bacterial threads always seem complex but we show here they distill down to one of three actions, always:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
in your case its pretty simple. If your current rocks have been underwater 40 days at least, considering the boosts you've had, they're cycled, even if they weren't to begin with.
Cycling is about hydration time, not the other factors. A mere spike of nitrite to 8 ppm doesn't stop it. Ammonia just the same, though instructions online say not to eclipse 5 ppm the real ld50 levels in a tank (loss levels) are much higher, that's only a safe zone offer. Your loss cascade fed your bacteria just fine, and if you did the cycle completion test your tank would pass easily. what are the current levels of ammonia right now with the one fish in place
Wow, great thread! Best read I've seen on cycling. Thanks for that. Yeah, I'll just start anew and take it slow. Less stress. I learned my lesson from this haha
per that long, unruly thread, the type of rock you had was the unverified Group B. we outlined that word for word months ago, its literally the type of rock you had.
I suspect your rock was cycled and nobody lied. It needed a simple digestion test before use. live n learn
your current setup is more ready to retry, not less, just fallow it out if you want to start clean or if you want to keep the fish you have, when its time to add new fish pay extra for fully quarantine-completed ones. the entire point of that thread is that what we add, too much or too little of, wont do much to a cycle these bacteria are already well insulated against our hijinks. all they need was 40 days underwater to develop the insulations needed. In my opinion don't worry about your original start, begin anew but using the same rocks just start slower and measure. however the loss cascade manifested doesn't matter now, we can start by verifying you are cycled, then adding bioload at the correct time.
easy redo w same materials. I didn't read how sandbed played out here, we lose tanks in sandbed moves commonly...enter the sand rinse thread ha!
if your current setup has been underwater in your house 40 days, we already know where your cycle stands without testing. Once you reset the water column, it will pass the digest test from page 1 in that thread.
