Is my tank cycling "ok"? With Pics!

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calpoly12

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 10, 2010
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Paso Robles, CA
Tank has been set up for about a week now. Temp is about 78 F. Salinity is fine. Tested my water today and the PH was about 8.0-8.2. Ammonia is .5-1.0 PPM still and has been for the past week. Nitrate is around 10 PPM and Nitrite is around .5 PPM. Alkalinity is around 250 PPM. Anyway I was wondering if my tank is cycling "ok" according to my water test. I did develop what I believe is some blue-green algae (see picture below) and I read that this is what a cycled tank starts to develop. I am also thinking of some "chemi-pure" from the LFS. Is this a good idea this early in the game? If so should I add some filter floss?Where should I put the filter floss? Finally I do have the bio-balls in there and if I get some chemi-pure, should I pull them all out at once or should I slowly do it? Much thanks in advance for any help!!!!!!

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tank looks like its doing its thing...give it more time. I have never used chemi pure so I dont know if it would be a bad thing. As far as the algae, its not...looks like typical daitom growth to me, which is normal in a new tank. Let it cycle and use somthing to keep NO3/PO4 levels down like macro's or chemi pure and that stuff will all go away.
 
Don't dose anything. Let it do it's thing naturally. The diatom will cover the sand and glass, then disappear one day. The cycle can take up to 6 weeks.
 
Looks like a normaly cycle to me. Its gonna look nasty, but that will clear up on its own.
 
yup, agree with these other kids. Looks fine. Don't add anything, you want the system to develop as much "filter" as it can on its own. I have used chemi pure, and find it to be a great product for water polishing. If you want to use carbon, it is some of the best. Just not yet.

filter floss should be the first thing the water goes through when it goes into the filter. bio Balls can be fine if you intend to do Fish only or FOWLR tanks. If you intend to raise hard corals, I would pull the bio balls right now and let the system develop its filter without them.

Leave the Chemipure out for now. If you want to add anything right now, think about a liter of Seachem Matrix in a filter bag. Good stuff, and develops well during cycling.

Keep up water changes. 10% a week minimum. Skipping this during cyling (hard cycling) kills alot of stuff and makes cycles take longer. (IME)
 
Looks good. Your tank is doing fine on it's own. Don't add anything, just be patience.
 
Chemi pure is nice...matrix carbon is nice...and purigen is king...but you dont want to be pulling out the bad chemicals that are helping to cycle your tank right now.

In a couple weeks you will be ready to go.
 
Alrighty so the diatom is spreading like crazy :( definitely looks ugly. I did notice that some bubbles, appears to be air, is on top of some of the diatom. I dont believe its bubble algae as I can touch the pockets of air and they float to the top and pop. It is also on some of my live rock. I think Im being paranoid but I just dont want an algae infestation. Should I do a slight water change? Also does anyone know how to increase circulation in a biocube as I was told this will take the algae away. I was looking into this http://www.google.com/products/cata...log_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ8gIwAA# let me know what ya guys think
 
Also, I got my water tested at the LFS and they said it was good to add a hardy fish like a chromie or something. Inputs?
 
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