Cycle Question

D

Duck

Okay... I've cycled tanks before and remember the amonia being high from the very beggining. I've had my new 110 up and running for about a week and a half. I have about 105 pounds of LR in it now (and another 25 - 30 pounds to put in later). From what I remember, the amonia level should be pretty high almost imediately, but I tested last night and that is not what I saw. Here are my results...

PH 8.3
Amonia 0
Trites 0
Trates <5 (it could have been zero... if anything, there was only a trace.)

I used RODI water produced with a brand new unit (so the filters were brand new) and I used Red Sea Pro Salt. All the rock was fully cured when it went into the tank.

Any ideas on what's going on?
 
No, not yet. I was going to get a couple of Damsels this weekend. When you say a coctail shrimp... do you mean just a regular raw shrimp? I didn't know that would work.

I also don't remember having to kick start it. I thought the process would start on its own...
 
@Duck wrote:
All the rock was fully cured when it went into the tank. Any ideas on what's going on? said:
Sounds like you've got a decently established biological filter already going. As Craig mentioned, though, you need to provide a source of food for the tank so that the bacteria reproduce to levels to support more than just rock.
Click to expand...
 
Paul,

Ditto Scott, and yes a raw large shrimp from the grocery will work. As it decays in your system/aquarium it will generate the ammonia needed to feed the cycle/bacteria. Some people prefer this method over using live fish.

Craig
 
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