The Good the Bad and the Ugly

I set up a new 90gal reef about a month ago. But when I did it I took all the water and the sand from my 55gal reef. Well I did a post in the inverts that did not go as planned. Well anyway I bought a new metal halide hood and my anemones started to shrink. Some people say the inverts were to high some say feed them but my nitrate(40ppm) and nitrite(0.5ppm) are high. So I wanna know is the tank not done going through its cycle? Or is it some thing else?

 

If you have nitrite you're not done with the cycle, it should never show up on a test in a healthy, established tank. Luckily nitrite is not as toxic in saltwater as it is in freshwater but probably means there's some ammonia in the water as well which is bad. Have you tested for ammonia?

Moving sandbeds is a pretty common way of triggering a little bit of a cycle unfortunately, its usually better just to buy new sand but at this point AFAIK you can just wait the cycle out.

 

It usually takes around 6 weeks to go through a cycle with a new tank.

 

Yes I have some ammonia .05

 

But the test just shows a little ammonia just enough to put a little color on test.

 

Those creatures need very good water. Its just part of the learning curve, we all go through it. Thats why we are all here. we never stop learning. Just try not to act like your smarter than everybody else and you'll be fine. LOL, I know your thread you had posted got heated cause of some complaining and arguing. I think it was your thread. But it can be hard to take advice when you get so many differant answers, this site can have to many egos with diff answers. It's sad but you have to take a general census and decide what you want to do. I feel lucky, I dont ask questions, cause I know it all. lmaojk

 

Thanks for info and I did not enjoy the battle. I'm new and am just looking to get the right info. I am sorry that it happened.

 

Hi, This is how I cycled my tank [55g].
1..Put shaped eggcrate on bottom glass with legs holding it 2in off bottom.
2..Put 1.5in [1mm] grain coral sand through this.
3..Placed 60kg cured live rock onto eggcrate and aqauscaped it.
4...Made up 200ltr salted & matured salt water @1.024sg at 24c and filled tank.
5..Wraped tank with black bin liner, and waited 3days for a start on ammonia.
6..Put 3spoonfulls of ammonia chloride into tank, and let it run.
7..Approx 40days later ,after nitite peak, and subsequent drop,add another 1 spoonfull.
8..When tis drops to zero nitrate, do it once more.
9..Let the nitrate settle out, and do 80% water change.
10.Leave for 2 weeks, take bin liner off, put coraline seed/rock in tank,bring parameters up.
11.Put clean up crew in tank after another 2 weeks, slowly bring lighting up.
12.After 2mth's, start putting corals in.
13.After 3mth's start putting correct amount of fish in.
[ absolutely no problems todate...12mth's old ]
Maintain parameters and 10/20% water changes.
Regards.