New tank Cycle w/ dry rock

[VicD81]

Ok guys looking for some insight. This is the first time I start a tank with dry rock so I don't know what to expect. I must say it was WAY more exciting with wet live rock. Well I didnt really test water till week 2 and then I did had
Ammo 0
NO2 .2
NO3 2

Tested it 3 days ago and everything was at 0 so I added some silversides. I retested yesterday and everything is still at 0. If Everything is sill at 0 today does it mean my cycle has ended? I did not add any chems to the tank. Just Dry rock, "Live Sand", carbon, Silversides and salt water..

The first batch of silversides I added was in a mesh bag, which is still in there. About a week after added more which got caught by my power head and torn to shreds. The third batch I added 3 days ago and is sitting on the sand bed and looks like a cocoon now. I have a pic but not sure if I should post. LOL.

Im thinking I should be good to add my CUC and maybe 2 or so Anthias (If I can find them).

 

[Reefing Madness]

No, its not cycled. You should have added an ammonia source at the start up. Jumbo shrimp from the grocery store are good starters. You'll need to leave the silver slides in there for remainder of your cycle. 6-8 weeks.

 

[VicD81]

So should I be looking for everything to spike again? What is the difference between using silversides vs Shrimp?

 

[Reefing Madness]

No difference in the use of your ammonia source. You will see your numbers spike, as with dead rock, theres no ammonia source on the rock to kick start the cycle.

 

[VicD81]

OK cool yea i guess I forgot to mention that right after I filled the tank I threw in the mesh back with 2 silversides. Then added the 2 that got shredded 2 weeks after and then 2 more a couple days ago.

 

[SloppyJ]

I think we are all a little confused of your cycling process. Please post up what you did. You should have more nitrates IMO.

 

[Reefing Madness]

AH, ok, got ya now. Ok, so you understand they should be left in the entire time. I'd leave your tank as is for another 2 weeks, if your numbers are still the same, then I'd say your good to go.

 

[VicD81]

Yep the silversides have been in there the entire time.

May 25th I filled it and dropped in the 2 silvesides in a mesh bag
didnt test till 2 weeks and got Amm=0 NO2=.2 NO3=2 and added 2 more silversides and put carbon reactor on line
Tested again on the 15 and got all 0s and added 2 more silversides hoping to get a bump in ammo
tested 2 days after still 0
tested yesterday still 0

I did add my Goni sceleton from my established tank somtime last week. It had a couple snails, tiny bivalves and covered in coraline.

I really was expecting this to take longer than 3 weeks so im baffled at how im getting all zeros. Ill test again today after I get home.

 

[SloppyJ]

What kind of test kits are you using? Something is wrong. If you had nitrates, they wouldn't disappear. If you have had silversides in the tank that long you should be showing some nitrites and nitrates even if you missed the ammonia spike.

I wouldn't say you're ready for livestock. I started cycling mine on the 25th as well. I'm planning on it taking until mid to late July.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Yea, strange that you didn't see Ammonia in there...

 

[VicD81]

Just tested all 0s again. Using Red Sea kits.

 

[VicD81]

That's what the silversides look like in there.

 

[Reefing Madness]

That Live Rock you used? Dry Live Rock?

 

[VicD81]

Yep. Dry live rock from reefrocks.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Man that stuff must be GREAT!!

 

[VicD81]

Lol. I'll wait another week testing every other day.

 

[SloppyJ]

I see no diatoms or anything in your tank. That's kind of concerning. It makes no sense why you are showing all zeros.

 

[NanaReefer]

He could have had an ammonia spike during those 2 weeks he never tested.

 

[DSP]

He could have had an ammonia spike during those 2 weeks he never tested.

+1 that's most likely what happened, I'd bet he's cycled, As far as diatoms go it really doesn't mean anything during a cycle or show where a cycle is at,Diatoms feed off silicates which are normally from new sand, rock and other new things freshly added to the tank that's why diatoms generally show up during the beginning stages of a tank and disappear after it consumes all the silica so it really isn't part of the nitrogen cycle .If you had a 5 year old barebottom tank and decided to put sand in it then you would have a diatom bloom without the tank going through any type of cycle same with any new equipment or dry rock added.So imo diatoms mean absolutely nothing when judging the cycle.

 

[Wxman]

Just watch for PO4 leeching from the dry rock....