new 125g tank 1st fish

;D My tank has been set-up for about 6 weeks. I added 70lbs of live rock on the 22 of October. I really didn't have much of a cycle. Most of my live rock came from an established tank. I put cocktail shrimp in for 4days and only got an ammonia reading of 5.0. After a few days a I had a small nitrite reading, then everything went to 0. The lfs told me to wait 2 weeks and if everything is still 0 i could add fish slowly. I put 2 tank raised false clowns and 3 green chromis in on Nov,11. One of the green chromis died on the third day. He never really came out from behind the rocks. The other fish are all fine so far. I am keeping a close eye on my readings cause the small cycle has me a little nevrous. My readings for ammonia and nitrite are still 0. On the 11th the lfs tested my nitrates and he used one of those stick things and my nitrates were the first shade of pink. He said that was great. I haven't been able to get the swing of testing mt nitrates yet. I have the liquid master test kit. It has a few different things that have to be done just right or your test won't come out with the correct reading. I must do something wrong cause I have never gotten a reading,that is why I am having the lfs test the water too. I have my fingers crossed.

 

Those stick things that the LFS used are notoriously inaccurate...
It looks llike you did everything right. I wouldn't be nervous about the small spike especially since most of your live rock was already cured and established. Plus it's a 125 gallon tank with 4 small fishies You would have to dump alot of food in there to make an ammonia spike. I would attribute the loss of the chromis to the lfs or something else. (sometimes I see the fish in a lfs and it sends shivers up my spine) But thats another subject.
Everything looks Great to me. Keep on track.
"Go Slow let it Grow" Matt the Kingfish




Jim

 

The first tank I set up also experienced a very small spike (even with the cocktail shrimp I added), and I too was very nervous about it...once I noticed that all of my readings were still 0 after a few weeks, I went ahead and added fish. If your fish are doing well and you are not over or under feeding and your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels are all remaining 0, then you are most likely fine! As for testing, I recommend (as do many others) the Salifert test kits. They seem to be the easiest and the most accurate...much better than the dip sticks.

Anyway, thats my 2 cents.

Enjoy and welcome to 3reef...the people here are very knowledgable and helpful...you will get a lot of good information from them, I sure have!

-Mike

 

I had the same issue, tried to save time by using the 'all in one' dip strips. Could never get my PH up, or my nitrates down. Got seachem liquid tests and bingo PH tested 7.8 on the strip, 8.2 on the seachem. Nitrate 40 on the strip, barely 5 on the seachem. So much for saving time!!