Is my cycle complete already?

[Excelsior856]

Hi everyone. I have a 34 gallon rsm c-130 (28g display, 6g sump)

31lbs of cured liverock, 30lbs of live sand

8 days ago I added the rock, sand and 2 deli shrimp. One is completely gone, the other is left on the sand still but it's mostly decayed.

I've been checking levels every other day. Ammonia climbed to 1 - 1.5 ppm within a couple days. 4-5 days in my nitrites were showing around .5 ppm. I checked it again today (8 days total) and I'm seeing 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates.

I have kept my lights off completely so I don't have any algea growing.

Can I really be done already? I was surprised not to see any nitrates though? Is it possible my cycle stalled out? I would think 2 shrimp would have been plenty?

Thanks for your help

 

[gone fishin]

If sounds like you have good quality Live rock. I would think you are certainly towards the end of the cycle with the shrimp you have put in. Just my 2 cents

 

[inetmug]

A tank that is started with 100% live material (post cured live rock via transit), could easily cycle in 3-5 days according to Dr. Marin Moe's book. Your shrimp and readings seem to correlate with that theory.

But.... he will also tell you from this point on... to go very slow with adding inhabitants.

 

[xcdennisx]

I would just wait a couple more days and keep checking your levels. it wont hurt waiting then have a disaster later on

 

[Azedenkae]

Hi everyone. I have a 34 gallon rsm c-130 (28g display, 6g sump)

31lbs of cured liverock, 30lbs of live sand

8 days ago I added the rock, sand and 2 deli shrimp. One is completely gone, the other is left on the sand still but it's mostly decayed.

I've been checking levels every other day. Ammonia climbed to 1 - 1.5 ppm within a couple days. 4-5 days in my nitrites were showing around .5 ppm. I checked it again today (8 days total) and I'm seeing 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates.

I have kept my lights off completely so I don't have any algea growing.

Can I really be done already? I was surprised not to see any nitrates though? Is it possible my cycle stalled out? I would think 2 shrimp would have been plenty?

Thanks for your help

With that much organic matter added, you may just have grew such a huge bacterial population that well, nutrients are used up very quickly.

Try ghost feeding the tank, I'd say probably 50% of what you'd feed a fully stocked tank and see how the parameters change. If parameters zero out quickly, then your tank is cycled, and cycled well.

 

[Vilas]

I had good quality live rock and also got a fast cycle. However, I still waited while I ghost fed and tested. It was well worth it, zero losses and a happy tank are worth it.

 

[Excelsior856]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I tested again today and I'm all zero's. I just "ghost fed" and will check again in 2 days...

I'm planning on picking up my CUC this weekend (ceriths and nassarius for now - hermits later) and will add my first fish and coral in another 3 weeks or so.

I'm a little nervous about adding all the snails since I don't have a spec of algea yet (didn't turn on lights during cycle). I've got them on 3 hours a day now so maybe in the next 4 days I'll grow a little. Otherwise, the snails can feed on micro algea that's in the sand/rocks anyway, right?

 

[Azedenkae]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I tested again today and I'm all zero's. I just "ghost fed" and will check again in 2 days...

I'm planning on picking up my CUC this weekend (ceriths and nassarius for now - hermits later) and will add my first fish and coral in another 3 weeks or so.

I'm a little nervous about adding all the snails since I don't have a spec of algea yet (didn't turn on lights during cycle). I've got them on 3 hours a day now so maybe in the next 4 days I'll grow a little. Otherwise, the snails can feed on micro algea that's in the sand/rocks anyway, right?

Check more regularly than that, it's better to see as much of the changes in parameters as possible. If you see your parameters stabilizing quickly (i.e. within hours), then you'd be safe to add fish.