water parameters

[gussys]

5/15/ I got in the mail today my new Seachem test kit and just had to try it out funny thing is ive got some strange results The tank is a new FOWLR setup 30 gal with 4" of sand 20LB of LR went in on May 10th. The LFS told me he would set me up good with some incredible LR and I just cant believe my results . When i got the LR put in the tank i took some krill and droped it in for some more bio load and this is the test results after 7 days
Spec Grav 1.022
PH 8.2
Nitrite 0mg/l
Nitrate 3mg/l
total amonia 0mg/l
free amonia 0mg/l
Alkalinity 3mg/l

Ok I retested the results today May 19th every thing is the same except that the Nirtate is down to 2mg/l and on friday May 16th i added 4 hermits to start to controll the hair algae thats startin to grow. On May 12th i put a bigole piece of shrimp that i got from the store in to add to the load. Ok so when can i get that green chromis(sp) to put in and start to look at something swimin around

[Geoff]

some tanks cycle faster than others. one week is a little short, but possible. smaller tanks seem to cycle faster than larger ones. if the LR was fully cured then it is possilbe. the tank has cycled for an extremely small bio-load, just LR. it will take a couple more weeks for all of the bacteria to reproduce enough to be able to handle a larger bio-load. a way to help it along would be to put 1 raw shrimp in the tank for a week. this will give the bacteria something to feed on without risking the lives of live critters.

HTH,

G~

[gussys]

bump any one got any ideas

[Flatfish]

I agree with Geoff. You're going on nine days and that's normally not enough time. I would normally suggest three weeks for setups with new water. You're not only waiting for it to cycle, but for the environment to stablize with growth of new bio. Have you had a diatom bloom yet? (dusty brown algae one the glass, sand and rock). This is a sign of the tail end of a cycle. If not give it more time. let's give those Chromis a comfortable home.

[gussys]

ive not had the diatom bloom yet but I am starting to get tuns of pods showing up in the tank. Ya thing that some more hermits would be ok gotta keep this hair algae choped down ya know? but is is sorta cool waching it wavin around LOL