New Tank Cycling Question

[Jon T4S]

Hi,
Been setting up my first salt water tank after several years with freshwater tanks. I have a Fluval evo 13.5g, and have live sand and 30% cured live rock, and 70% dry rock.

It has been going for 4 weeks now, and foolishly I didn't test the water until last week. Since then I have tested it three times, each with the same readings:

Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

So, it appears to be stable, but I am not sure if it has actually cycled yet. Is there a way to know this?

I don't want to buy a fish or CUC until I am certain. Any advice much appreciated!

Thanks!

Jon

 

[brandon429]

if your descript is right you are done

here's why:

A thread tracking pure skip cycle instant reefs, no bottle bac

THE GOLDEN EXAMPLE OF A SKIP CYCLE DAY 1 REEF https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/octo-high-end-sps-skip-cycle-build.713256/ read that entire thread before you read ours. that's the heart of skip cycling. Everything we do going forward in this thread reflects on that ability above, in the #1...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[brandon429]

also: nb4thestallers


heh that's an inside joke. nice to meet you
b

the inert portions don't matter, they're neutral in the equation. you just added enough pounds of live rock to run the whole reef, so it qualifies as above.

the joke about stallers implies that If I didn't get in first, ten reasons you didn't skip cycle would be listed before a link that says you did.
sometimes people describe dry white rocks as live rocks, but in your description it seemed detailed enough they were truly alive.
post pics

in a 13 gallon nano, two fist-sized chunks of real live rock will run the exact same bioload as if you stacked the whole insides with live rock.

two chunks are that powerful in a nano, and you couldn't pack in more than a few fish anyway disease will kill them, not ammonia control.

the rules of new cycling science make it possible to troubleshoot your whole cycle off words

 

[Specific Ocean]

Welcome! Sounds like you’re cycled. Best of luck

-Matt

 

[Jon T4S]

Awesome, thanks!!!

 

[brandon429]

well we need pics as a receipt

because occasionally I get burned with literally pigment-less no growth all white rocks that were dry two hours ago. and Ocean will have seen that twice in one week if applic and its funny humblesauce when it happens

 

[Specific Ocean]

well we need pics as a receipt

I was waiting for this

 

[brandon429]

I operate on patterns. the pattern has not changed since 2001 says google

 

[brandon429]

you made me realize ive morphed willingly into a work link decorator crab.

 

[Specific Ocean]

you made me realize ive morphed willingly into a work link decorator crab.

This years Halloween costume idea?

 

[Jon T4S]

well we need pics as a receipt

because occasionally I get burned with literally pigment-less no growth all white rocks that were dry two hours ago. and Ocean will have seen that twice in one week if applic and its funny humblesauce when it happens

Well it's funny you mention that, as I have not had any visible algae growth, which I was concerned about

 

[brandon429]

whatever hitchhikers it brings in is worth it, for the diversity

having the pre cycled component made your likelihood of getting tank-wrecking dinos drop tremendously.

you might wonder why testing drinking water shows hard zero on api compared to the tank which we claim is safe

best current chemistry accounts for that misread .25 are that the kit is so sensitive, its grossly over reporting the actual numbers as best it can. the actual numbers cycled live rocks run at is .00x thousandth ppm, if seneye is to be believed.

and if its not, we literally do not have an accurate kit for nh3 in the hobby, we'll need the stand in rules until one is invented. pretty much all color test kits even red sea show false positive.

 

[brandon429]

EMERGENCY - Crazy Ammonia spike

Hey all, This tank has been up for 1+ year and its been doing great with SPS, LPS etc. Today I had 1 sps peel out and I thought maybe it was the new carbon I changed out, went to rent out a par meter to make sure had them test the water just for ***** and giggles as I test it myself x2 weekly...

www.reef2reef.com

in my opinion, reading that link will teach someone more about bacteria than any current article or blog or post.

there was not ever free ammonia above thousandths ppm in that whole aquarium at any time. if the phyto smelled bad enough to cause it, nobody who can afford a reef tank like that would mistakenly add poisoned phyto they created into the mix at the gallons-rate it would take 24x7 to make a reef tank hover at 1 ppm or 3.

the entire thread is reading a massive misread, and what guessing test kits cause.

Your ammonia will never, ever, ever be an issue in this blended cycle nano.

the read is absolutely fascinating psychology in my opinion. B wanted to believe they were safe, but the test kit is too strong. we have literally never been told they lie like a dang dog. they do.

2% can get them to work correctly, and they made all the cycling rules...this is why learning right off the bat to contextualize your test kits will change your reefing permanently and it will be better, more deliberate, less hesitant when $$ is on the line