Cycling Tank, several weeks in, need help

[FinsFan13]

I have a 55 gallon tank with 40 pounds caribsea life rock and 60 pounds caribsea live sand. I started my cycle 15 days ago with Dr. Tims One and Only Nitrifying bacteria and 3 damsels. I turned off my protein skimmer hob multi filter (Aquamaxx HF-M) for 2 days, as the instructions indicated. Since then I have only ran my protein skimmer and hob filter with ceramic rings, and 2 power heads. I have tested my water almost every day with the Sera Marin Test kit. I have consistently got zero readings for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. I have also taken samples of my water to the local fish store and had them confirm my test results. I have also feed the damsels twice a day.

I thought that my cycle may be complete so I added 5 snails and 5 hermit crabs yesterday. Now I am starting to think that since I have zero nitrates in my water, that my tank hasn't cycled. Any thoughts? Could my tank have cycled without me noticing, within the first two days of me not testing my water? Could my nitrates be below detectable limits and my tank still be cycled? I just expected to at least see some ammonia by now. Thanks for any help or insight.

 

[brandon429]

you are cycled.

here's why:

1. any bioload added to an uncycled tank would be dead, or begin fouling the water overnite, within ten hours, from clear to cloudy+ smelly. post a full tank shot.
2. all life rock is cycled after being hydrated for two weeks, you've met that.
3. testing for nitrate and nitrite in a cycle is old material, only ammonia + time underwater has to be known and you've met that. of course nitrate and nitrite factor, but, nitrite is neutral in a reef tank (not harmful at all, at any stage) and nitrate may or may not be measured correctly, it could be being reduced as its made, so we dont factor it in updated cycling materials. We know your ammonia is zero due to the animals not dying, that your test kit agrees it’s zero was just lucky good test kit.

updated cycling materials=the microbiology of cycling thread. the section devoted to cycling liferock says 'wait 12 days' and you're cycled. you had it easy ha nice. Even without the sand (added bac) and the dr Tim’s, you’d still be cycled by now, the early bottle bac and sand is what carried your fish bioload till rocks caught up

Life rock has bac painted on it and they regenerate when wet.
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[FinsFan13]

you are cycled.

here's why:

1. any bioload added to an uncycled tank would be dead, or begin fouling the water overnite, within ten hours, from clear to cloudy+ smelly. post a full tank shot.
2. all life rock is cycled after being hydrated for two weeks, you've met that.
3. testing for nitrate and nitrite in a cycle is old material, only ammonia + time underwater has to be known and you've met that. of course nitrate and nitrite factor, but, nitrite is neutral in a reef tank (not harmful at all, at any stage) and nitrate may or may not be measured correctly, it could be being reduced as its made, so we dont factor it in updated cycling materials. We know your ammonia is zero due to the animals not dying, that your test kit agrees it’s zero was just lucky good test kit.

updated cycling materials=the microbiology of cycling thread. the section devoted to cycling liferock says 'wait 12 days' and you're cycled. you had it easy ha nice. Even without the sand (added bac) and the dr Tim’s, you’d still be cycled. Life rock has bac painted on it and they regenerate when wet.
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Thanks for the quick response. Here is a picture of my tank. Should I expect to see any test results (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) in the near future? I assume I should increase bioload slowly in the early goings?

 

[brandon429]

It’s as cycled now as it will be in 200 more days. All the sand was fully cycled when you added it, and the company that makes liferock already has studied emergent time for the bac to come out of dormancy + you added bottle bac, you can move on from cycling into any realm you had planned. Ammonia will always be ok from now on, and cannot spike, unless something dies in the tank and even then that’s not a cycling issue if it happens.

Nitrite doesn’t factor at all you can retire the kit. Nitrate is handy for algae tuning, and coral color tuning, but it has zero impact on whether a tank is cycled. Regardless of the nitrate test you use, it won’t line up with any other tests reading most likely, these are approximation tests only. Digital readouts I’d believe.

 

[brandon429]

I think this thread is a prime standout example of why we had to move past chemistry and testing as the -sole- determinant in reef cycling. Submersion time is the new king determinant because everyone measures # of days the same town to town, and google cycling charts always show the same number of days no matter whose site we reference for a reason.


We're not given accurate testers in order for chemistry to line up for masses. Of course today's speed cycling moves up the old 30 day window, but each group of rocks still has a predictable completion date for cycling without testing required, based on inherent boosts associated with the tank like painted in bac (12 days approx) bottle bac (instant use, they're designed for fish in cycling per label) and then classic live rock. Instant because it brings in bacteria, anything wet never loses its bacteria unless someone engineers that to occur. Withholding aquarium feed or other minor anthropomorphisms doesn't count as engineering admit that's funny heh

 

[brandon429]

I love cycle umpiring because a wrong guess results in death of someone's investment and you'll hear about it immediately. It's a full on consequence game

but the truth is we are never, ever guessing.

The microbiology of reef tank cycling.

You can skip your cycle. Ive been reefing online for twenty years and have never waited one second for a tank to cycle, because I buy rocks that are already cycled and move them home. Here's two: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/...

www.reef2reef.com

each group of rock has known submersion dates that determine when they're cycled per universal rules of microbiology


nowadays we can cycle any tank, any rock set, using zero testing. Purely off submersion dates, you provided the clue right up front.
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