded my lights to t5's at 234w total also, not sure if that had anything to do with the alk).

Thanks!

Yes, you can either use dKh buffer, the alk part of a 2-part supplement, or baking soda (unscented Arm & Hammer).

Originally Posted by tomc1980

Ok not to threadjack or anything but i saw an earlier post that says they use the diatoms showing up as a indicator for a clean up crew. My tank has a ton of diatoms sprouting up and i was wondering what i should get as cleaners to clean that mess up. Parameters as of this morning are 1.024 sg 0 ammonia nitrite and nitrate. Calcium 460. alkalinity of 3miliequivalents/liter. Danged diatoms are driving me crazy lol.

What type of diatoms are they. I don't recommend adding a clean up crew until you start seeing the green diatoms or algae appear. The brown diatom stage usually appears quickly but only lasts about two weeks, and IMO is just too early in the cycle process to risk adding critters to get rid of it since it goes away quickly on it's own.

Originally Posted by sundaybum

Yea, I think after I posted my question I answered it. Live rock is what I need to put in the tank before anything. The three damsels were a bad move. The guy at the aquarium store said the damsles would be fine, which was correct, but I should have waited. Maybe they really needed the $15; who knows? Anyway, I dont believe my tank has peeked yet. I have had the tank for two weeks and after the fist week I started testing for things other than salinity and it has all stayed right where it should be. Do I just wait for ammonia levels, etc. to shoot up high and then go back down? Does that mean my tank has hit it's complete cycle or how do I know?

Since your a two weeks, the ammonia stage of the cycle has probably peaked and come back down some. At this point, you can probably stop (or minimize) testing the ammonia and keep an eye on the nitrite and nitrate. Once the nitrite goes up (of which may have already happened) and comes back down, you may see the nitrates start to rise. This is an indication that the cycle is nearing the end of the process. Once you nitrites read zero, test your free ammonia again to verify that that is zero as well (of which is should be). If both the nitrites and free ammonia read zero, then your cycle is complete. NOTE: Some cheap test kits read total ammonia instead of free ammonia. Typically, total ammonia readings will read 0.25ppm when the free ammonia is at 0ppm.

BTW - Many (if not most) fish stores don't have fully informed staff, so make sure you verify everything that they say through research. It is very common for stores to tell people to buy damsels to cycle their tank since that was the old way of doing things. The problem is that it is hard on the fish and many people don't want to have the damsels in the tank once the cycle is complete and they want more peaceful tank inhabitants.

[sundaybum]

Thanks for the reply everyone... Being new to the hobby means asking a ton of question, but people who have been involved in this for some time now have all been very helpful. As far as my test kit is concerned I have a Tetratest kist; I dont believe weather it states that it is ammonia free or total ammonia. My nitrite and nitrate levels are about zero. I put my live rock in and I am up to about 50 pounds for a 60 gallon tank. My ammonia level seems to be stuck at about 0.50-0.75mg/l Any suggestions on what to do as far as getting rid of the ammonia? If my nitrite and nitrate levels are at zero, but my ammonia level is still not where it should be is it safe to assume my tank has not yet cycled? Any suggestions on what to do? Any help would again be much appreciated...