Were Im setting at

[youtoo54]

55 gallon tank water is as follows

PH 8.2
ALK 1.7-2.8
Nitrate is around 5ppm
Nitrite is less than .2
Amonia is less than .25

 

[Bifferwine]

It looks like you are the middle of your cycle. Next, ammonia, then nitrite should both drop to zero. When that happens, your cycle is finished. :)

 

[youtoo54]

This is on my 55g that has been set up for around 5 months now.

 

[Bifferwine]

You did something to start a cycle.

Did something die? Overfeeding?

 

[youtoo54]

Not that I know of. Is this maybe why my coral and GSP look like poop? Im also guessing that is hard on the couple of fish and the snails I have in there?

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes, ammonia and nitrite are toxic, even at low levels. Can you do a water change to try and bring them down?

 

[Reef Nutz]

Trite will have to catch the ammonia, trates will have to catch the trites. Water changes?? Don't think that gonna help out as the cycle has begun and will continue until everything stabilizes again.

 

[Bifferwine]

If those readings are accurate, then water changes will help to save his livestock. He can try and dilute them out.

 

[youtoo54]

The only thing I have done was change the filters on the Emporor 400 filter.(first time these have been changed since we started the salt water)

 

[Reef Nutz]

The only thing I have done was change the filters on the Emporor 400 filter.(first time these have been changed since we started the salt water)

:shock: Yikes. That may be an issue. :shock:

 

[youtoo54]

The amonia level may not be accurate. I think I was suppose to take the amonia reading and then do something with the ph and the tank temperature or something. Ill check when I get home today.

 

[wontonflip]

Is that a biowheel you're using? Just fyi, the problem with those filters is that if you change them out, you're essentially risking another (or longer) cycle because you'll be taking out bacteria that have colonized there...hence why most of us avoid those kinds of filters.....unnecessary extra work. You shoudl have just shaken off detritus, and put back in....but you really should just take it out altogether.

 

[youtoo54]

I didn't mess with the wheel part of the filter, just the filters behind the wheels. I actualy have a HOB sump filter also that I just installed a couple of weeks ago. I plan on doing away with the other soon.