No ammonia spike? Did I miss something?

[curtcherry]

Need some expert advise! I have had a 29 gallon saltwater tank up for 3 weeks. Started with live rock from LFS that they had in a 180 for along time as they are getting out of the SW business(only out of the water for 20 minutes) and live sand (or at least that is what it said on the bag...)

Couple of days after setting it up, I put a pair of clowns in.

A week later I added snails, a shrimp and a brittle star.

I have yet to see a spike in any of my parameters. Is it yet to come?

 

[mcgyvr]

um... why did you add living inhabitants to a tank that you don't even know if its cycled or not? Thats foolish..

Luckily for you (maybe) the fact that you used live rock and live sand hopefully gave you a very small/quick cycle.. But even so I'm sure the tank is not full mature and capable of sustaining much of a bio-load..

The point of cycling a tank is so that you are sure that the tank is capable of processing toxic ammonia BEFORE..repeat BEFORE you put living stuff into it.. This process typically takes 2 weeks to a month or more.. and it may take a year for a tank to mature so its fairly stable..

If you do have an ammonia increase you could very well kill everything in the tank..

Please do some research/learning on the how to properly maintain a saltwater tank before you continue doing anything.. Luck will only take you so far..

 

[GimpyFin]

If there was plenty of preserved bacteria in the rock you got from the LFS (Bagged live sand may or may not have that much actually in it), you might not go through an ammonia spike, but it is still a little risky adding fish right away just with that. If it were me, I'd probably add a little biospira or similar bacteria to the tank just to be safe now that fish are in there.

 

[heathlindner25]

If you started with live rock from a lfs, it's totally possible your tank is cycled. I have put fish and Coral in a tank that has been set up for 4 days.

 

[curtcherry]

Mcgyvr, your post says to me you are of little help. I have done plenty of research. I come from a significant freshwater background, have researched a lot over the many months leading up to this point and in my younger days studied a ton around animal science at college. Much of what I have learned is that key understandings of load versus capability can keep ammonia spikes at a low if at all. Many times I have seen lfs and posters on here say to add a fish or two right off the bat to create a bio load to get things started. I appreciate your opinion but not the tone. I did what was recommended not once but many times. In addition I take water samples and test them in my own home and have the ability to adjust water perameters if needed.

 

[curtcherry]

If you started with live rock from a lfs, it's totally possible your tank is cycled. I have put fish and Coral in a tank that has been set up for 4 days.

With all the tests I have done over the last 3 weeks, I would say the live rock I received was full of life as I have seen 0 0 and 0. In fact when I feed you can see all the litter critters come out and try and get their share. Especially if it is misys shrimp. Who knows about the sand...

 

[NeilFox]

Probably just like moving a tank. If the rock was well cured you should be fine.