Tank has been cycling for about a month and I think it may have stalled!

[jwavec]

My Ammonia, nitrite and nitrates have not moved in about 2 weeks. (My levels never really got extremely high, I used base rock and the table shrimp technique) So do I need to do a 10% water change, leave it alone, or do I need to "feed my tank" with some fish food, to keep the cycle moving along and not kill the bacteria that are in there? My readings are:

Ammonia: 0.125
Nitrite: 0.05
Nitrate: 5.00

Lastly, if a 10% water change is recommended(I have not done any water changes by the way) and my levels hit zero, is it ok to add a pair of clowns?(getting anxious)

[wwest]

I would recommend doing a water change. The water change will get your Ammonia and nitrite to 0 and it will bring the nitrate down some. Wait a few days (2-4) and then do another and the nitrates will come down even more.

What inverts or fish do you have in the tank right now? If you don't have anything in the tank you might want to consider feeding the tank something. I used frozen baby brine when i need too. Usually by the second to third week you can add hermit crabs and snails if you plan on keeping crabs and snails.

I would recommend getting the parameters down a little before you add clowns. You could add them now but with the level over 0 then you are taking a risk.

Have you tested Calcium, PH and Alk?

[jwavec]

I do not have anything except rock, water and sand right now. So should I do the water change and then feed the tank.

When can I add some snails and crabs? A few days after my water change and my levels are at zero?

PH is 1.7-2.8
PO4 is 0.2

[wwest]

If i were you i would do a water change and then wait 3-4 days and then test again.

With pretty much none of your levels reading 0 at point i wouldn't feed anything. I would focus more on getting your water perameters down to 0.

Your phosphates are up a little and thats not good since there isn't anything in your tank. In this case you might be feeding the tank to much or you might have die off from something else in the tank. Not sure which applies but i would say over feeding might be the ticket.

If may take a few water changes to get your levels down to 0 and since nothing is in the tank you can do a 15-20% water change since there isn't anything in there to shock. Once you do get the levels down to 0 then i would wait a day or two and add snails and crabs.

How are you messuring your PH? is that low range? Im not sure about 1.7-2.8?

[jwavec]

I have not fed my tank anything. The only thing that has ever been added was a table shrimp about a month ago.

Sorry I gave you my alkalinity reading.
My pH is 8.2

Thanks for all of your input.

[wwest]

No problem, one more question after you placed the table shrimp into the tank and let it take its course did you pull the shrimp out before it started to get really nasty?

[Phurst]

It sounds like wwest has got you covered. I just want to add, if you started with only base rock, you should probably add a couple of pieces of true live rock, since they usualy harbor much more that just nitrifying bacteria. Otherwise your rock won't truly be "live".

[jwavec]

I left the shrimp in the tank until it had almost "melted" away to nothing....probably about 14 days or so.

[salt-rookie]

BUMP the process along by adding some Bioyme and about 5ppm of ammonium chloride three times per day for a week. As soon as Nitrites hit 0 ppm do a 50% water change and you are good to go!