I added liverock on Monday, about 2 1/2 days from now. Then I started testing. The first test was about 8 hrs post live rock and a large dead shrimp. I have a 120g with 100 lbs of dry rock, 90 lbs sand (about 40 was "live" sand) and 30 lbs live rock. My numbers so far 4/4 amonia 0.25, 4/5 amonia 0.5, today amonia 0.5, nitrite 0.25, nitrate 0. Does this look appropriate so far?
Starting my Cycle
- Thread starter bamf25
- Start date
smichaels68
In Memoriam
Your ammonia should spike, then begin to decrease to zero. Once it's at zero, your nitrites will begin to spike. Once the drop off to zero, your nitrates will spike and your tank will be cycled. So, wait for those values to go up, then down to zero, then you're cycled. Once your nitrates spikes, it's time to do a small water change to bring them down to liveable conditions.
HanoverFist
New member
Save your test kits and drop testing down to once a week.
PMUnprotected
New member
^^^ +1!
It is very difficult to give a good answer to your question. It will depend upon how much die-off you have from your live rock and live sand and also how much dried on organic material was on the dry rock. I've seen the spike as early as 3 days and as late as 3 weeks.
Dactylopterus
New member
If you put one raw shrimp that could take 10-15 days to have an increasing ammonia spike. At least that was my case with 50 lb of Dry rock, 15 of LR and 40 lb "live sand".
I can always add a second shrimp, I have about 130g of system volume. The shrimp does look kinda cool now though, surrounded by a cloud of decaying tissue.
My live rock should not have alot of dead on it, since it was purchased at a LFS about 10 minutes from my house, and spent maybe 30 minutes out of water. It had also been curing at the LFS for weeks (or so they claim), the rock they had all looked fairly clean. I had also been in the store a few times before buying the rock, and I honestly think I recognized some of the pieces, so no reason to dubt them on this one.
My live rock should not have alot of dead on it, since it was purchased at a LFS about 10 minutes from my house, and spent maybe 30 minutes out of water. It had also been curing at the LFS for weeks (or so they claim), the rock they had all looked fairly clean. I had also been in the store a few times before buying the rock, and I honestly think I recognized some of the pieces, so no reason to dubt them on this one.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Just a guess, but all your posts sound like you're in a hurry. I'm the worlds most impatient person and this hobby/addiction has taught me to have quite a bit. Just let the process work, rushing anything is usually a disaster with SW tanks.
