Day 3, cycle started, but seems low.

[LiveRockDaddy]

Probably, but the OP used dechlorinated tap water which could account for both ammonia and nitrate reading.

yes, I would. Just in case the live rock is not as alive as you would expect. I have no problem with dechlorinated tap water as a start up however, as it probably adds a bit of phosphate, to speed the tank maturing process up.

Sourcing good quality disease free fish is time well worth spending, as I assume a quarantine tank and all that entails is not an option either.

Right. I have a trusted LFS (TFPTPP, Lancaster PA) where I’ve gotten all other fish from.

 

[brandon429]

that won't work for disease control, he mentions quarantine on your end for that reason plus even that won't matter if you're not fallowing new imports into the tank

(adding for example any clean up crews that don't pass through a fallowed setup at your home breaks all disease control efforts made)

it's a chain of controls in place far after how the pet store holds their fish.


what your pet store does for fish won't affect the rates of disease in your tank

your tank prior wasn't rushed, I bet fish disease got those fish. cycles aren't rushed, they're all pretty much ready out of a bottle or here by using wet rocks that were already cycled, and labeled as such at the pet store.

*can you post a clear picture of your rocks here in this tank for a different study thread we run that your tank likely qualifies for (no verification required skip cycling based on rocks that have clear visual cues and or a known history before coming into your tank)

 

[LiveRockDaddy]

that won't work for disease control, he mentions quarantine on your end for that reason plus even that won't matter if you're not fallowing new imports into the tank

(adding for example any clean up crews that don't pass through a fallowed setup at your home breaks all disease control efforts made)

it's a chain of controls in place far after how the pet store holds their fish.


what your pet store does for fish won't affect the rates of disease in your tank

your tank prior wasn't rushed, I bet fish disease got those fish. cycles aren't rushed, they're all pretty much ready out of a bottle or here by using wet rocks that were already cycled, and labeled as such at the pet store.

*can you post a clear picture of your rocks here in this tank for a different study thread we run that your tank likely qualifies for (no verification required skip cycling based on rocks that have clear visual cues and or a known history before coming into your tank)

Here you go

 

[brandon429]

Hey neat because that's rare

I have never seen a LFS sell rock that white as live rock

so they had that in water, marked live rock and they charged more for it than white dry base rock, sitting on the shelf?

asking because it's possible for that to be pre cured for cycling, such as bottle bac in a system with zero lights and no form of animals added to take up residence in the rock, but that isn't helping aquarists much as buying a 7$ bottle of bac and all the cheaper white dry rock would save money, live rock is supposed to come with little starfish and pods?

live rock from a pet store should have the occasional coralline dot, and some algae, and plenty of moving micro creatures/ pods

curious to know about the storage vat that came from at the pet store, did it have lights, were there any fish swimming around in it

 

[LiveRockDaddy]

It was in a tank with other rock that had cured prior. I’m guessing now that it may have just recently come in. My turbo start 900 comes today so I’m adding it and we’ll see what happens. Nothing has moved as far as testing yesterday.

 

[brandon429]

that rock is missing 100% of all visual cues, sounds like a good backup plan. I would not add this to our unique visual cue thread, this type of rock indeed can't be assessed of a pic view.

while its fully easily possible for that to be cycled we can't tell off pics, it would have to be an oxidation test to know, our other thread was solely the type of rocks so obviously cycled there never could be any doubt

a benefit for your type of rocks: cycled, but no bad hitchhikers and likely no imported fish disease on them either. I'm not against using the bac here as backup.

 

[LiveRockDaddy]

Updated now that I got my API SW Master Kit.

 

[LiveRockDaddy]

Seeing as my ammonia went down, nitrites are 0, and nitrate is 5-10, I would assume my cycle is almost complete?