cycle that fast?

f3honda4me · 01/11/2012, 05:02 PM

I picked up my live rock and chaeto on Sunday. The live rock was fully cured and had been in an existing tank for years. I lucked out and was able to buy some from a fellow hobbyist who was getting out of the hobby. It's full of coralline, brittle stars, some mushroom, copepods, and other soft polyp looking stuff, some sponge, etc. The rock was truly top notch quality.

Anyways, monday I had a small rise in ammonia, .25, tuesday .50. Today I have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and nitrates have been a constant 2.5 or so since tuesday.

Is there more to come yet? The live rock I bought was out of water no more than about an hour, and was covered in newspaper soaked in his saltwater. My skimmer has been producing good skimmate since tuesday as well.

Zappo · 01/11/2012, 05:12 PM

Add a pinch of fish food daily for a few days and see how it does. Cured live rock is already full of bacteria, so it's certainly possible that it's done.

f3honda4me · 01/11/2012, 05:28 PM

I have been adding pinches of fish food since sunday. Yesterday I dumped in a tiny bit of ammonia, just enough to get a reading, and sure enough today it's gone.

Sport507 · 01/11/2012, 06:49 PM

Let me tell you about what happen to me.

I set up my 90 DT on a Wednesday Oct, 20 2010. Then starting looking for places that carried salt water supplies. Now my tank at this point had nothing in it but water no sand NOTHING. Saturday I start making calls and to my amazement a small town pet store 8 miles from my house had a one saltwater tanks and was getting out of salt water all together. I went to see what they had and bought the live rock. The tanks had been running for 4 years very poorly maintained.

By then I had research enough and that was before I found this great site. To know enough to buy there live rock (4 year old cured) for $2.50 a pound and I bought about 50 pounds.

Bottom line to cut a long story short (to late!) I went back with buckets of salt water and coolers with salt water and brought it home. So mine was never out of the water for more than a few seconds.

I never detected a cycle. True Story!

f3honda4me With rock like that I'd wait a week and IMO you are good to go!

Others my think different JMO.

Infiltrator · 01/11/2012, 08:01 PM

You should be fine

D. Winter · 01/11/2012, 09:34 PM

I think you should be fine too. I purchased a tank from a friend of mine, broke it down and set it back up in a day. Most of the rock stayed partially submerged in tank water placed in ice chests for about 8 hours. I kept some of the old sand, but replaced about 80% of it with new. I never had even the slightest hint of a cycle. Good luck and let us know how its going.

01/11/2012, 05:02 PM	#1
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	cycle that fast? I picked up my live rock and chaeto on Sunday. The live rock was fully cured and had been in an existing tank for years. I lucked out and was able to buy some from a fellow hobbyist who was getting out of the hobby. It's full of coralline, brittle stars, some mushroom, copepods, and other soft polyp looking stuff, some sponge, etc. The rock was truly top notch quality. Anyways, monday I had a small rise in ammonia, .25, tuesday .50. Today I have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and nitrates have been a constant 2.5 or so since tuesday. Is there more to come yet? The live rock I bought was out of water no more than about an hour, and was covered in newspaper soaked in his saltwater. My skimmer has been producing good skimmate since tuesday as well.

01/11/2012, 06:49 PM	#4
Sport507 ~Just a Farm Boy~ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 1,651	This is possible? Let me tell you about what happen to me. I set up my 90 DT on a Wednesday Oct, 20 2010. Then starting looking for places that carried salt water supplies. Now my tank at this point had nothing in it but water no sand NOTHING. Saturday I start making calls and to my amazement a small town pet store 8 miles from my house had a one saltwater tanks and was getting out of salt water all together. I went to see what they had and bought the live rock. The tanks had been running for 4 years very poorly maintained. By then I had research enough and that was before I found this great site. To know enough to buy there live rock (4 year old cured) for $2.50 a pound and I bought about 50 pounds. Bottom line to cut a long story short (to late!) I went back with buckets of salt water and coolers with salt water and brought it home. So mine was never out of the water for more than a few seconds. I never detected a cycle. True Story! f3honda4me With rock like that I'd wait a week and IMO you are good to go! Others my think different JMO. __________________ Sport If you do not test for it, DON'T dose it. Indiana INDMAS Member Last edited by Sport507; 01/11/2012 at 07:00 PM.

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01/11/2012, 05:12 PM	#2
Zappo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Minnetonka, MN Posts: 582	Add a pinch of fish food daily for a few days and see how it does. Cured live rock is already full of bacteria, so it's certainly possible that it's done.

01/11/2012, 05:28 PM	#3
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	I have been adding pinches of fish food since sunday. Yesterday I dumped in a tiny bit of ammonia, just enough to get a reading, and sure enough today it's gone.

01/11/2012, 08:01 PM	#5
Infiltrator Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Melbourne, Fl Posts: 59	You should be fine

01/11/2012, 09:34 PM	#6
D. Winter Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 33	I think you should be fine too. I purchased a tank from a friend of mine, broke it down and set it back up in a day. Most of the rock stayed partially submerged in tank water placed in ice chests for about 8 hours. I kept some of the old sand, but replaced about 80% of it with new. I never had even the slightest hint of a cycle. Good luck and let us know how its going.