View Full Version : Progress, readings and pics for week#1 !!!
JasonA
06-01-2003, 11:41 AM
Well, things have really cleared up in tha last 2 days !!! It has gone from a cloudy mix to a barely hazy tint now !!!!
The shrimp are well on their way to becoming "jello" and all seems well so far..
Here's a few pics from last Sat. Night the 24th.
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/5-24-night.jpg
Side view
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/5-24-night1.jpg
So after 1 week now, it has really cleared up with no filtration whatsoever except for Biological !!! (thanks to Corax for supporting me and telling me it'll get clearer!!:)) as this is the first time I've done a setup without any mechanical filtration !!!!
Pics from this morning the 1st.
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-1-morn1.jpg
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-1-morn2.jpg
Shrimp turning to mush !!!
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-1-morn3.jpg
Arrrgy maties !!!
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-1-morn4.jpg
Ok..so my first readings ever on the tank !!!
First some info: TEMP=77* SG= 1.022 (for 4 days now) 770gph circulation
PH= 8.0
Ammonia= 4ppm
Nitrite= .50ppm
Nitrate= 10ppm
So far, the ammonia is just starting to spike.. we'll see what the readings look like in 3 days !!
Jason
Corax
06-01-2003, 12:31 PM
Interesting you already have nitrate. are you using RO or tap? My tap has 10ppm in it, which is sadly common. Do you have any livesand or liverock in yet? (you shouldnt have it yet ya know..)
Other than that, yer proceeding well =)
JasonA
06-01-2003, 12:47 PM
No, it was all filled with RO.... but about 1.5 gallons was filled with tap last Tuesday.....
No livesand or rock yet...just lacerock right now...what would happen is some liverock were to go in (just currious)?
Originally posted by JasonA
what would happen is some liverock were to go in (just currious)?
The ammonia would likely kill off a lot of the life in and on the rock.
yeap, the ammonia is just as toxic to the life on the rocks as it is the fish swimmin around em.
kreblak
06-03-2003, 1:12 PM
With the pictures you have put up, this thread would make an excellent sticky for a how-to-fishlessly-cycle. The tank looks good!
JasonA
06-03-2003, 4:27 PM
Here's some more pics from today along with new readings..
Tank has cleared up a bit more...not much left to go really.
Darn flash was on :mad::mad:
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-4-night1.jpg
Normal front view
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-4-night2.jpg
Side view....water is almost clear all the way through !!
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-4-night3.jpg
And finally the shrimp are REALLY starting to go now !!
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-4-night4.jpg
So readings are almost the same as Sunday except the Nitrite has dropped a bit more:)....
Ph= 8.0 (still the same)
Ammonia= 4ppm (same)
Nitrites= .35ppm (down from .50)
Nitrates= 10ppm (same)
Both tank temps and SG are still dead on so I will take another sampling on Thursday.
Yo JasonA, it looks like that base rock is enormous! One, how big is that tank? It looks enormous in the pictures but I still can't put my finger on the exact size. Secondly, where did you get your base rock and live rock from, and how much were they each? I bought some base rock today, and it was very expensive, and that isn't even looking at 4.99$ for Live Rock! I had just under 30 lbs. of the base rock and it cost me nearly 60$!! Your pieces are enormous, so it must have costed you a furtune :eek: I mean, I got some of the biggest pieces I could find, since my tank is a high rather than a long, but your pieces tower!
Good luck, it seems to me you are doing awesome in your cycling situation, and you are definitely doing this the right way if anything. I am taking some of your methods and advice as well, while I'm setting up my tank tomorrow!
So JasonA, when are you getting your first fish, and what are you going to stock that tank with?
JasonA
06-03-2003, 6:08 PM
The tank is a 40gal.... following Corax's advice...I'm using about 60lbs of Argonite or Play Sand in the tank... it's around a 4-5" depth all the way around...
as for the rock...it was like 30-40lbs. of Lace Rock.. There's an Aquarium outlet store that used to sell only to LFS but he just opened up to the public !!! I paid .99 /lbs for the lace rock !!
The only 1 piece of live rock was just given to me a day ago by a friend who said to try this out and see if it helps the cycling at all...nothing lost, nothing gained, but he has 200+lbs in his tank to spare !!!:eek: :eek:
I plan on putting another 20-40lbs. of live rock/ Fiji rock once the tank gets going...
As for the time period...it's been about 10 days now...even though things are going well, I still expect another 2 weeks minimum unless everything mellows out all of a sudden...
I figuring a month or so before I even think about a first fish...
I did order from AH supply the 2x96w PC setup...I'm gonna make my own hood and then I'll have some kick-*** light in there..
As for filtration...well....there is none !!!:eek: Mechanical that is...there's no filters whatsoever in the whole system... I have...
1 ViaAqua 265gph canister that's empty.
1 ViaAqua 395gph power head
1 Maxi-Jet 120gph power head
1 Via Aqua Protein Skimmer but it won't get turned on til another week or so...
total with the skimmer will be around 820gph...take that my tank took 36gal to fill up and I'm running around 22x/hr. water circulation !!!
The only thing filtering the water is biological and the live rocks...
So far so good !!!
Sting
06-03-2003, 10:46 PM
That's awesome! Sounds like you really know what you are doing! I am setting up my 37 G tomorrow but it's a showtank- which is basically a 29 G with a couple mroe inches to the top, making for an extra high tank. It's a pain in the butt because of lighting, and trying to fit the rocks in, because I have to look for extra high rocks. Oh well!
But yea, you are very lucky to have a friend with extra Live Rock!!! It is so expensive to buy! Keep it up, I am very interested to stay on the lookout for your updates! I think I will my post with pictures as well, but I don't know if I want to show you pics by tomorrow, the tank is going to be very cloudy!!! Also, I only have three pieces of base rock- and it is going to look very empty!
Haha, you are doing awesome- keep it up!
EDIT: BTW I also am not using any mechanical filtration! Ah it's scary but I trust the people here ;)
JasonA
06-04-2003, 9:56 AM
Originally posted by Sting
That's awesome! Sounds like you really know what you are doing! My dad has always been into SW setups, but he's "old school" as far as his thinking... his biggest setup, a 100g also uses Undergravel Filtration.....and so are his 2 other tanks..
I always though this was the way to go....but after reading and talking to others on this board, that's not the best way to go anymore....
I was kinda spetical, watching my water be all cloudy and not getting any better, but Corax just said to wait and it'll get better..and it did..the water is now almost crystal clear.
Knowing now what I have, I might take a piece or two of the lace rock and when the tank finishes cycling, get more live rock to put in....
As for prices, most LFS carry standard live rock for under $2 /lb. Fiji Rock and other esoteric types can easily go above $5/lbs but for me, the lacerock will soon start taking growth and will look good !!!..
only time will tell...will do another reading tomorrow.
JasonA
06-05-2003, 9:25 AM
UH-OH GUYS !!!! Woke up this morning and noticed the tank is getting cloudy again...more so then the last few days !!!
The shrimp are looking pretty bad now so I wonder if this is the Bacteria Bloom that I'll start seeing for a few days?
I'll take some pics in a few along with new readings.
fishhooked
06-05-2003, 10:20 AM
Hey Jason,
I have been following your posts. I put my shrimp in my 29G 3 days ago and the smell is getting bad. I wonder if anyone can tell me how long it smells so BAD and if it will get worse. I think it's totally worth the smell but my wife may disagree if it gets much worse or stinks up the whole house. Anyway I'm enjoying your posts!
Corax
06-05-2003, 10:33 AM
Jason,
Just as you saw a bloom for the ammonia, you are now seeing one for the nitrite. We call this, progress =)
fishhooked,
Yeap, my 29 did the same thing. I gave up after only 2 days though, with the urging of my fiance ;) The 55 never gave off an odor due to, I assume, the greater volume of water.
kreblak
06-05-2003, 11:01 AM
Nitrite spike is what's causing the cloudiness. It will clear up in a few days.
Fishhooked,
The reason your 29 gallon stinks is because there is rotting shrimp in it. Rotting meat reeks. Also, ammonia makes the tank smell bad. Check for adequate water circulation, and make sure your water is being properly oxygenated. Your nitrifying bacteria require large amounts of O2 to reproduce and thrive. The smell should begin about 3 days into cycling, and be gone after about 10 or 12 days total. My tank smelled horrendous for a week, then one day the smell was gone. Just be patient, although I know how difficult that can be when the tank smell makes you want to vomit! ;)
JasonA
06-05-2003, 1:30 PM
Ok guys, took the pics and did all the water samples also and some surprising results...
As for the smell or odor, I've never really been able to tell nor has others so I'd say that mine hasn't really done that. Could be that I'm running around 22x water movement but there has been no odor whatsoever and the shrimp are "melting" away nicely !!:D
Ok..first some pics..
Normal front
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-5-morn.jpg
Side view were you can notice it's more cloudy then before
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-5-morn1.jpg
And finally, the shrimp with gooey white hair like bacteria and turning VERY yellow !!
http://www.montero4x4.com/tank/6-5-morn2.jpg
Ok...readings...
PH= 8.1 (up from 8.0)
Ammonia= 4ppm (no change)
Nitrite= OFF THE CHART !!!! (my kit only reads to 5.0ppm and it's WAY above that !!)
Nitrates= 30ppm (up from 10ppm)
Temp/SG still the same
So the Nitrites and Nitrates have REALLY started to climb the last 3 days !!!
WOOHOO !!!!
kreblak
06-05-2003, 2:16 PM
Your cycle will be complete soon. I dare you to eat one of those shrimp;)
JasonA
06-05-2003, 3:50 PM
Originally posted by kreblak
I dare you to eat one of those shrimp;) :o
Funny, my wife said the same thing:D
But I leave the lights off mostly right now because they are getting kinda ugly and gross sitting in there rotting away!!!
Thank goodness the smell hasn't really happened !!
JasonA
06-07-2003, 10:39 AM
Ok...the final post for this week....
It's has now been 2 weeks (only 1st. of testing) and things are really starting to accellerate now !!
Here they are..
Ph= 8.1 (same)
Ammonia= .25ppm (down from 4.0ppm 2 days ago !!!!!)
Nitrite= Off the chart still !!!
Nitrate= OFF THE CHART NOW !!! ( was 30ppm 2 days ago and my kit goes to 160ppm !!!)
Temp/SG still the same.
Wow !!! Now the Nitrates have spiked sky high so the bacteria is really going to town now !!!
This will be the last time for this post...I'll start a new one tomorrow or Monday..
Jason
P.S. The shrimp are really melting fast now !!;) and the water is almost crystal clear !!!!