Cycled by day 5… Surely not?

[Smithrz]

Okay, here’s the short version, my tank has been cycling for 4 and a bit days, and these are my test results:

165ltr total water volume
Fishless cycle
Caribsea live stand
ExoReef dry rock
Skimmer on 24/7, plus a filter sock
All Salifert tests
Ammonia: 0.15 (was 0.25 yesterday)
Nitrite: 0.00
Nitrate: 2.50 (same as yesterday)

i’ve been ghost feeding with 1/4 cube of frozen mysis for 4 days (so, one whole cube in total), and dosing 15ml of “Microbe-lift Nite-out II starter bacteria” for 5 days (5 total doses).

I understand that it’s difficult for Salifert ammona tests to register total zero, and what’s more important is that it shows a reduction. So with all of this in mind (lowering ammonia, zero nitrites, and 2.50 nitrates), does this mean i’m cycled? It just seems so soon, I expected it to take longer, so I’m sorta questioning if it’s confirmation bias on my behalf, lol.

What do you all think?

Thanks!

 

[Spare time]

0 nitrite means its done. Also i'd just dump the whole bottle of bacteria in.

 

[Smithrz]

Is it somewhat normal for it to happen this quickly? I was sorta mentally prepared for it to take weeks. My LFS said they usually give a tank 8 weeks to cycle!

 

[Nano_Man]

Have you got a good clear nitrate reading
That’s when I start thinking the cycle is done

 

[Spare time]

Is it somewhat normal for it to happen this quickly? I was sorta mentally prepares for it to take weeks. My LFS said they usually give a tank 8 weeks to cycle!

With the right bottled bacteria, it can take very little time.

 

[Smithrz]

Have you got a good clear nitrate reading
That’s when I start thinking the cycle is done

Yeah, got a very clear purple reading. If anything It may actually be between 2.5 and 5, but I aired on the side of caution and took the lower reading.

 

[Garf]

LOL. Although technically I suppose you could say it’s cycled, you ain’t added much ammonia just with one cube of Mysis (a lot of this will not have broken down yet or been removed by the skimmer perhaps). Try adding a whole cube (or simulate what you actually think you will be feeding to start with), or add some ammonia if you want to be certain.

 

[Spare time]

+1 to turning the skimmer off and adding more food

 

[Smithrz]

LOL. Although technically I suppose you could say it’s cycled, you ain’t added much ammonia just with one cube of Mysis (a lot of this will not have broken down yet or been removed by the skimmer perhaps). Try adding a whole cube (or simulate what you actually think you will be feeding to start with), or add some ammonia if you want to be certain.

I think the amount of mysis I've been adding is what i’d be feeding 2 baby clowns, maybe half a cube if I felt they ate it all up too quickly or were looking skinny etc…

 

[Garf]

I think the amount of mysis I've been adding is what i’d be feeding 2 baby clowns, maybe half a cube if I felt they ate it all up too quickly or were looking skinny etc…

You got a pic of the tank? I’m nosey.

 

[Smithrz]

You got a pic of the tank? I’m nosey.

Sure. I just put the light on to take a pic, have been running it with lights off so far.

 

[Garf]

Sure. I just put the light on to take a pic, have been running it with lights off so far.

I’m curious, did you use the Caribsea Ocean Direct sand, or the Arag Alive stuff?

 

[Smithrz]

I’m curious, did you use the Caribsea Ocean Direct sand, or the Arag Alive stuff?

I used “CaribSea Arag-alive Special Grade Live Sand”

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Your tank is good to go. Adding more food will just add more waste to cleanup. Once you start populating and filling in the tank, bacteria will build or die off as needed. You can always add things slowly to tank. Having amonia and nitrate but no nitrite means your good as long as levels arent high on ammonia. As you add corals, and algae and other stuff these levels will change. Adding bacteria to my tanks I have never had a traceable cycle. Everything stayed 0 as far as I can remember. Have it logged as well.

 

[Nano_Man]

It’s definitely cycled through ammonia 0. Nitrite 0 then a reading of nitrate would say too me it’s cycled. I’ve always used live rock never used dry rock but live rock cycles your tank quickly. Try some cuc but remember there won’t be much to eat for them in your tank give them some algae pellets for hermit crabs ect Take it really slowly see how they get on for a few weeks. With saltwater hobby the secret is going slowly with everything you do . You are at the start of your journey there is a member that has had his tank running 47 years. Your tank looks bang on

 

[Garf]

ammonia 0. Nitrite 0 then a reading of nitrate would say too me it’s cycled

So is my tapwater.

 

[Nano_Man]

So is my tapwater.

Sorry Garf what’s up

 

[Nano_Man]

@vetteguy53081 can you give us your wealth of knowledge please since you’ve kept saltwater for well over 30 years . Just to give this member the correct information he needs please

 

[PotatoPig]

Is it somewhat normal for it to happen this quickly? I was sorta mentally prepared for it to take weeks. My LFS said they usually give a tank 8 weeks to cycle!

Cycling can mean different things to different people.

At the most basic level it’s “will your tank process the ammonia its inhabitants produce”. If you’re starting with dry rock and bottle bac you’ll hit this stage within a couple of days, if you’re starting with live rock with no die-off (ie transferred from one tank to another right away) you hit it immediately, live rock with die-off may take a little longer while the die off fully biodegrades. But all fairly quick.

At the more complex levels people can mean reaching a level of stability in the system where you can start to add more sensitive things like corals. Early on there’s going to be loads of swings in the microbiome and water chemistry, and this takes a few weeks (or months) to even out. This is probably what someone is talking about if they’re saying it takes 8 weeks to cycle a tank.

 

[Smithrz]

Cycling can mean different things to different people.

At the most basic level it’s “will your tank process the ammonia its inhabitants produce”. If you’re starting with dry rock and bottle bac you’ll hit this stage within a couple of days, if you’re starting with live rock with no die-off (ie transferred from one tank to another right away) you hit it immediately, live rock with die-off may take a little longer while the die off fully biodegrades. But all fairly quick.

At the more complex levels people can mean reaching a level of stability in the system where you can start to add more sensitive things like corals. Early on there’s going to be loads of swings in the microbiome and water chemistry, and this takes a few weeks (or months) to even out. This is probably what someone is talking about if they’re saying it takes 8 weeks to cycle a tank.

Thank you! I do plan on taking things very slowly; I’ve seen a lot of struggles from others when they lack patience and want an instant reef.