cycle question help

codyreed29 · 03/23/2014, 06:10 PM

I setup my tank a week ago and I added a small piece of shrimp some seachem stability. I added some more seachem for a few days till I ran out.
kept adding bits of food each day.

After 5 days I added dry rock and a small piece of live rock and some biofilters from an old hob that I used as a quarantine and the livesand from it.

Its been seven days no algea diatoms anything.

Im thinking that it might not really cycle

nlgill13 · 03/23/2014, 06:52 PM

the only way to know is to test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. All you need for this is an API saltwater master test kit.

https://www.google.com/search?q=api+...sm=91&ie=UTF-8

you might be able to find the master test kit a petco

ThisGuy12 · 03/23/2014, 07:06 PM

Cycles typically take 3-4 weeks. I know I didn't start to see growth until week 2 of my cycle.

That doesn't mean the microbials aren't there you just can't see them.

How long are you lighting the tank for that will help with growth. Just be patient.

. Trust me, I'm not a patient person either if this hobby has taught me anything it's to learn to be patient.

For what it's worth you may not see much of an ammonia spike, my "spike" was a whopping 0.1ppm of ammonia.

How long did you leave the shrimp in there? What is your salinity level? What salt are you using? These all play into the timeline for a cycle.

03/23/2014, 06:10 PM	#1
codyreed29 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 892	cycle question help I setup my tank a week ago and I added a small piece of shrimp some seachem stability. I added some more seachem for a few days till I ran out. kept adding bits of food each day. After 5 days I added dry rock and a small piece of live rock and some biofilters from an old hob that I used as a quarantine and the livesand from it. Its been seven days no algea diatoms anything. Im thinking that it might not really cycle __________________ 27 Rimless cube DIY lights and sump mag 5 cad lights pls 100 jeabo rw4 jeabo dp4

03/23/2014, 06:52 PM	#2
nlgill13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Boulder,CO Posts: 1,291	the only way to know is to test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. All you need for this is an API saltwater master test kit. https://www.google.com/search?q=api+...sm=91&ie=UTF-8 you might be able to find the master test kit a petco __________________ 90G DT w/ 30G sump, 2 Apollo SolarBlast Dimmable LEDs, 160 Reef Octopus Extreme, Neptune Apex, Mag 7, MP10 & MP40

03/23/2014, 07:06 PM	#3
ThisGuy12 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Winnipeg, MB Posts: 822	cycle question help Cycles typically take 3-4 weeks. I know I didn't start to see growth until week 2 of my cycle. That doesn't mean the microbials aren't there you just can't see them. How long are you lighting the tank for that will help with growth. Just be patient. . Trust me, I'm not a patient person either if this hobby has taught me anything it's to learn to be patient. For what it's worth you may not see much of an ammonia spike, my "spike" was a whopping 0.1ppm of ammonia. How long did you leave the shrimp in there? What is your salinity level? What salt are you using? These all play into the timeline for a cycle.