No ammonia, no nitrate, cycle not starting?

[reef’r]

Tanks been running for 2 weeks, one week in I added some nice established live rock covered up in coralline. Let tank sit for another few days then added a hermit crab, have been sprinkling some food in and have done a 1/2 dose of phyto for my tank size. I’ve tested for ammonia and nitrate twice and have received no readings, confirmed by a water test from lfs. So, is my “cycle” failing to start, or is that live rock handling everything I’m adding in… for what it’s worth I’ve never done a fish less cycle but am trying to be more patient with the reef game

 

[Garf]

is that live rock handling everything I’m adding

Very possible.

 

[reef’r]

Very possible.

Any recommendations? Should I try adding more of an ammonia source? I do have a clown waiting to go in, maybe go ahead and grab another and put them in and monitor/manage ammonia with water changes should any spikes come up?

 

[Uncle99]

You added live rock.
You were cycled when you did that two weeks ago.
Add your fish or two, they will add the ammonia from there.

 

[taricha]

If you calculate the mg/L of expected nitrogen from "sprinkling" of fish flake, it's probably going to be almost no ammonia at all.
So if you want to see it process ammonia, you'll need a bigger protein load than that.

 

[brandon429]

and you will need to own a test kit for ammonia, that if searched, does not yield 455,000 search returns on google showing misreads and false ammonia processing concerns after heavier dosing for 27 years straight running up to last week when I was working five more examples here



post #4 wins updated cycling science advice review for being completely resolved in the answers (per my unsolicited eval)


you have built a skip cycle reef, the cycle was skipped because live rock bacteria don't die on the way home from whatever tank the rocks came from. this is how nearly every seller tank at giant marine conventions are built to skip the cycle and carry fifty thousand dollars in life as long as the convention runs. live rock doesn't lose bacteria during transport to your tank. you don't have to test and verify anything.

post a pic of your tank so we can see ratios/curious where the lr is and what degree of rocks are live vs dry

 

[reef’r]

and you will need to own a test kit for ammonia, that if searched, does not yield 455,000 search returns on google showing misreads and false ammonia processing concerns after heavier dosing for 27 years straight running up to last week when I was working five more examples here



post #4 wins updated cycling science advice review for being completely resolved in the answers (per my unsolicited eval)


you have built a skip cycle reef, the cycle was skipped because live rock bacteria don't die on the way home from whatever tank the rocks came from. this is how nearly every seller tank at giant marine conventions are built to skip the cycle and carry fifty thousand dollars in life as long as the convention runs. live rock doesn't lose bacteria during transport to your tank. you don't have to test and verify anything.

post a pic of your tank so we can see ratios/curious where the lr is and what degree of rocks are live vs dry

It’s a 40 gal tank, total water volume was 30 gallons. 7lbs of live rock added everything else dry. Obviously the big purple rock is live aswell as a smaller piece to the top left

 

[reef’r]

and you will need to own a test kit for ammonia, that if searched, does not yield 455,000 search returns on google showing misreads and false ammonia processing concerns after heavier dosing for 27 years straight running up to last week when I was working five more examples here



post #4 wins updated cycling science advice review for being completely resolved in the answers (per my unsolicited eval)


you have built a skip cycle reef, the cycle was skipped because live rock bacteria don't die on the way home from whatever tank the rocks came from. this is how nearly every seller tank at giant marine conventions are built to skip the cycle and carry fifty thousand dollars in life as long as the convention runs. live rock doesn't lose bacteria during transport to your tank. you don't have to test and verify anything.

post a pic of your tank so we can see ratios/curious where the lr is and what degree of rocks are live vs dry

Test kit is salifert