CMOS
Reefing newb
Hello All,
I have a 50 super high that I'm making a reef tank out of. Here are the details:
Tank set up (w/ Supreme Skilter 250 filter, twin Actinic Blues & 175W Metal Halide) about one month ago with base rock (dead). Ran for 2 weeks (no ammonia) and then I added about 35 pounds of good quality freshly harvested live rock. 2 weeks after the introduction of the LR I still had 0 ammonia and nitrite, however I do have about 15-20ppm of Nitrate, and a very prosperous bloom of brown algae (diatoms).
I am unsure why I didn't see the cycle go through ammonia and nitrite, yet now I am seeing the Nitrate.
Is it possible since my live rock probably had little dead stuff on it that the tank did go through the ammonia and nitrite cycle, but on a level too low for my test kit?
Thoughts?
Since I "thought" I was on the back side of the cycle, a couple days ago I added 2 small frags of soft corals - and they do not appear to be happy at all (not coming out).
I'll probably move these to my brother's tank temporarily until I get things evened out.
Another note - In the next couple of days I'll be adding an Eheim with some bio media and carbon.
Thanks for any responses/suggestions.
CMOS
I have a 50 super high that I'm making a reef tank out of. Here are the details:
Tank set up (w/ Supreme Skilter 250 filter, twin Actinic Blues & 175W Metal Halide) about one month ago with base rock (dead). Ran for 2 weeks (no ammonia) and then I added about 35 pounds of good quality freshly harvested live rock. 2 weeks after the introduction of the LR I still had 0 ammonia and nitrite, however I do have about 15-20ppm of Nitrate, and a very prosperous bloom of brown algae (diatoms).
I am unsure why I didn't see the cycle go through ammonia and nitrite, yet now I am seeing the Nitrate.
Is it possible since my live rock probably had little dead stuff on it that the tank did go through the ammonia and nitrite cycle, but on a level too low for my test kit?
Thoughts?
Since I "thought" I was on the back side of the cycle, a couple days ago I added 2 small frags of soft corals - and they do not appear to be happy at all (not coming out).
Another note - In the next couple of days I'll be adding an Eheim with some bio media and carbon.
Thanks for any responses/suggestions.
CMOS