Is my tank Cycled?

[The_Reef_Keeper]

Its day 25 of the nitrogen cycle. My ammonia is 0 my Nitrite is 0 and my Nitrate is 5 ppm.
I used dry rock and live sand. I am worried that it is not cycled because there is no algae growth at all.
If there is nothing for the CUC to eat should i add it now or not?
The tank looks exactly like day 1.
I cycled with shrimp and removed the shrimp on day 17.

is it cycled?

Thank you!

Edit: I did add around half a bottle of BIO-SPIRA on day 9

 

[Tanthaitrung]

You can try a shrimp to bring ammonia up. If the amonia get down to 0 after 24 hours that means your tank is cycled

Best of luck

 

[vhuang168]

Did you ever get an ammonia reading?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JUNBUG361]

Those parameters are good. You did a water change already? What test kits are you using?

 

[timnem70]

Other parameters? Pics of tank?

Galaxy S7 Edge

 

[The_Reef_Keeper]

I did have an ammonia reading from day 4-20. It never went past 1.5 ppm. Maybe because i added the Bio-spira. I have not done a water change yet.
I am using the API reef test kit and the API saltwater test kit

 

[The_Reef_Keeper]

Should I do a water change?

 

[MG98]

No need to change water if nitrates are low IMO.

 

[MG98]

I wouldn't go adding tons of fish or CUC. Sounds like you're cycled but possibly not tons of bacteria if your bioload was low. Go slow.

 

[gone fishin]

It would appear that you have cycled.If you want to add some CUC then add a few, if you need more then you can add more later. Good luck just my 2 cents.

 

[The_Reef_Keeper]

I wouldn't go adding tons of fish or CUC. Sounds like you're cycled but possibly not tons of bacteria if your bioload was low. Go slow.

I'm just worried that there would be nothing for the CUC to eat. Would one small firefish be ok for now?

 

[gone fishin]

I'm just worried that there would be nothing for the CUC to eat. Would one small firefish be ok for now?

I think that would be fine.

 

[The_Reef_Keeper]

Going to add another brand of nitrifying bacteria just to be safe, hopefully I'll get around to adding a fire fish today.

 

[MG98]

One small fish is going slow. A couple snails is ok too IMO. Adding more bacteria to a cycled tank is just wasting money.

 

[MG98]

Add the cuc slowly, same principle as adding fish. You are correct to worry that they won't have much to eat. That's why it's a bad ideal to add 50 snails crabs etc all at onece. Some will starve. You don't need them all, yet.

 

[The_Reef_Keeper]

I added three Nassarius snails and one ceirth snail, along with a tiny bonded pair of firefish. I think there should be enough bacteria in the tank to support these inhabitants.