need clarification on cycling new tank

[Maswired]

I have two 20 gal tanks that my daughter and I set up 3-4 years ago. Hers is a bit older. I want to combine both 20 gal tanks into a new 65gal tank that I set up. I have been cycling the tank for 2 weeks. I am using live rock and base rock. Specifically, 5 pounds of live rock, in two large pieces, one from my tank, one from hers. I used a cupful of sand from her tank, a cupful of sand from mine. I am comfortable using sand and rocks from our tanks, as the tanks are both healthy and stable. I added a large deli shrimp the second day of set up. I am running a 165gal canister filter that will serve me short term as a reactor and long term as a place for extra biopellets and a place where I can run activated carbon and purigen as needed. My question concerns the cycle. Over the past 2 weeks, I had a very slight bump in ammonia. It went up to .25 ppm. I use red sea marine test kits and api test kits, run double tests. The ammonia fell again to zero and hasnt budged. I left the shrimp in the entire time. I took what was left out today. My nitrites rose to 5 ppm and have now dropped to zero. My nitrates rose to 10ppm and have now dropped to less than 2 ppm. My test kit is either 0 or 2 for red sea. it is somewhere between those two. I went ahead and added some cheato to day. I have brown diatoms on everything, and some green hair algae on the rocks I took from my other aquariums. My phosphates are .08, and .09 yesterday and today. I went ahead and did a 20% water change. I am assuming that my cycle has occured, but I have never cycled with fresh live rock and live sand. Neither rock nor sand touched air while I moved them. They were submerged in buckets and a measuring cup. I have no idea how to track this cycle, other than just assuming that the very tiny spike in ammonia was my starting point, and the live bacteria did the rest? I left the dead snail in as a means of supporting the bacterial growth. Any ideas of where my cycle is? Is the diatom bloom a reliable indicator? Or the hair algae?

 

[afroshacks]

If you're seeing nitrates then you've more than likely went into a cycle. I'd remove the shrimp and watch for ammonia and nitrites to fall to 0. Then keep an eye on nitrates as they should rise. At this point do a large water change to remove some of the nitrate levels and slowly start to move your live stock over. Not sure what live stock you have between the 2 tanks but I'd only move over 1 or 2 fish at a time and give it a week or so in between to let the bacteria population grow and stabilize.

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[Maswired]

Thank you! I have already had the nitrite drop from 5 down to .2, so maybe I am there. I added more of my live rock from one of the tanks today and a small red scarlet crab hitchhiked. I plan on moving the majority of the excess rock from the tanks first. I only have 3 fish, including a diamond back goby, 2 oscellaris clowns. 3 peppermint shrimp and 2 coral banded shrimp, 2 fighting conchs, and a dozen crabs, half a dozen snails. The vast majority of inhabitants are corals, all softies. I don't plan on moving fast with the corals or fish. Maybe May before anything serious. The real challenge is keeping the 2 twenty gallon tanks stable while I slowly move the rock over. With today's additions, I have maybe 10 pounds of established live rock and 20 pounds base rock. It is my confusion on how to track the cycle that is the thing. If it really is just a matter of waiting for nitrates to spike, they have already been to 10ppm, which means I think I am basically there. They are currently less than 2ppm. I am considering going ahead and placing the skimmer. so, fingers crossed.

 

[mcgyvr]

You had a very small/short cycle period if that..
Its now over and the tank is ready to go..

The process of cycling is done to establish a bacterial population in the tank..
When you bring in live rock you bring the bacterial population that was on that rock into the new tank.. As such there is typically no cycle or a very small cycle when doing that..

 

[Tastee]

Certainly sounds like you have had a complete cycle. Basically what you are looking for is Ammonia, followed by Nitrites, followed by Nitrates. It will happen in this order as the bacteria that eat the Ammonia is not the same as the ones that eat the Nitrites - you need Nitrites in the system before the second set will multiply. Ditto for the Nitrates but see below. In my experience this can take as little as 2-3 weeks, but will often take longer. It all depends on the volume and quality of your bacterial media. When complete Ammonia and Nitrites should drop to or close to zero. Traditionally Nitrates will then rise and need water changes to remove.I personally run Marine Pure balls and find the bacteria they host are able to break down the Nitrates, so when I cycled my new tank 6 months ago I only had measurable Nitrates for 2 weeks. Ever since they have stayed zero.