How long does a tank take to cycle??

[RICH305]

They told me that the tank is cycled right after some ammonia spike that is suppose to happen? Is this true? How long does it take for a tank to cycle??

 

[kenny69]

They told me that the tank is cycled right after some ammonia spike that is suppose to happen? Is this true? How long does it take for a tank to cycle??

I guess it depends on who "they" are lol. It can take between 4-6 weeks, occasionally longer or shorter.

 

[RICH305]

Lol they friend with a 150 gallon tank filled with corals and another 300 gallon tank with aggressive fish I didn't monitor my levels but I've had these fish in for about 2 weeks and had live rock for 1 week before adding fish?

 

[hackteck]

Check ammonia nitrite and nitrate when ammonia spikes then goes to 0 then nitrite spikes then goes to 0 and you have nitrates your basically cycled

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[RICH305]

Well I have had the fish in for three weeks I checked my ammonia level today and it was zero can it be possible that it has cycled?

 

[hackteck]

Sure but I would check nitrites and nitrates too just to be sure

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[kenny69]

Lol they friend with a 150 gallon tank filled with corals and another 300 gallon tank with aggressive fish I didn't monitor my levels but I've had these fish in for about 2 weeks and had live rock for 1 week before adding fish?

Not sure if SW tanks cycle faster than FW however I have been cycling my 100 gal FW cichlid tank for about 4 weeks now and I still have nitrites at 1ppm, just waiting for the nitrates to kick in hopefully soon. You need to monitor and test your water, I test it daily and keep a record. I do partial water changes every second day as I have fish in my tank and I don't want to stress them with high levels of nitrites, Ammonia is now gone. Basically you should initially get an ammonia spike, followed by nitrite spike, which will in turn lower your ammonia, eventually (longest part) your nitrates will kick in and when you have no traces of ammonia or nitrites and you have gradual increasing nitrate your tank is deemed cycled. Hope this helps. This can take several weeks. If at any stage you see your fish gasping at the surface do an immediate partial water change, like 40-50%, they could be suffocating.

Ken

 

[austinsdad]

Read our articles section on cycling a SW tank. You really need to understand the process.

 

[mdaniel2882]

I guess it depends on who "they" are lol. It can take between 4-6 weeks, occasionally longer or shorter.

so what you are saying is 4-6 weeks...or less....or more...JK

The best answer is it takes as long as it takes. you will see a spike in ammonia. it will start to go down and you will see a rise in nitrites. they will go down and you will start to see a rise in nitrates. your tank is cycled when you see only nitrates. do a 50%-75% water change and you are ready to go.

My best advice is when you think it is finished go another week. Time and patience is everything in this hobby. Plan plan plan there is no such thing as a good impulse decision in this hobby.

there is a lot that can influence that time. I did not see any cycle in my first tank because I used LR from a tank that was being torn down.

 

[jenatron]

Well I have had the fish in for three weeks I checked my ammonia level today and it was zero can it be possible that it has cycled?

That's very possible. Your live rock could have cycled your tank, depending on a couple factors; or you could have just completed a fish-in cycle.
You need to have a reliable test kit and check Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate regularly. As suggested by austinsdad, you really need to fully understand the Nitrogen cycle; don't rely on anyone else but yourself.