Cycling questions

[TikiBird]

OK all, I'm panicking a little. I'm not sure what to do....

On Sept 16 (one week ago), I set up my tank with "live" rocks that looked basically dead, although I did have a couple worms, and live sand. On the 17th I had 2.0 ammonia and zero on nitrite and nitrate. On the 19th I had 4.0 ammonia, 1.0 nitrite, and no nitrate. I added BioSpira that night. On the 21st I had 0 ammonia, 2.0 nitrite, and 80 nitrate. Today I tested and I have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and what looks like between 40-80 nitrate.

I'm confused. LOL

First..I know my nitrate color in the test tube was darker on the 21st than it is today. How is this possible? I haven't done a water change. Maybe it was a trick of the light? I tested that night and now it's daytime...maybe that's it? Nitrate can't just go away, can it?

Second...does this mean the tank is cycled? Already? I was expecting weeks...now I'm panicking! I'm not mentally prepared to have a cycled tank! LOL

Third...I don't think I'm ready to add fish or a CUC yet. Do I need to feed the tank with my ammonia to keep the cycle until I add some creatures? When should I add inhabitants? Do I add a CUC first? I don't really have any algae yet I don't think....

Thank you for any advice! (I feel a bit like when I went into labor and immediately forgot everything I knew about how to deal with it!) [emoji23]

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

If the rock was live enough then it would make sense that you're all good now. do a big wafer change to get the no3 down.

 

[Brew12]

You cycle the tank to build up colonies of the bacteria needed to break down ammonia and nitrite.

Bio-Spira contains colonies of the bacteria needed to break down ammonia and nitrite.

Between the live rock and the Bio-Spira you have the bacteria you need.

 

[brandon429]

The most important thing you can post is a picture detailing your rocks so we can see, this is better than posting the API readings.

 

[reeferfoxx]

According to Randy holmes, the nitrate test will show higher readings during the cycling phase. That is because the nitrate test kits can't tell the difference between nitrate and nitrite or no3 vs no2. Its not abnormal to see a lower nitrate reading after the cycling has finished. Like others said, do a big water change and enjoy the new tank!

 

[MasterBacon]

According to Randy holmes, the nitrate test will show higher readings during the cycling phase. That is because the nitrate test kits can't tell the difference between nitrate and nitrite or no3 vs no2. Its not abnormal to see a lower nitrate reading after the cycling has finished. Like others said, do a big water change and enjoy the new tank!

But please add livestock slowly! Give your tank time to adjust its bacteria level between fish.

 

[TikiBird]

This is all amazing info. (@reeferfoxx, super interesting about the nitrate!) Thank you so much everyone!! I don't know what I'd do without your help. [emoji1]

 

[TikiBird]

The most important thing you can post is a picture detailing your rocks so we can see, this is better than posting the API readings.

Forgot to post a pic of the rocks! Here they are...

some closer pics:

 

[brandon429]

They are pre cycled

Consider group b rocks covered here they need no cycling

http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-ta...d-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/

Basing cycling readings on API tests unverified by others like salifert or Red Sea will be misleading

We show how only ammonia matters not nitrite or nitrate. And how the living animals seen on that live rock bring all needed bacteria, instantly

 

[TikiBird]

They've really colored up since I first received them a week ago! Here's a then-and-now pic:

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

They've really colored up since I first received them a week ago! Here's a then-and-now pic:

 

[brandon429]

Hey that's detail fascinating for a specific reason relating to our thread: how they self potentiated off just a few days and through a highly repeatable transfer process. They didn't come in as colored fully but were nonetheless fully live.

People can't take white base rock, submerge it and fish less cycle it, and get that color any quicker than five months

But yours was days
Because moving live rocks among tanks isn't lethal to any community. as the benthic pigmented communities bloomed, the nitrifying bacteria were there plenty as you moved them tank to tank indicated by the slight pigment in the first shots

As soon as we have -any- benthic growth, the excessive surface area of live rock are already known fully contaminated with both nitrifying communities and simple contamination bac communities, all mixed


We can't have surfaces aged underwater long enough to take on any form of deposition and -not- be fully ready with nitrifiers, they seed first.

 

[Clarksski]

Your scape looks good too...as masterbacon advised ... Go slow when adding fish.

 

[brandon429]

If you have any concern about a water param just do a large water change the cycle was done before your tank. The rock can already pass a digest test given the controls from the thread.

Agreed on fish, quarantine all of them that w force good timing