cycleing question

[mjaustin22]

Hello,
So I have a 58g tank with a 27g tall sump about 64g total, split into 3 sections with a swc 160 cone skimmer. The tank has about 40lbs of sand and about 40lbs of rock (going for minimalistic approach on the rock) The rock had been out of the water for who knows how long and smelled terrible. I also added supposedly cured live rock to the tank around week two of the cycle to help seed the dead rock.
The tank has been running just under six weeks and I believe my cycle is over. The ammonia went as high as 4 and is now at 0, nitrite went as high as 1 but is also now 0, nitrate was at 40 but after a 25% water change its now at 20. The thing is I really don't have any algae, just a little film on the glass, one tiny patch of hair on the rocks. So obviously I can't add a CUC because they would starve.
So my question is should I add a fish to get things going and then add the crew or should I start with a couple scarlet hermits or nasserius(sp) or should I just wait until I get more algae. This isn't my first tank, it'll be my 4th or 5th, cant really remember lol. I just really never had a cycle with any of my other tanks.
Thanks, Mike.

 

[turbosek]

Are your lights running? The algae should grow if the lights are running. I would not add the CUC until there is algae growing. Your cycle might be done, but you may not have a very mature bacterial filter. When you add the CUC, you can always throw a bit of fish food in to keep them from starving and to get the algae growing. Algae is a must in the beginning.

 

[mjaustin22]

The lights are running and have been almost the entire cycle, I had what I believe to be a phyto bloom (extremely green/cloudy water) that wouldn't go away so I turned of the lights and ran a uv which cleared it up in about 4 days. I have a good amount of film starting on the glass, just not much on the rocks.