New tank cycling, is this normal?

[mmorrison55]

I added the below to my build thread, it wanted to add it here as well to hopefully get more exposure and replies.

Thanks for any help or suggestions given.

The water was added Monday the 30th ~ 4 pm. At the time, my skimmer and filter roller were in the sump. Filter roller was on, but skimmer was powered off.

Tuesday morning, I pulled out the filter roller and skimmer, and added some Fritz’s ammonium chloride powder around noon. I added the recommended quantity based on 180 gallons.

Tuesday evening when I could get to my LFS, I picked up some Dr Tim’s One and Only and added to the tank around 8 pm.

Fast FWD 1.5 days, Attached are the side view shots taken this morning.

Only my return pumps are on.

I don’t have an amonia or nitrite test kit. I will pick one of each up as soon as I can get to my LFS later today.

I do have one of those seachem ammonia sticker deals that attach and remain on the inside of the tank.

But this thing has not changed since it was added Tuesday night.

Also, I should probably add that I have Carib sea Fiji Pink live sand in the bottom of the tank.

the saltwater they filled the tank with is Red Sea.

So is this normal @ this stage to still be cloudy? I’ve read it’s likely the nitrifying bacteria doing its thing.

But I was just curious what others experienced and if there was anything I maybe should be watching or doing differently.

 

[brandon429]

That’s unrinsed sand clouding it might probably clear in two days

Might probably = the several examples we can find where unrinsed sand didn’t clear at all, but you’ve got to be really unlucky for that. Might probably most likely it is, then

In the future, you can pre rinse the sand in tap water first to stop that, and it will harm nothing to rinse it, even though the bag says live sand. What the bag should say to buyers: very very cloudy sand, please pre rinse. What we’d have then is a million instantly clean tanks upon startup, and all cycles still progressing the same way, because sand bacteria don’t matter in reefing they’re tolerated. Not helpful

(You have enough bacteria on the rocks, sandbed bac are space, oxygen, waste competition and unhelpful bioload in the tank especially during power outages or stresses. Sandbed bacteria aren’t helpful, though we’ve been told they are in all cases. They’re tolerated bioloading we don’t get to actually enjoy, which is why pre rinsing for guaranteed clarity is good for all home reefs, all the time.)

 

[mmorrison55]

In the future, you can pre rinse the sand in tap water first to stop that, and it will harm nothing to rinse it, even though the bag says live sand.

Good to know. that was my logic of why I didn’t think of rinsing. When the bag said live… I’m like why would you rinse out all the bacteria that makes it “live” sand in the 1st place.

 

[mmorrison55]

I’ll keep testing my ammonia and nitrite levels for the phase progress, and then if it’s not cleared up by the weekend, will reevaluate.

It does look a bit clearer now than when I took the photo this morning, but hard to say.

I’ll try to remember to take the same photos from the sides in the morning and compare.

 

[mpatterson42]

One thing to keep in mind with that badge is that it will measure free ammonia, where the test kits will measure total ammonia. So don't be surprised if the badge shows the "ALERT" (0.05ppm) but the test kit shows 2ppm.

I agree with brandon that this is just probably cloudiness from the sand. Let the system sit for a while, it's going to take days/weeks to fully cycle. Be patient. Don't freak out. Don't try and fix everything, it will usually resolve on its own.

 

[mmorrison55]

One thing to keep in mind with that badge is that it will measure free ammonia, where the test kits will measure total ammonia. So don't be surprised if the badge shows the "ALERT" (0.05ppm) but the test kit shows 2ppm.

I agree with brandon that this is just probably cloudiness from the sand. Let the system sit for a while, it's going to take days/weeks to fully cycle. Be patient. Don't freak out. Don't try and fix everything, it will usually resolve on its own.

I was reluctant to get just the badge that the kid at the LFS said was all I needed, so I did go ahead and order nitrite and ammonia test kits that will be here tomorrow. if they were closer by, I’d probably just take them water samples to test every other day, but they are a bit too far for regular visits.

No panicking yet, but I was a bit concerned.

Thanks for the reassurance.

 

[brandon429]

How to instantly turn this into a testless cycle

Take one small pinch of any fish food, grind it up

Add to system

Wait ten days, change half the water, it's cycled and it doesn't matter if you test it to confirm: it's cycled by rules set from really large testless cycling work threads. That means you can send those kits back. This combo can't fail to be ammonia ready by day ten, every cycling chart in every book shows.
B

Now that clouding, and an exact start date of j12 has been found, you might wonder what's left to concern... there's a concern alright


Fish disease. When you add your first fish, they'll be just fine and that's key to the risk


Because then you'll add more

And all along, your cycle holds without any testing... only for the hidden kill by summertime

Delayed disease onset. Be sure and aim all study, all concern, into the disease forum learning about vector controls, qt, fallow, stocking order etc and cycling will factor 0% in anything moving forward. Thought that might help to know

You're setting up a new dry rock cycle destined to be stocked from fish stores

That means disease is the planned study for sure, check out the rate of new help posts everyday in the disease forum. It's massive, it's coming.

No matter if you cycle slow, or cycle by calculated wait times or even if you skip cycle (adding fish with the bacteria skips the cycle and doesn't harm fish, spiking the ammonia really high to 2ppm is what takes time to rebalance. Dosing to 2ppm isn't necessary but OK if you've done it. We count ten)

The course of disease runs the same, with a shockingly predictable timing/8 mos, based on data in the disease forum posts.

First required reading in my opinion is this

Biosecurity

A short introduction to aquarium biosecurity

www.reef2reef.com

Re: everything wet you'll ever add from a pet store to your tank requires disease vector consideration. Skip it once, lose ten years worth of fish easy

 

[BryanM]

I added the below to my build thread, it wanted to add it here as well to hopefully get more exposure and replies.

Thanks for any help or suggestions given.

my recent tank swap, I wish I had rinsed the new crushed coral substrate .... it took 3 days to clear.

 

[mmorrison55]

How to instantly turn this into a testless cycle

Take one small pinch of any fish food, grind it up

Add to system

Wait ten days, change half the water, it's cycled and it doesn't matter if you test it to confirm: it's cycled by rules set from really large testless cycling work threads. That means you can send those kits back. This combo can't fail to be ammonia ready by day ten, every cycling chart in every book shows.
B

Now that clouding, and an exact start date of j12 has been found, you might wonder what's left to concern... there's a concern alright


Fish disease. When you add your first fish, they'll be just fine and that's key to the risk


Because then you'll add more

And all along, your cycle holds without any testing... only for the hidden kill by summertime

Delayed disease onset. Be sure and aim all study, all concern, into the disease forum learning about vector controls, qt, fallow, stocking order etc and cycling will factor 0% in anything moving forward. Thought that might help to know

You're setting up a new dry rock cycle destined to be stocked from fish stores

That means disease is the planned study for sure, check out the rate of new help posts everyday in the disease forum. It's massive, it's coming.

No matter if you cycle slow, or cycle by calculated wait times or even if you skip cycle (adding fish with the bacteria skips the cycle and doesn't harm fish, spiking the ammonia really high to 2ppm is what takes time to rebalance. Dosing to 2ppm isn't necessary but OK if you've done it. We count ten)

The course of disease runs the same, with a shockingly predictable timing/8 mos, based on data in the disease forum posts.

First required reading in my opinion is this

Biosecurity

A short introduction to aquarium biosecurity

www.reef2reef.com

Re: everything wet you'll ever add from a pet store to your tank requires disease vector consideration. Skip it once, lose ten years worth of fish easy

Thanks. I’ll be sure to give that a read.

 

[mmorrison55]

my recent tank swap, I wish I had rinsed the new crushed coral substrate .... it took 3 days to clear.

If I could go back, I would have rinsed! I only added to my clarity countdown time as the more and more I looked at my tank, I did not like the sand bed. It was just too much, so I removed 20-30 lbs tonight. Needless to say, it stirred up a lot, so I’m back to the beginning as far as required days for potential clarity.