Sand alive or Dead?

[citytee]

Tank stats:
75gal, undrilled
40gal sump, Refuge on the left with low flow from drain (“Tâ€ed off one of main drains), Skimmer on the right with two 1†drains from main tank and the return in the middle.
Three power heads in the DT.
There are two 300w heaters, one in the section with the skimmer and one in with the main return, one set at 78 and the other set at 80.
80lbs of live sand.
25lbs of dry rock (will be adding 25 to 50 more)
There’s no live stock at this time, not planning on any until January /February time frame, (will buy Cleaning crew when necessary)

This is how I started up my system:

I purchased 80lbs of live sand (did not rinse like I should have) put it and the dry rock in the DT. I started adding my RO water from my filter took about three days to fill both DT and Sump. I turned on all the equipment to get the circulation going and stated adding salt to bring it to 1.024. I have been skimming since the beginning (11/8) it has been pulling out some stuff (I stir the sand twice a day) manly gunk from the sand.

I started testing the water on 11/10 to start my base line:

[TD="width: 84, bgcolor: transparent"] Date [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] Time [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] PH [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] Nitrite [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] Ammonia [/TD]
[TD="width: 89, bgcolor: transparent"] Nitrate [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] Temp [/TD]
[TD="width: 143, bgcolor: transparent"] Spacific Gravity [/TD]
[TD="width: 84, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 8.1-8.4 [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] Undetectable [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] Undetectable [/TD]
[TD="width: 89, bgcolor: transparent"] .0 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 72°-78°F [/TD]
[TD="width: 143, bgcolor: transparent"] 1.023-1.025 [/TD]
[TD="width: 84, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 89, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 143, bgcolor: transparent"][/TD]
[TD="width: 84, bgcolor: transparent"] 11/15/2014 [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 9:06pm [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 8 [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] .25 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] .50 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 89, bgcolor: transparent"] 10 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 80°f [/TD]
[TD="width: 143, bgcolor: transparent"] 1.023 [/TD]
[TD="width: 84, bgcolor: transparent"] 11/18/2014 [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 8:13 PM [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 8 [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] .50 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] .50 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 89, bgcolor: transparent"] 0 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 82°f [/TD]
[TD="width: 143, bgcolor: transparent"] 1.022 [/TD]
[TD="width: 84, bgcolor: transparent"] 11/20/2014 [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 5:23 AM [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 8 [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] .50 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 93, bgcolor: transparent"] .50 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 89, bgcolor: transparent"] 0 ppm [/TD]
[TD="width: 64, bgcolor: transparent"] 82°f [/TD]
[TD="width: 143, bgcolor: transparent"] 1.023 [/TD]

Ok, so here are my questions:

1, Did I kill the Live Sand?
2, Should I add a shrimp to start the cycle or did (if I did) killing the Live sand start it?

Thanks,

 

[phillrodrigo]

Your fine leave it all alone. Your are cycling. The second you saw ammonia you started. Once you see 0 on ammonia and nitrite and the nitrates are pretty low you are cycled. Since you are cycling it shows that the sand was never a live anyways. The term live just means it has the bacteria on it to turn ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate. Cycling is just the bacteria populating itself to handle the ammonia in the tank. This is why if you stock to quickly there won't be enough bacteria to turn all the ammonia into nitrate so it just stays as ammonia. Don't worry about the sand being live. I believe it's 90% of all the bacteria will be on the rock anyways.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I'd also leave it. Your in a cycle, your going to get goofy numbers for awhile. What is your ammonia source?

 

[citytee]

I have nothing but the sand and rocks in it right now, so should I get a piece of shrimp and put in it to speed it up some?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Yea, I'd throw in a jumbo shrimp for good measure.

 

[citytee]

How long should I leave the shrimp in the sump?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Until your cycle is done. Put it in a lil net, lay it in the water, it will deteriorate, you don't want to clean that mess up.

 

[Mike J.]

Why would you rinse live sand? Might as well start with dry sand then. I've used live sand on numerous occasions and have been pleased with it every time. I've actually had clams grow out of it every time. You probably did kill a lot of the benthic life in it with the fresh water the first few days.