Wondering if my tank cycled and i missed it lol?

[dasjestyr]

Seems like a silly question but heres what I had going on. I put the tank together with about 60lbs of really expensive live rock about a month ago. I added a handful of hermit crabs and snails about 2 weeks ago. I've been checking the water and the most i was ever able to detect was a nitrAte spike that only lasted about a day or two. I never caught an ammonia or nitrite spike. There is brown algae (diatoms?) all over the substrate and glass and a tufts of green algae here and there. I tested the water today and ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are all undetectable.

Im wondering, did the tank just cycle quickly, or am i missing something? I was considering picking up a single clown fish today, just wondering if i should.

 

[dasjestyr]

also noticed the air pockets (bacterial worms?) which i thought was a good thing

isnt that one of the major steps in cycling?

 

[mr_X]

no. air bubbles in the sand bed has nothing to do with a tank cycling.
what size tank is this?