Is my tank done cycling?

[LifeOfAquatics]

Hello, so I have a 5 gallon saltwater tank. This is my first tank and I will upgrade to a 10 gallon in about a month or so. Anyway, below is a picture of my tank parameters for the past 2 and a half days. I set this tank up, well, two and a half days ago. I dosed with dr tims one and only and I used live rock and sand. I ghost fed for those two and a half days as well. In another one of my posts similar to this, someone commented saying that my tank was done cycling and that I could add fish. Is this right? My ammonia has been at 0.25 the past two days and i assume this is because of the ghost feedings. I have no nitrites and I have 20 nitrates. This part is a bit confusing for me but I looked online and found that the bacteria that turns nitrites to nitrates is extremely fast so i probably did have nitrites, just they turned to nitrates by the time i started testing in the mornings. if my tank is done cycling, should i perform a 25% water change to reduce the ammonia and nitrates as they might be a bit too high for fish right now. Thanks! Also, i removed the carbon part from my hob filter when i added the dr tims just in case, can i add it back now?

 

[brandon429]

Live rock needs no cycling time when we bring it home, so let’s discern if it was true live

was it wet from the pet store, or dry when you brought it home

 

[brandon429]

Trace amounts of Ammonia, but 0 Nitrites?

My first saltwater aquarium! I’m having some difficulty understanding why I have trace amounts of Ammonia, 0Nitrites and a possible 10ppm for Nitrates. Is it my eyes seeing the faint green for Ammonia or is the API liquid test kit just not going to distinguish a very true yellow for 0...

www.reef2reef.com

that will help, a very comparable tank to yours.

 

[LifeOfAquatics]

Live rock needs no cycling time when we bring it home, so let’s discern if it was true live

was it wet from the pet store, or dry when you brought it home

so the lfs said it was rock that was sprayed with like bacteria or something like that. I kinda believe them because the rock has pieces of coraline algae growing on it as well.

 

[LifeOfAquatics]

Trace amounts of Ammonia, but 0 Nitrites?

My first saltwater aquarium! I’m having some difficulty understanding why I have trace amounts of Ammonia, 0Nitrites and a possible 10ppm for Nitrates. Is it my eyes seeing the faint green for Ammonia or is the API liquid test kit just not going to distinguish a very true yellow for 0...

www.reef2reef.com

that will help, a very comparable tank to yours.

thanks, i will definitely read that as it is extremely similar to my dilemma. but for the meantime, could you please tell me if my tank is cycled or not and ready for like 1 fish?

 

[brandon429]

was your rock wet or dry when you brought it home

 

[PanchoG]

I would not recommend you to place any fish or coral as long as you have ammonia, continue the ghost feeding.

 

[LifeOfAquatics]

was your rock wet or dry when you brought it home

i responded earlier. so the lfs associate said that the rock was sprayed with like bacteria and was technically live rock. i believed them because the rock did have coralline alage growing on it as well.

 

[Cell]

Sounds like painted Life Rock, not actual live rock.

 

[LifeOfAquatics]

I would not recommend you to place any fish or coral as long as you have ammonia, continue the ghost feeding.

do you have an estimate for how long I should ghost feed with live rock, live sand, and dr tims?

 

[Azedenkae]

Hello, so I have a 5 gallon saltwater tank. This is my first tank and I will upgrade to a 10 gallon in about a month or so. Anyway, below is a picture of my tank parameters for the past 2 and a half days. I set this tank up, well, two and a half days ago. I dosed with dr tims one and only and I used live rock and sand. I ghost fed for those two and a half days as well. In another one of my posts similar to this, someone commented saying that my tank was done cycling and that I could add fish. Is this right? My ammonia has been at 0.25 the past two days and i assume this is because of the ghost feedings. I have no nitrites and I have 20 nitrates. This part is a bit confusing for me but I looked online and found that the bacteria that turns nitrites to nitrates is extremely fast so i probably did have nitrites, just they turned to nitrates by the time i started testing in the mornings. if my tank is done cycling, should i perform a 25% water change to reduce the ammonia and nitrates as they might be a bit too high for fish right now. Thanks! Also, i removed the carbon part from my hob filter when i added the dr tims just in case, can i add it back now?

To me, a cycled tank simply means it can turn 2ppm ammonia to nitrate within 24 hours.

So for me, the only way to know for sure it is cycled is to dose 2ppm ammonia and then measure ammonia and nitrite after 24 hours, and see if both reads 0. Or, 0.25 for ammonia, because the API ammonia test kit seems to do that often.

 

[Suohhen]

thanks, i will definitely read that as it is extremely similar to my dilemma. but for the meantime, could you please tell me if my tank is cycled or not and ready for like 1 fish?

The new tank cycle is the time it takes for the bacterial population to grow large enough to handle your bioload. Live rock and sand comes preloaded with that bacteria eliminating the wait however you are reading a level of ammonia which is toxic to fish. It is most likely this is just a artifact of the test kit used but if you want to be sure you can wait a few days and dose Seachem Prime when you add fish.

 

[Kershaw]

i responded earlier. so the lfs associate said that the rock was sprayed with like bacteria and was technically live rock. i believed them because the rock did have coralline alage growing on it as well.

This still does say if it was wet or dry.

 

[Cell]

i responded earlier. so the lfs associate said that the rock was sprayed with like bacteria and was technically live rock. i believed them because the rock did have coralline alage growing on it as well.

This does not answer the question though. If the rock was dry, it supposedly has dormant bacteria present and the coralline you are looking at is just paint. If the rock was in water and kept wet until it got to your tank, it was more likely actual live rock, but the coralline still may or may not be real.

 

[LifeOfAquatics]

This still does say if it was wet or dry.

oh sorry i get what you mean now. whoops! the rock was dry.

 

[LifeOfAquatics]

This does not answer the question though. If the rock was dry, it supposedly has dormant bacteria present and the coralline you are looking at is just paint. If the rock was in water and kept wet until it got to your tank, it was more likely actual live rock, but the coralline still may or may not be real.

oh sorry i get what you mean now. whoops! the rock was dry.

 

[Cell]

So not true live rock. That purple coralline is paint. I've never used Life Rock. Not sure how long it takes to cycle.

 

[LifeOfAquatics]

To me, a cycled tank simply means it can turn 2ppm ammonia to nitrate within 24 hours.

So for me, the only way to know for sure it is cycled is to dose 2ppm ammonia and then measure ammonia and nitrite after 24 hours, and see if both reads 0. Or, 0.25 for ammonia, because the API ammonia test kit seems to do that often.

how should i go abt adding 2ppm ammonia using flakes? should i just dump a whole bunch in there (not like too much obvi but like more than I've been doing thus far)? wait, API test kits show 0 ammonia as .25 sometimes?

 

[LifeOfAquatics]

So not true live rock. That purple coralline is paint. I've never used Life Rock. Not sure how long it takes to cycle.

ah ok, but based on my parameters thus far should i add or should i wait?

 

[Kershaw]

I use dr Tim’s ammonia. And just add some drop and test. Allot easier to get to 2ppm then with food