What is wrong with my tank (cycling for 2 months)

[yungocellaris]

Hello, I frequent these forums but finally I’ve bit the bullet and made and account. I need help

600L tank, 6x2x2, 100L sump. NYOS skimmer.


I’m honestly not sure what’s wrong. My phosphate was through the roof. Got it down using Phosphate X (Lanthanum)

Magnesium <1000ppm
Calcium 600ppm
Alkalinity 12.6dkh
pH 7.8
Phosphate 0.07 as of this morning / but was 0.90 and yesterday was 0.11
Salinity 35/36

can some one help me, I tested with some hermits and they come out of their shells and I put them back into my smaller tank. I’m too scared to put anything in there.

I do have some rock work. That “was” live. But is now dead

Any help would be appreciated

 

[yungocellaris]

really the tank does not look that bad, I mean for a cycling tank.

My tank recently cycled and probably took 5 months until no more algae. I did start with a small amount of coraline encrusted live tank rock, but it was only a small percentage compared to my new dry rock. Also I did add MB7 and Dr Tims stuff along the way.

I would agree that the live rock had die off, which is why it should be cured first in a bucket. But you got it done just happened in the display tank. The die off probably overloaded the small amount of bacteria in the tank and slowed the process along with growing some algae. But good news, it sounds like you are back on track.

If it was my tank, I would stop doing huge water changes and maybe none at all until ammonia goes away. You are trying to build the denitrifying bacteria but you are slowing its growth down with the constant large W/C's.

Again, if it was me, I would try to remove as much algae from the tank and blow off the rocks with a baster. immediately following this I would add bacteria as suggested, maybe the starter stuff and then next week MB7. and then a few more times. Your skimmer should be off for this for probably 24hours after dosing. You want to get large quantities of nitrifying bacteria to grow on the surfaces. This why people will tell you not to clean the glass, sand and rock. It still did it.

While I am waiting for that to happen for that process to finish, I would learn to balance Ca, Alk and Mg. Mg should be the easiest to maintain. I have found great results with Mg 1300-1350, Ca 400-450, Alk 8-10, PH 8-8.3, PO4 .05-1, NO3 2-20, your milage may vary. You need test kits for these and need to check almost daily at first and then weekly and later on once you have developed your own system of dosing that is consistent then monthly.

To limit algae growth in these first months the lights should be less than 50% and maybe less depending on your setup and I would really wait until getting corals to ramp up slowly.

A Clean up crew is a must with a variety of snails. I personally don't do hermits but that is me. Get emeralds if you have bubble. I find trocus and margarita snails work good. Ceriths always find a way into your plumbing and turbos are good but die too quick. With sand you also want nassarius. Also a sand sifting star. These CUC's are a must and should be replenished or added to maintain a clean tank.

That's it for now. There is a lot to learn in this hobby. Best advice is to go slow with everything and learn to be consistent. Once you start neglecting things and especially if it is not dialed in and on auto pilot it will turn sideways quick.

Wow thankyou for your knowledge and advice. I have learnt only things that come quick are bad in this hobby haha.

My Ammonia in the morning was 0.11ppm so lower. But I’ll definitely blast the rocks and clear up the algae. I purchased some Fritz turbo start. Because dr Tim’s is like 350$ in aus