HI, need advice

[sharelove]

Hi, I am completely new to this and there is no one at this time with whom I can connect in person here in Nelson that has experience and time and can share knowledge :-(
The good side to the internet is I can connect with all you wonderful people from all over the world! Please feel free to post your thoughts to my newbie questions!
Firstly, I should tell you what I have and where i'm going with it: I have a 90gal or 339Liter glass tank. I've bought a FF (foam fractionator) a few powerheads, a jebo canister filter, a couple of very good beginner books and other paraphenalia. I introduced 70lbs/32kgs of live uncured rock from Tonga. I just put the rock in a week ago. I've got nothing else in there now. I will be adding sand and live sand, and then I would like to start adding FISH!! and a cleaner crew - hermit crabs, snails etc...
So what I would like to know is, at this point, I just took my first readings re: tests, and my results seem low to me. I should mention that I have done some water changes in order to get my salinity correct. For the first part of the week it was a bit low around .014 -.017 but now i've dialed it in at around .021-.022 (getting used to using the cheap plastic "deep six" hydrometer...)
Ammonia >0.2
Nitrite >0.1
Nitrate >10
Ph between 7.8 & 7.9

What do you all think? am I doing OK? Is my rock gonna die!!!???

:-)

thanks again for your patience and hearing me out. I look forward to participating as I get better at this!
cheers,
marc

[OCDP]

Welcome to Canreef

So, right to the point .... your rock will not die. Do you have any light over your tank? You should try to boost your salinity up to about 1.024 for now, maybe 1.025. Boost it up a point a day , (is the general rule) But you don't have any livestock in there so I would think you could boost it two points a day or something.

Seeing as the live rock is uncured, your paramaters seem to be fairly good for using uncured rock. Do not add anything to your tank until ammonia, and nitrite are 0. Nitrate should be as close to zero as possible.

Right now the best thing for you to do is wait out the cycle.. your tank may have not spiked yet (paramaters go sky high, then back down) You want to make sure your ammonia and nitrites are as darn close to zero as you can get them (water changes) .. etc.. Do a lot of reading, here on Canreef, ask any question you may have as this will be greatly beneficial to yourself and your tank. When starting out , it's normal to have a bizillion questions, so fire away..there's lots of people here that can help.

[michika]

I think from what I'm reading your cycle is begining!

Welcome to the board!

[christyf5]

First off, welcome to Canreef!!!

You're doing fine. Your rock isn't going to die. Right now your tank is just cycling and the bacterial populations are growing in order to deal with the levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in your tank. Once cycling is complete, you should see all 3 levels go to zero. At this point you can start adding your cleanup crew and fish. Go slowly with the fish. Remember that each fish you add will be producing waste and will mess with those ammonia levels and the bacterial populations will need time to reduce them to nitrite and nitrate.

I would give the rock at least another 2-3 weeks, if not more (keep an eye on those parameters) to cycle before you start adding stuff.

Christy

[Beverly]

Welcome to Canreef

Here is my webpage on curing live rock....

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/reeftips-curingliverock.htm

[sharelove]

should I be adding the sand now? or is it best to wait until the rock has cycled. I was told that it should go in right away that way it will become live too like the rock. I bought 3 bags of caribsea's aragamax select and one bag of fiji pink live sand.
thanks,
marc

[Bob I]

Add it right now so that it too will become live.

[Beverly]

I'd wait to add the sand until the rock has completely cycled. That way you can siphon out all the crud that comes off the rock which will settle to the bottom. Exporting that crud and doing a very large water change after cycling will, imo, reduce nuisance algae afterward.

[Ruth]

Also before you add the sand be sure to rinse it really well with RODI or change water or you will have a cloudy tank for a long time and all that dust will get into your pumps and filters.
Oh and welcome to Canreef - good to have another member.

[monza]

Maybe don't wash that "live sand" what ever that really is. But thats just a guess, if it's really alive you'll wash the life out of it.

Dave