Cycle went by without notice?

[ColdFish]

Finally got enough of the plumbing done on my new tank close to 2 weeks ago and fired it up. I had ordered 45 lbs of Fiji LR from liveaquaria which had arrived the week before. I had some delays in finishing my sump so I placed the LR in a new trashcan along with a heater, powerhead, and 15 gallons of new water. I did a 100% water change on the LR about halfway thru the week, but wasn't testing for ammonia or anything. When I finally got the tank filled and leak tested I placed it in the tank.

So the LR has been in the tank for coming up on 2 weeks now, and I also put a couple of salad shrimp in the tank (which have since completely decomposed) and was periodically monitoring ammonia levels looking for it to come up and let me know my cycle had started. Never got anything over 0 ppm testing for ammonia. I even added another couple shrimp yesterday and still nothing.

Tonight I decided to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate thinking that maybe the LR was in better initial shape than I thought and was eating up the ammonia. Sure enough I had 0 ppm ammonia and nitrite, and 5 ppm on the nitrate. The little bit of what was left on the first 2 shrimp was really nasty and foul smelling when I netted it out so there should have been some ammonia present, right?

Do you guys think that I just lucked out with good rock and my cycle is over?

 

[GinaD]

I'd let it go another 2-3 weeks and then only add to it very gradually.

Of course, I'm no expert, just jumping in with an opinion, and it's quite possible that others might have a different opinion; but I thought you needed algae & 'good bacteria' to develop before it's considered properly cycled. Just having 0ppm nitrite & ammonia doesn't mean the tank is cycled. You'd have those readings the first day of setup.

Again, only my 2-cents.

 

[ColdFish]

Not planning on adding fish/corals for a while yet. I have to get another order of LR into the tank first. Was just curious if the rock that I have could have cycled the tank that fast.

I know that ammonia and nitrite of zero don't mean much in a new tank, but the 5ppm nitrate came from someplace. Also, since shrimp rotting in the tank can't seem to produce detectable ammonia or nitrite, wouldn't that lean you towards the tank being cycled? Has anybody seen it go that fast?

 

[mrcrazypants05]

My tank was at close to 2ppm ammonia before I added my live rock. 5 days later and my tank is at 0ppm NO3, 0ppm nitrites, 10ppm nitrates. Im going to pick up a few snails/hermits, and a lawnmower blenny tomorrow. That was with 40lbs of marshall island cured live rock in a 65 gallon tank.

 

[GinaD]

Just curious - do you have a deep sand bed?

 

[melosu58]

It will take about a month to cycle. I would hold on about another couple of weeks.