Cycle help!!!!

[Atg]

i started my first saltwater aquarium
February 12, 2012 and i started testing the water at the two week mark and i have yet to have any nitrates or ammonia. i started with 40lbs of reef grade live sand and 45lbs of dry pukani rock should i add a fish to see if i i get readings?

 

[KoleTang]

Do it the long way - Put in peice of shrimp or peice of fish and watch cycle

OR

Do it the quicker way - 1. watch Mr Saltwater Tank video on "dr. tim's on and only." 2. order dr tim's ond and only from drs, foster and smith. 3. Add one and only to tank w/ 1 chromis or clownfish. 4. observe cycle.

 

[ColaAddict]

You need an ammonia source to start the cycle. You either need to throw in pure ammonia, or fish food, or do a hard cycle by placing frozen shrimp in the tank. No need for lights. You will also need some live rock from an established tank to seed the pukani rock, so you need to either get that from a fellow reefer or fish store.

 

[Mameshiba]

Cycling in my experience has shown some tank's taking a longer (even with a source of ammonia) to start but in other cases the cycling started in less than a week and a half. One thing I do when cycling a tank is get a hold of a friend with a filter sock that's dirty and use that as a good source of bacteria.