First Tank - Project (First Fish! Pics Tomorrow)

Cycle update, and I would like any thoughts y'all have!

It is day 7 now. I have been keeping ammonia at 4ppm. Around day 4, I started to see the ammonia start dropping daily, so (contrary to suggestions) I started vodka dosing. Yesterday I had a tiny nitrate reading (tested before I added some frozen food), it was lower this morning, and zero this afternoon. The ammonia has been dropping an average of 2ppm/day since day 5.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

And I have started to see new coralline growth!! The green stain looking stuff is starting to show up around the tank, I read some people say this precedes purple/red.

 

Sounds like everything is coming along alright. It's common to see those sudden drops with ammonia and nitrite. I had my tank go from ammonia at 6.0 ppm and down to zero in 24 hrs during my cycle. I had similar results with nitrites, but you won't see this with nitrates. When you see your nitrates spike it's time for a 50% water change.

Keep us posted.;D

 

Awesome progress so far! Keep up the good work.

 

Yup might as well get the skimmer broken in sooner rather than later.

 

Ok, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Talked to the LFS and told them everything I was doing and had done. They said that it was really strange not to see any nitrates at all, even though I have been dosing carbon. I dropped some frozen food in on Thursday, then checked phosphates and nitrate yesterday using tubes of RO water for comparison. Yesterday there was about a tiny bit of nitrate, I just wasnt seeing it until I compared against a control, and the phosphate spiked (assuming that was from the food). Today the levels were:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Ph - 8.4
Temp - 82
Salinity - 1.024

I dosed back up to 1ppm, just for the heck of it. Going to check Monday (can't go in tomorrow), but if the current trend keeps happening everything should be 0 by then. Still dosing vodka everyday. I also turned the heater down to what I am hoping will be 78, in anticipation of some CUC or maybe a fish later next week *crosses fingers*.

 

Thoughts on ordering through Petco's store and picking up when they arrive, never having left the bags..? I'm gagging at the thought of Petco, but the LFS's in this area have a very minimal selection.

 

My ammonia went back to zero so after a water change I decided it was time to take the plunge. I got a little ocellaris clown at the LFS; I also got 5 hermits to clean up some of the food I put in during the cycle (and they are so cool). I'll put some picture up later. I was going to go with reefcleaners, but I don't have any algae yet so I'm going to hold off on the snails.

The day after I put the clown in my ammonia spiked a little, maybe .25 but likely less. I did a PWC and added a tiny bit of prime to the tank. The little clown looks like he is doing great though, and he even ate today (guess the move wasn't so bad).

 

His/Her sides were a little darker than I was expecting.. Normal?

 

I either have cyno- or coralline starting to show up. I can just seen tiny little spots of purple on the rocks and glass. Not enough to picture or ID yet, but soon... Clown is still doing great; He is eating really well and looks to be very healthy. Still have a trace of ammonia that I am fighting.

 

Maybe diatoms if on glass, should see it disappear as silicates are used up