Hello all I just started a 55 gallon tank with a 30 gallon refugium. I also started a 8 gallon oceanic biocube. My question is this when i started my 8 gallon I used 9 pounds of cured live rock 6 days ago I tested the water today I have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and 10 nitrate. My LFS told me my tank is cycled. Is this possible I'm still going to wait atleast another week before I even consider fish. I was just expected to see ammonia spike then the nitrite then nitrate. I had a bar graph all made up to keep tabs but i already have nitrates. And I tested the water I got from LFS 0 nitrates. Any insight would be highly appreciated
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- Thread starter rd64
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heathlindner25
New member
If you put 9lbs of live rock in a 8 gallon,it's cycled.
sir_dudeguy
Active member
Cured rock is cycled rock. Same thing. Your rock is your filtration. So by putting cycled or cured rock of the correct amount, you won't have any cycle, assuming it is cured as advertised, which it seems to be judging by your readings. If the rock were out of water for an extended period of time and you had a bit of die off, you may have seen a small spike, but if it was either quick or transported in water, you prob won't ever see anything.
Nitrates are just the end result (sort of) of the cycle. You're always gonna have nitrates, but 10 is generally nothing to worry about unless you are keeping some super sensitive stuff in there.
Nitrates are just the end result (sort of) of the cycle. You're always gonna have nitrates, but 10 is generally nothing to worry about unless you are keeping some super sensitive stuff in there.
oscarreef
New member
Cycling with cured live rock is really a shoot or miss with the algea. I cycled my biocube with live rock and saw no cycle or blooms apart from diatoms but no green algea when I cycled my big tank with dead dry rock I saw the uglys ( green algea) like crazy! For about a month. After that it was beautiful . So on your biocube don't worry I say add a fish once every two weeks but remember it's only an 8 gallon tank so dont over stock or else it's trouble. But that small tank you won't see a spike of anything. It most likely already spiked for like an hour when you were asleep lol.
Clownfish Chris
New member
Please don't use a live fish to cycle. I wouldn't put a Clown in an 8gal tank either.
As mentioned above, you are likely cycled. If you want to know for sure and there are no living creatures in the tank, introduce pure ammonia to a level of 2ppm. If after 24 hours you read no ammonia or trites, you are good to add a snail then after a week or two, a SMALL fish. I like neon gobies.
As mentioned above, you are likely cycled. If you want to know for sure and there are no living creatures in the tank, introduce pure ammonia to a level of 2ppm. If after 24 hours you read no ammonia or trites, you are good to add a snail then after a week or two, a SMALL fish. I like neon gobies.
