Question on a new tank setup

[Hagermanfd]

I just recently set up a 125 freshwater tank...I have a 55 gallon now, but when i set it up a while ago i cant remember if this happend. Ok, water is in, treatments are in, filter and heaters are up and running, I added some sand from my established tank to this one to help the bacteria colony along, tank got cloudy for 1 day and is now crystal clear. I have the Mardel Live Ammonia reader hanging in the tank, which is showing 0.02 ammonia= caution. Now you are supposed to have ammonia during new tank setups correct? I have no live fish or plants in the tank at this time, just sand, and decorations. Its been a while so i cant remember if i had the same thing happen on my 55 gallon.

[jpappy789]

The problem is that very little bacteria will be transferred from the sand. Do you have any filter media from your 55 that can be used to cycle this tank?

If not do you remember how to cycle a tank???

Ammonia should be used to increase the bacteria population and should be added when no fish as that will be the source of food for the colony.

[wataugachicken]

if it is showing ammonia but you have not added any source of ammonia, either the test is wrong or you have a lot of waste in the sand that you moved to the new tank, which is now decomposing.

[Hagermanfd]

hmm, yeah i only added not even half a scoop of sand to the tank, i have two power whispers on my 55 gallon tank but i did not really intend to add media from those filters into my cannister, actually would it work if i took one of the filters and attached it to my 125 gallon??? I did a water change of 25 percent but the ammonia is still holding at 0.02 on the mardel live test strip.

[doreenjoy]

Are you sure the ammonia results are accurate? May be worth testing with a liquid test kit.

What kind of substrate is in there?

[Star_Rider]

hmm, yeah i only added not even half a scoop of sand to the tank, i have two power whispers on my 55 gallon tank but i did not really intend to add media from those filters into my cannister, actually would it work if i took one of the filters and attached it to my 125 gallon??? I did a water change of 25 percent but the ammonia is still holding at 0.02 on the mardel live test strip.

yes you can use one of the filters off your established tank to help seed the new tank

I would not trust the live test strip..get the api test kit to be certain.

[Hagermanfd]

api liquid test kit confirms ammonia readings, i read a few forums and it is common for ammonia to be present in new tanks while still cycling, just advised to keep doing water changes, i guess i will stick to that while i wait to establish so i can add some fish

[Hooked Newbie]

Watauga is right (or you have ammonia present in the water source) if you are registering ammonia without adding any and having no waste producers. Have you tested your tap water by chance?

[yourchoice]

Check the tap water.Mine has.25 ammonia.

[wataugachicken]

api liquid test kit confirms ammonia readings, i read a few forums and it is common for ammonia to be present in new tanks while still cycling, just advised to keep doing water changes, i guess i will stick to that while i wait to establish so i can add some fish

it is common for ammonia to be present in tanks that are cycling, because you have to have ammonia present to cycle. the problem is that ammonia has to come from a source - it does not just magically appear. something has to cause the ammonia to be there. if not the sand, then the tap water.

[Star_Rider]

chloramine maybe??