Is initial cycle in new tank already done?

AMcLeod · 06/22/2008, 04:45 PM

Hello,
I am in the process of setting up a 90 gallon reef tank. I started researching well over a year and a half ago and spend almost all my time lurking on this site. My question is this:
I know that many different factors go into determining how fast a tank cycles after setup, but could mine have already completed cycling after just one week?

On June 5th i added about 60 lbs of base rock and well over a hundred lbs of sand.

On June 12th i added 50+ lbs of live rock from my LFS. (very little die off) I added an uncooked shrimp.

On June 15th i took what was left of the shrimp out of the tank. (someone should have warned me about the smell... the second that decaying crustation left the water i thought i was going to fall over)

June 15th after removing the shrimp my parameters were:

sg - 1.0243
Ammonia - 0.4 ppm
Alkalinity 7.5 meq/L
pH - 8.2
Nitrate - 1.0 ppm
Nitrite - 7.0 ppm

June 20th parameters:

sg - 10245
Ammonia - < 0.01 ppm
Alkalinity - 7.5 meq/L
pH - 8.2
Phosphate - 0.5 ppm
Nitrate - 1.0 ppm
Nitrite- 0.7 ppm

June 22nd parameters:

sg - 10245
Ammonia - < 0.01 ppm
Alkalinity - 6.0 meq/L
Calcium - 400 ppm
pH - 8.2
Phosphate - 0.5 ppm
Nitrate- 0.2 ppm
Nitrite - 0.5 ppm

My DT is 90 gallons and my sump is about 25. i have a 15 gallon fuge as part of my sump with macro in it and am in the process of setting up a skimmer. I was expecting to be waiting and waiting for my tank to cycle, and yet after 5 days my parameters were stable and in my opinion pretty close to ideal and have stayed that way the last 3 days. I am using API test kits and a swing hygrometer.

Did my tank cycle in 3 days? My live rock was cured but i had a pretty big shrimp in there for 3 days.

crsswift70 · 06/22/2008, 04:51 PM

I moved all of my LR from my old tank to my new and never even saw a cycle. It's possible that the LR was completely cured and could sufficiently handle the load put on it by the shrimp. If you were prepared to wait several weeks though, i'd give it one more before giving it the stamp of approval. My nitrate,nitrite,phos and ammonia are undetectable. At least with my test kits. I would put in some snails though to take care of the algae that should be coming along.

nycreef · 06/22/2008, 05:15 PM

Take your time and just add critters

AMcLeod · 06/22/2008, 05:26 PM

I forgot to add that i had 3 astrea snails come in as hitchhikers with the LR and i added 4 small nassarius Snails on the 20th. All are doing well. They are so much fun to watch! I will deffinantly be waiting at least another week, just to be sure. Thanks for the quick replys!

joshallan86 · 06/22/2008, 06:04 PM

I would wait at least another 5 days just to be safe. I would hate for you to rush it and then lose any animals that you add to the tank too soon. IMO

Josh

kfisc · 06/22/2008, 06:44 PM

I'd wait until your ammonia is undetectable and then wait some more to see if your nitrate goes up any more as your nitrite becomes undetectable as well.

Then I'd wait to see if you can corral your alk/calcium levels fairly predictably. But I'm pretty cautious.

06/22/2008, 04:45 PM	#1
AMcLeod Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 52	Is initial cycle in new tank already done? Hello, I am in the process of setting up a 90 gallon reef tank. I started researching well over a year and a half ago and spend almost all my time lurking on this site. My question is this: I know that many different factors go into determining how fast a tank cycles after setup, but could mine have already completed cycling after just one week? On June 5th i added about 60 lbs of base rock and well over a hundred lbs of sand. On June 12th i added 50+ lbs of live rock from my LFS. (very little die off) I added an uncooked shrimp. On June 15th i took what was left of the shrimp out of the tank. (someone should have warned me about the smell... the second that decaying crustation left the water i thought i was going to fall over) June 15th after removing the shrimp my parameters were: sg - 1.0243 Ammonia - 0.4 ppm Alkalinity 7.5 meq/L pH - 8.2 Nitrate - 1.0 ppm Nitrite - 7.0 ppm June 20th parameters: sg - 10245 Ammonia - < 0.01 ppm Alkalinity - 7.5 meq/L pH - 8.2 Phosphate - 0.5 ppm Nitrate - 1.0 ppm Nitrite- 0.7 ppm June 22nd parameters: sg - 10245 Ammonia - < 0.01 ppm Alkalinity - 6.0 meq/L Calcium - 400 ppm pH - 8.2 Phosphate - 0.5 ppm Nitrate- 0.2 ppm Nitrite - 0.5 ppm My DT is 90 gallons and my sump is about 25. i have a 15 gallon fuge as part of my sump with macro in it and am in the process of setting up a skimmer. I was expecting to be waiting and waiting for my tank to cycle, and yet after 5 days my parameters were stable and in my opinion pretty close to ideal and have stayed that way the last 3 days. I am using API test kits and a swing hygrometer. Did my tank cycle in 3 days? My live rock was cured but i had a pretty big shrimp in there for 3 days.

06/22/2008, 05:15 PM	#3
nycreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New York City Posts: 190	Take your time and just add critters __________________ 787 gal. Sps display tank/ 80 gal. frag tank / 75 gal. fuge / 300 gal. sump 8 Radion Pros/ 8 400W MH 20K Radiums /Vertex Doser for Cal. Alk. Mag/ Avast Kalk ATO/ Reef Dynamics BP1000 Reactor/ Avast G Current Tank Info: 787 Gallon Sps Lps

06/22/2008, 05:26 PM	#4
AMcLeod Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 52	I forgot to add that i had 3 astrea snails come in as hitchhikers with the LR and i added 4 small nassarius Snails on the 20th. All are doing well. They are so much fun to watch! I will deffinantly be waiting at least another week, just to be sure. Thanks for the quick replys! __________________ -McLeod Current Tank Info: 90g

06/22/2008, 04:51 PM	#2
crsswift70 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Spanish Fort, AL Posts: 1,032	I moved all of my LR from my old tank to my new and never even saw a cycle. It's possible that the LR was completely cured and could sufficiently handle the load put on it by the shrimp. If you were prepared to wait several weeks though, i'd give it one more before giving it the stamp of approval. My nitrate,nitrite,phos and ammonia are undetectable. At least with my test kits. I would put in some snails though to take care of the algae that should be coming along.

06/22/2008, 06:04 PM	#5
joshallan86 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 163	I would wait at least another 5 days just to be safe. I would hate for you to rush it and then lose any animals that you add to the tank too soon. IMO Josh

06/22/2008, 06:44 PM	#6
kfisc Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,020	I'd wait until your ammonia is undetectable and then wait some more to see if your nitrate goes up any more as your nitrite becomes undetectable as well. Then I'd wait to see if you can corral your alk/calcium levels fairly predictably. But I'm pretty cautious.