# How is my tank set up?



## jhebi (Sep 27, 2005)

It has been 3 days that i set up my tank

55gl, LS, and 60lbs of LR. 2 emperors 400, 2 ph's max, skimmer, heater.....

I put it 4 cooked shrimp 2 days ago, i guess to built bacteria, someone told me to add them and let them rot for a faster and better cycling. Wehn should i take them out?

and my readings now are
the reading came out 1.017 and 18 of salt

and my readings are ph 8, amo 1.0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5

how are they????


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## Electric Monk (Sep 6, 2005)

jhebi said:


> It has been 3 days that i set up my tank
> 
> 55gl, LS, and 60lbs of LR. 2 emperors 400, 2 ph's max, skimmer, heater.....
> 
> ...


Take them out now, with 60lbs of live rock you really don't need them. Give your tank another couple of days and it will be cycled, just keep checking your Ammonia, NO2 and NO3 over this period for any unexpected die-off on the LR. (Won't matter much with a decent water change after the cycle but it's always usefull to know what's going on). Your SG is low, look for 1.022-1.023.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

or if you're going reef, around 1.025. the dieoff of stuff from liverock should be enough to get the cycle going.


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## jhebi (Sep 27, 2005)

Ok..will Take The Shrimp Out....will Post My Readings Lter On....tks Guys


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## jhebi (Sep 27, 2005)

this is my 7th day and just finished the readings

ph8
am 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

amonia already spiked up on the 3rd day and now is 0 for the last 3 days, nitrite and nitrate also spiked up but now is zero...

My question is am i done on the cycle or should i wait couple more days and get some moRe readings again>>

i still believe is so fast......i have a 55gl with 60lbs of LR and also LS....2 emperor 400, 2 ph's. skimmer.

thank you


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

cycled in seven days with livesand and liverock is a good possibility... Id still monitor your levels, but get some critters in there such as some of your clean up crew, and one or two fish.


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## jhebi (Sep 27, 2005)

I Will Add Some Food For Couple Days To See If The Amonia Will Spike Again, If Not Than I Will Add Living Things In There...just Want To Be Cautios =)


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## jhebi (Sep 27, 2005)

well today did the test and the readings remain the same.....nothing changed

i m thinkin of taking a sample of tank water to my LFS and ask them how does it look....


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

sounds good to me... I would do that and then get a few critters to put in there!


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## Electric Monk (Sep 6, 2005)

Fishfirst said:


> sounds good to me... I would do that and then get a few critters to put in there!


Too right 


You need to 'push' your tank a bit now, build on the bacteria filter you have in the tank and get it to grow, get your cleaning crew in the tank asap and even......your first fish (you know you want to  )


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