Weird Cycle Question

[stagger19]

Hi, Ive had a few salt tanks up before and took them down for different reasons. Each time I took the tank down and then restarted it, I would place the rock in a rubbermaid container, and in a few days it would smell really bad so I know it was starting to cycle. after a few weeks it was cured (ammonia and nitrite would drop to zero) and I would setup my tank with it.

Last sat I started to cycle my rock, and so far the Ammonia and Nitrite are still zero. I have a heater in the bucket along with a power head to circulate the water, the salt is in the normal range.

Any ideas?

 

[stagger19]

Do you think the rock is not cycling due to not enough die off on the rock to cause ammonia spike?

 

[KeMo]

were did this rock come from ? If you took down the tank and placed the rock right into a rubbermaid with the heater and power head you might not see die off. I would add a raw piece of shrimp and see if you get an ammonia spike or any traces of it...

 

[Palting]

Agree with KeMo. Add the shrimp. If you see an ammonia spike, then it's cycling. If no spike or instead you get nitrates, then it's cured.

 

[stagger19]

Thanks KeMo & Palting I was thinking of trying the shrimp and see.

The rock was stored in my garage in a rubber maid container since Spring. Ive recycled rock a few times before and never had a problem with it not cycling, normally a few days into the cycle and u know its cycling with the smell.