Nitrogen Cycle Question...did I mess it up???

[DarkAsylum]

Hello everyone I am in the process of cycling my first SW tank using damsels and a maroon clown yes I know ... but my LFS told me that clowns were in the damsel family and very hardy unfortunately on saturday my clown passed away.

So after I finished crying and yes I am serious I get attached to my fish had a tiger oscar from 1995 until 2004. I took a watere sample to a different not so local fish store but they have alot of HUGE tanks sting rays etc etc.

So I figured that they knew more about the nitrogen cycle my ater tested like this.
Based on using a API Saltwater Kit. in a 60 gallon aquarium


Ammonia 0 yellow Color
Nitrite appeared to be a 5.0 Dark Purple
Nitrates 100 Dark Red.

He instructed me to do a huge water change 45-50% so I did immediately after the change I waited about 35 minutes and the test results were.

Ammonia 0 yellow
Nitrite 5.0 Dark Purple
Nitrate 80 Light Red

The following morning my test results were.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 5.0 Dark Purple
Nitrate 20 Orange <---had me concerned wheres my nitrates.

Just now I retested and my results were.

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0.50-1.0 hard to telllighter purple
Nitrates 20 Orange

My question is did my water change like kill my bacteria or something and I have to restart my cycle or is it suppose to do this?
My understanding was that Ammonia spikes and drops, Nitrite spikes and then nitrates eat them and it drops? and then my nitrates decrease by themselves.

I really hope that I do not have to redo the whole nitrogen cycle because of this I have been waiting roughly 5 weeks to get this tank up and running any and all help regarding this matter is greatly appreciated thanks a zillion.

[chrisd]

you need to cycle the tank with nothing in it but the live rock if any.
depending on the live rock cured or uncured the nitrogen cycle can take from 1 to 2 months.
nitrogen cycle ammonia to nitrite to nitrate to nitrogen. you will have to do regular water changes to remove nitrates.
having the fish in a new tank only added to the problem. doing water changes will not affect the nitrogen cycle. it helps to remove nitrates.
the high nitrites may have killed the clown and depending on what your ammonia was at before you changed the water would have been toxic.

what are the rest of your tank parameters?
salinity
ph
kh
phosphate

[DarkAsylum]

Originally Posted by chrisd

you need to cycle the tank with nothing in it but the live rock if any.
depending on the live rock cured or uncured the nitrogen cycle can take from 1 to 2 months.
nitrogen cycle ammonia to nitrite to nitrate to nitrogen. you will have to do regular water changes to remove nitrates.
having the fish in a new tank only added to the problem. doing water changes will not affect the nitrogen cycle. it helps to remove nitrates.
the high nitrites may have killed the clown and depending on what your ammonia was at before you changed the water would have been toxic.

what are the rest of your tank parameters?
salinity
ph
kh
phosphate

It's going to be a FO Aquarium the salinity is 1.022 and I am testing the PH is 7.8 I only have the standard starter SW test kit so I cant check the KH i'll pick a KH tester up tomorrow, also i am happy to hear that it didnt destroy my cycle since you have to do water changes I would have been really sad....

[chrisd]

Originally Posted by DarkAsylum

It's going to be a FO Aquarium the salinity is 1.022 and I am testing the PH is 7.8 I only have the standard starter SW test kit so I cant check the KH i'll pick a KH tester up tomorrow, also i am happy to hear that it didnt destroy my cycle since you have to do water changes I would have been really sad....

try to resist adding any more animals till the tank settles.


salinity good
ph a little low but not bad

[DarkAsylum]

Originally Posted by chrisd

try to resist adding any more animals till the tank settles.


salinity good
ph a little low but not bad

Ok I can hold out to make sure that it's ready so does that mean that my tank has cycled?

[Loverotties]

You shouldn't have anything life in the tank till it cycles(you have nitrite still).you have to waite till the tank cycles.

[DarkAsylum]

Originally Posted by Loverotties

You shouldn't have anything life in the tank till it cycles(you have nitrite still).you have to waite till the tank cycles.

Yea they gave me damsels to cycle the tank with ...

[chrisd]

just wait till you get 0 readings. as the tank cycles you will see a decline in ammonia and nitrite and an increase in nitrates. ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish nitrates in low amounts are not. with weekly water changes and siphoning detrius you may never go above 10. but this depends on a properly stocked tank and not over feeding.

[DarkAsylum]

Originally Posted by chrisd

just wait till you get 0 readings. as the tank cycles you will see a decline in ammonia and nitrite and an increase in nitrates. ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish nitrates in low amounts are not. with weekly water changes and siphoning detrius you may never go above 10. but this depends on a properly stocked tank and not over feeding.

yay woke up this morning and checked

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
PH 8.4

I am still going to wait a week or two to make sure that nothing changes but man this makes me so happy

[DarkAsylum]

Now I have to begin considering my livestock I want to start with a maroon clown, and I want a blue tang but idk if my tank is large enough I read like80 gallon minimum but I only have a 60 galon 4 foot tank, also I want a picaso trigger.

[chrisd]

the triger fish is a beautiful fish but would have to be housed by it self. can eat other fish and not sure if you have a big enough tank they get very big. the blue tang most people will say at least a 6 ft tank i have a 75 gal i am going to set up over the next few months and i may add one.
i already have a maroon clown and by far my favorite fish.

[DarkAsylum]

Originally Posted by chrisd

the triger fish is a beautiful fish but would have to be housed by it self. can eat other fish and not sure if you have a big enough tank they get very big. the blue tang most people will say at least a 6 ft tank i have a 75 gal i am going to set up over the next few months and i may add one.
i already have a maroon clown and by far my favorite fish.

Ok thanks for your feedback this means that i really need to reconsider the residents of my tank, I would still like to get fish that look very exotic and say HEY this is a saltwater tank.

However at the same time im new to this so I dont want to invest in a $50-$100 tank and it's freshly cycled etc. I have saw a few fish but most of them look like freshwater fish.

So if you can recommend a few fish that look really nice and are fairly hardy I would be very grateful, also I looked at a lionfish but those seem pretty scary lol.

[chrisd]

the clown fish are a good start very hardy and can get as big as 5 inches.
there are a few types of lion fish and they can be agressive will eat smaller inhabitants. they can get as big as 15 inches.
but this is not to say you cant keep one same thing with triger fish the tank size is just a recomendation.two big fish like that is all you could keep in a 60 gal tank. do a google search and you can get alot info on the fish you plan to keep. what ever fish you plan to keep add them from the least aggresive to the most aggresive.

[DarkAsylum]

Ok thats great advice regarding the adding order, I personally would be thrilled with a maroon & blue tang but I keep reading that blue tangs continuously get ich ...which could be very problematic.

One fish would not be bad but I like pretty fishies !!! here is the page that I am using to look at possible fish.well im 3 post short of being able to link it =( lol

[chrisd]

thats how i feel with having big fish nice to look at but not much variety. personaly i like to keep fish 6 inches and under more to look at. that seems to be a common problem with blue tangs althow i never had one so i have no hands on experience with them.

just type test to get the 3 post you need.