Cycling my Saltwater tank

About a month ago I setup my 38gal tank + 14gal sump and got it cycling. Water changes were not able to be done often but i'm picking that up now.
Last week 9.5 kg LR (cured) was added to the tank. I saw s 2 tiny crabs in the holes of the holes of the LR. They are about half an inch big. Really tiny. Then to day I saw some white worm crawling on the glass, it had kinda like spikes on its back only. Dunno what that is, yet. I also have a oyster or clam or something that came wit the lve rock. I'll get pics soon, hopefully. Apart from those I have 2 snails, a hermit crab and a starfish for live stock in the tank, which I got from the local waters.
Readings done last week was-
Nitrate-25
Phosphate- below 0.1
Ammonia (total dslvd) 0.25
Alk- 1.6-1.7
pH- too blue to take a reading with red sea testkit.
Nirite-1.5mg

Today

Calcium- 450ppm
PO4- 0.1+
Alk- Low? 1.6+
Ammonia- 0.25
Nitrate- 0+
Nitrite- 0.1mg

Pls all you Saltwater guys, advise me or tip on anything you think i'd need to know!

If you want to know exactly what's in this tank click the following link-
38 Gallon tank

 

Kool. I had nothing come out of my LR. Ayways when are you planning on getting more LR?? Also what's your SG reading?? If you plan on make it a reef do 1.204 to 1.206. Oh I did have something come out, a coral. Thou no one has been able it tell what it is I think its a poylp.

 

I guess i'm lucky, tho I believe crabs are not very good when they get big.
Yep reef is what I have in mine, my salinity is at 1.024-
There are lots of stuff growing on the LR and one looks suspiciously like apitaisia!! Its at the back an really small so i'm not all that sure.

 

Well my is a reef already cuase I have a coral. I have to go and buy the calsuI'm tests and other stuff so I'll know if I have everything a reef needs. I wasen't planning on making it a reef until I had all the things I needed. I would also get more LR. It doesn't have to be cured.

 

Going to have to get about 10kg+ more. I'm going get that slowly as I get the cash. I much prefer cured, saves me the time and effort curing them!

 

Yeah but it more expensive.

 

Yeah but it more expensive.

True. I read that adding uncured rock would probably cause a minI cycle.

 

Tested again yesterday.
Nitrite-0.1
Ammonia-0.25
po4-0.1
Going to do another water change tonight.

 

See even with cured LR you will still cycle. My cycle lasted two weeks with sI'm cured rock.

 

Ay, I'm still getting these readings.

 

See even with cured LR you will still cycle. My cycle lasted two weeks with sI'm cured rock.

I have small pieces of partly cured LR now.

 

See even with cured LR you will still cycle. My cycle lasted two weeks with sI'm cured rock.

Ya, I did put in small semI cured live rock
and finally I think i've done with my cycle.
For those of you who are following this thread...
Got my first Saltwater fish! A yellow tail damsel. One of the hardiest, glad to say he seems on top of the world.

 

A yellow tail damsel. One of the hardiest, glad to say he seems on top of the world.

yeah and aggresive to

wot other fish do you have planned ??? nice tank to btw

 

ohhh and also if you can grab the crabs in your live rock I would sump them till you can identify them if they are hairy and have there own shell then get rid they will kill other inverts and some fish

 

yeah and aggresive to

wot other fish do you have planned ??? nice tank to btw

lol, true, but I didnt want to risk a fish less hardy as I wasn't 100% sure my water was right. So I well, kinda used him to test. I'll get the other hardy fish like a clown and fire fish in the next few weeks and then trade the yellow tail with my lfs before getting an angel.

 

green/blue chromis are good for cycling and not aggresive and cheaper prob the cheapest fish (marine)

 

be sure to trade the damsel in before getting the clown. Clownfish are damsels and not aggressive ones either. I added a clown into my tank and monitored to see aggressive behavior from my damsel; took only 30 seconds. Damsels and angels though get along well and don't bother each other at all.

 

be sure to trade the damsel in before getting the clown. Clownfish are damsels and not aggressive ones either. I added a clown into my tank and monitored to see aggressive behavior from my damsel; took only 30 seconds. Damsels and angels though get along well and don't bother each other at all.

Thanks, for telling me. I got used to calling them clowns and forgot that they were damsels.

 

ohhh and also if you can grab the crabs in your live rock I would sump them till you can identify them if they are hairy and have there own shell then get rid they will kill other inverts and some fish

Yeah, I have been trying. Tough job, they always dart into the LR as soon as they spot movement. I got 1 so far and am trying to get the others. There are abt 7 of them, nope they have no shells.

 

HI I have a brackish 40 gallon (with sump) aquarium. It has 2 Green Spotted Puffers, 2 Bumble Bee Gobies and 3 Nerite Snails. Its almost fully salt (about 4 weeks) and I was wondering if the tank, substrate and filter is cycled then does the rock haft to be cycled.

Also what rock should I use, I don't want to use live rock because I don't want the pests. So what should I use.

 

You don't like corals?

 

Buy dry rock-I have purchased here and always happy.

 

I do want corals.

Can you help me with the cycling thing?

 

HI I have a brackish 40 gallon (with sump) aquarium. It has 2 Green Spotted Puffers, 2 Bumble Bee Gobies and 3 Nerite Snails. Its almost fully salt (about 4 weeks) and I was wondering if the tank, substrate and filter is cycled then does the rock haft to be cycled.

Also what rock should I use, I don't want to use live rock because I don't want the pests. So what should I use.

No, if you already have a cycle with a filter, then you do not need the live rock to be cycled.

 

My recommendation would be to pick up a 32 gallon garbage can on rollers. Get a marine compatible 100-150 watt tank heater and then pick up one of these for a powerhead:



The mount may take several tries to get to stick to the inside of the garbage can, but for the money it is perfect for cycling rock (I used the exact same unit/config to cycle 50lbs of carribsea life rock in the method mentioned above). You will then need to add a source of bacteria and ammonia. Some kind of seed bacteria will work and then you can either use ammonia or fish food if you so desire to start the process. You could also get a single small piece of live rock to help seed the bacteria. Be advised with dry rock the process will take longer This will allow you to keep your current tank running without harming your inhabitants and then you can transfer the rock once it is cycled.

No, if you already have a cycle with a filter, then you do not need the live rock to be cycled.

I have to disagree with that. The rock still needs to go through some kind of cycling process as 40lbs of rock with bacteria die off is going to overwhelm the biological filter that currently exists in his tank. He should cycle the rock separately in a garbage can as a precaution and then add it to the tank once it is done.

 

What if I use man made rock do I need live rock for corals.

I have to disagree with that. The rock still needs to go through some kind of cycling process as 40lbs of rock with bacteria die off is going to overwhelm the biological filter that currently exists in his tank. He should cycle the rock separately in a garbage can as a precaution and then add it to the tank once it is done.

Wouldn't man made rock not have that bacteria.

 

Wouldn't man made rock not have that bacteria.

It doesn't, but the whole point of having live rock is to establish a large biological filter which needs/has bacteria. A natural part of the process is a certain amount of die off of said bacteria while it establishes itself.

 

I'm a beginner and I don't want the pests so what should I use?

 

Use dry rock if you don't want pests and you already have a cycle. Sorry Jesterrace I meant dry rock.

 

Use dry rock if you don't want pests and you already have a cycle. Sorry Jesterrace I meant dry rock.

ah, okay.