Another cycling question

[Chi Town Reefer]

I am probaly going to be frowned upon for asking this question but here goes. My tank has been up and running now for 3 weeks. All of my past tanks I have used the cocktail shrimp method by placing about ten of then in a mesh sock and placing it in the sump tank till the shrimp begin to rott. The shrimp were in the sump for around 2 days before they started getting real nasty and my house began to smell like a nasty bait shop before i took them out. I have been very busy and traveling on and off so I haven't taken any readings of the water until today. After I tested the water I am now puzzled on if my tank has already cycled or has not began to cycle yet. The main tank is over 500 gallons and the sump has around another 150 gallons of water in it. There is also about 600lbs of dry rock and another 500lbs of Special Grade Caribsea sand.

Ammonia reads 0, Nitrates read 0, Nitrites read 0, Temp 78, Salinity 1.025.

Sincerely,
Puzzled Reefer.

 

[mcgyvr]

You can test.. add some ammonia (Up to 2ppm or so) and see if its processed all the way through to nitrates in 24 hours or less..

 

[Chi Town Reefer]

Well I over calculated the water volume not taking the rock into consideration and the ammonia shot up to 5.0ppm instead of 2ppm. 24 hours later the level is now down to 2.0ppm. Am I too assume the tank is not done cycling, and if so what are my next steps.

 

[anthonys51]

just wait. also 650 gallons and you got your ammonia to 5ppm. what did you do pour a gallon in

 

[Chi Town Reefer]

Just 50ml like the math worked our to.

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[anthonys51]

what do you plan to do with the tank, you turning into a reef or fowlr

 

[Chi Town Reefer]

It will be a reef, mostly sps

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[anthonys51]

i just set up my 600 plus gallon system yesterday also.

 

[Chi Town Reefer]

Nice, it's been fun so far. Now to sit and wait which is the hardest part for me.

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[Chi Town Reefer]

I just got back from the LFS and bought 20lbs of livestock to put in the sump. Hopefully it helps some.

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[anthonys51]

yes i always seed my tank with live rock. i never add ammonia. just let nature take its course. i normally wait 3 months before i add fish. i never even test during a cycle. just add cuc, then corals. well with sps, u might want to add monti and green slimmers first the easy ones, i wouldnt add acro until you got your dosing down pat. what you using to dose. i am using caliuim reactor for the first time. never went this big before

 

[Chi Town Reefer]

This is my 4th tank and I have used a calcium reactor on each tank with success. I also dose everything else with a magus

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[anthonys51]

This is my 4th tank and I have used a calcium reactor on each tank with success. I also dose everything else with a magus

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what do you mean everything else. thought with a calcium reactor you didnt have to dose anything else.

 

[Chi Town Reefer]

Magnesium and other trace elements.

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[anthonys51]

whats is magus full name. like to look into that is it a dosing pump or a brand of chemicals

 

[Chi Town Reefer]

It's a dosing pump

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[Chi Town Reefer]

Its been a few days and after adding 20lbs of seasoned liverock to the sump 3 days ago the ammonia is back down to zero. Here are my readings: Ammonia-0.00ppm,PO4-0.00ppm, NO3-.50ppm, CA-370, ALK-7.0, MAG-1400, ORP-400, Temp-79,PH-7.8. Do you think the cycle is over now? Like I said before, this cycle has not been like any other that I have witnessed so I am not sure about this one.