Cycling a tank

Summit09 · #1 08-05-2013, 09:40 PM

I've just started my first reef tank four days ago. I went and did a water test today and found 0 ammonia, nitrates at 5 or less, nitrites at .1 or less. The live rock in the tank has been cured, as for the live sand it did have a smell and I thought it would be enough to start a cycle. Should I have seen a rise in my water parameters already or may I have to add something to kick it off ?

Craigdillman · #2 08-05-2013, 10:31 PM

How big is your tank? If you started with live rock and live sand you could have cycled that quick. I would still wait a bit for the nitrites to come down and complete the cycle

When I started my 29 gallon with live rock and sand it only took like 6 days and everything was leveled out

Summit09 · #3 08-05-2013, 10:43 PM

It's 150gallon tank.

Craigdillman · #4 08-05-2013, 10:46 PM

how much live rock did you use

Summit09 · #5 08-05-2013, 10:58 PM

140lbs of live rock and 100 lbs of live sand.

Craigdillman · #6 08-05-2013, 11:02 PM

Maybe someone else will chime in but i bet you cycled that quick give it a few more days and see what the parameters do

NIVLEM09 · #7 08-05-2013, 11:59 PM

you can dose prodibio start up,if you like?also,PATIENCE is also good

Quote:

Originally Posted by Summit09

I've just started my first reef tank four days ago. I went and did a water test today and found 0 ammonia, nitrates at 5 or less, nitrites at .1 or less. The live rock in the tank has been cured, as for the live sand it did have a smell and I thought it would be enough to start a cycle. Should I have seen a rise in my water parameters already or may I have to add something to kick it off ?

Summit09 · #8 08-06-2013, 12:11 AM

I'm in no rush, I was just told that I should have seen some kind of higher readings when checking within a couple days of starting the tank.

MitchM · #9 08-06-2013, 12:58 AM

It could be fine right now, it depends on how cured the live rock was.
If the live rock was taken from a mature tank and immediately put into your new tank you could have very little die off to give you much of an ammonia spike.
It's good you're not in a rush, and whatever the state of the cycle, make sure to add new additions spread over a period of time, not all at once.
Keep testing the water every few days to be sure.
You could try a fishless cycle to make sure that the ammonia gets consumed and that the bacteria colonies are established.

naesco · #10 08-06-2013, 07:45 PM

Your tank probably has not started to cycle. Throw in a dead shrimp and wait.