Cycled Tank

What should the parameters of a cycled tank look like?

 

How long has the tank been running?

 

Yeah, it varies. I just had to go by how long my tank was up and running because my numbers looked good from day one.

Also, what kind of bioload do you have presently?

 

Depending on what you plan to keep, some numbers are more important than others. Your ammonia and nitrites should now be undetectable. Nitrates should begin to accumulate, but should at this stage be very low. Salinity between 1.022 and 1.026.

If you're going to keep corals, calcium should be about 440, magnesium 1350 or thereabouts, and alkalinity between 8 and 11 dKH.

There are other parameters which will be more important later on, like maybe strontium, molybdenum, and some other items which you should be less concerned with at this point. If corals are not in your future, Ca, Mg and Alkalinity aren't crucial, but should in no event be outside the parameters of natural seawater.

Here's a great article with some numbers of which you should be aware.

Good luck to you!!

 

well, i added 2 small damsels yesterday and i tested my water today and it is 75deg 0 nitrites, o nitrates, ph is around 8.3 or so. but the amonia looks like .25 or maybe a little bit less. The fish are both still healthy and eating well. am i towards the end of the cycle? I started it about 3 weeks ago i think

 

2 Damsels!?! Good luck! Those little terds are going to terrorize the tank when you start stocking up. They can be lil' devils when there is more than One. As far as the cycling......it's been 3 weeks but it all has to do with what you set it up with like the amount of LR or base rock along with amount of sand........every tank is different. I don't see that you've posted your tanks specs and sorry if you did but I missed it.

 

No where near the end... cycle should be assumed done at week 12. If you are still seeing ammonia then you are just at the beginning stages. As ammonia goes down nitrite will go up then down then nitrate will go up then down. The addition of the damsels is a good thing though! Don't add any more stock besides maybe some snails later on. As I mentioned before dont assume your near the end until week 12, and GO SLOW!! Remember only bad things and bank account drains happen quickly in sw tanks. As Matt says, "Go slow & let it grow!!"

 

Yeah--what he said.

To reiterate--you're done cycling when ammonia and nitrites are zero, and nitrates have begun to show.

 

Hey guys thanks for the advice, I apreciate it. Just have 3 more questions for you

1) should i be using carbon at this point? or after it has cycled?

2) i am adding trace elements to the tank because the salt i bought initially doesnt look like it has any. is it good to be using this now, i thought it would be good for the coraline algea growth?

3) i shuldnt change the water for 13 weeks or until the tank cyles? What about adding what has evaporated?

 

Depends on what kind of damsels. I have a yellow tail and a blue that were my first ever fish and they are fine. In fact, my clowns terrorize the damsels.