An issue of semantics....a-gain
Moe_K said:
Kelly,
I think your cycle hasn't finished at all. 30ppm nitrates is still cycling, IMO. You should wait until the 'trates drop off to zero.
I guess this is a semantics issue again
If there are nitrates (NO
3-) present, and undetectable nitrites (NO
2-), then technically, the
nitrogen cycle has completed; the microorganisms responsible for converting organic nitrogen to nitrate have been established, and any original reduced organic nitrogen has been fully oxidized to nitrate. However, in my opinion, for reef aquaria, this does
not mean your tank is
established, or even closed to being there. In short, completing your nitrogen cycle is just one step on the road to having an established reef aquarium.
From my personal experience, with high quality live rock, the nitrogen cycle can happen very quickly. Blink and you can miss it. However, the tank has a long way to go to being established, and there is no test kit for establishment. I personally think test kits as a whole give ballpark estimates, at best, and thus should not be relied upon (except at the beginning or when something goes horribly wrong)
In my opinion, 30mg/L nitrate for a new aquarium is a good sign, and this nitrate will abate as it is consumed by algae and exported by water changes. I would not worry at all about such a nitrate level.
Nitrate reduction to nitrogen gas (N
2) can occur by way of a variety of pathways, and is a different process from the nitrogen cycle we talk about. The cycle that we talk about refers to nitrogen oxidation from organic nitrogen to nitrate, not reduction of nitrate back to nitrogen gas. All our aquaria have different nitrogen reduction pathways and mechanisms (i.e., some of us use a DSB, while others use a bare bottom tank), and therefore, I would personally not wait for nitrogen gas bubbles to appear in the sand and nitrate to drop to zero.
Personally, I feel you are ready to add your cleanup invertebrates a little at a time, and perform water changes as necessary. Without a fish load, I believe your nitrates will eventually abate.
soccer4life94 said:
...I think I will focus on getting some plants in the fuge,...
Kelly,
Having plants (more specifically macroalgae) in your refugium will greatly help in pulling thos nitrates down. Watch for good growth during this time,
Matt