Cycled Tank...I Hope!

[OnePsychLynne]

So after buying my aquacultured live rock, dealing with major die off, changing all the water, not being able to stabilize the ammonia despite daily 50% water changes, I finally emptied the tank AGAIN for the third time, rinsed the live rock, added all new water...I have 0 ammonia!!! I'm hoping this means I've actually completed a tank cycle. I still have my cup corals that came on the live rock and a Turkey wing clam that's partial to staying closed. I haven't tested my other parameters yet but hopefully I can add fish soon <3

[OnePsychLynne]

Current parameters:

 

3/8/16

Temp: 77.4

Salinity: 1.023

Calcium: 340

Hardness: 214.8

Phosphates: 0.26

Nitrates: 20

pH: 8.0

Nitrites: 1

Ammonia: 0

[Pickle010]

Doesn't sound like you let it cycle to me.

[Pickle010]

In an effort to better understand what's going on with your tank I went back and looked at your other posts to see if I could offer any advise.

 

So in short... no - your tank hasn't cycled. You haven't left it alone long enough to build the beneficial bacteria it needs to sustain life.

 

If you take an established tank - rinse off the live rock and replace all the water it will cycle again.

 

If you move an established tank - use the same rocks and transfer them back into the same water chances are you may see a mini cycle from any die off due to exposure to air.

 

By removing and cleaning the rock you more then likely set your tank back by killing the good bacteria on your live rock.

 

I've never used any kind of wonder cure or potions to cycle my tanks. I do it the old fashion way. Add rock, water, flow and heat then let it do it's thing. Around week 3 I might start testing and let it run it's course naturally. Once the cycle is complete I do a 50% water change (max) then start a weekly regiment of maintenance and water changes.

 

Keep in mind that in reality the cycle NEVER stops. Every time you add something to your tank you need to allow it time to adjust and to handle the load you are subjecting it to.

 

I would recommend that you leave the tank alone for a while and allow it stabilize. Let it stabilize on it's own and then do a water change before adding live stock.

 

Good Luck

[brandon429]

See if your zero persists for a few days and then we are getting close, nice hard work you've done arresting it Lynne

 

Impressed

 

You took guided cycling seriously soon I will link these threads of yours with wonderful pics in tow to our big reference thread. You just demod how long it takes to arrest a cycle cascade for uncured ocean rocks, I don't recall a recent one. Just to keep fresh for new readers, this was a reference thread below that's shows how each form of rock cycling occurs for cured rock (one doesn't occur) uncured rock (it occurs until you make it stop) and dry substrates (you cause a cycle to begin and sustain it for a month)

 

you stopped your cycle and maintained all the bacteria nicely. Shining example in fact.

 

http://reef2reef.com/threads/new-tank-cycling-tank-bacteria-and-cocktail-shrimp-live-rock-no-shrimp.214618/

 

Soon, thousands of reefers can see your example work nicely done

 

The last steps are to make sure it'll hold zero for a couple days with tank running normal circulation etc.

 

Then, you have to prove the rocks can take basic reefing, in your case you don't stock it up just because zero holds a few days, put in test work before you begin in a little while. After you think it's arrested after a few more days, test again, then set up a test bucket of clean sw.

 

Take a test rock out and swirl it hard in that test bucket. Keep the test bucket at 79 ish don't let it cool, and sit that rock we assume is arrested in the bucket for two hours, then retest for ammonia. If passes, begin lightly in the display tank that is your start signal. Rocks that don't cycle with minor insult. Take a separate test rock out, set it in the air five mins, then test its soak water after you put it back in. See what we're doing? We are normal reefing your rock to see if it's tough now, and expelled all its dead organisms. You are testing outside the main tank since you barely got it arrested

 

 

 

Add some Snails, macro , a test shrimp or something small and watch for a week.

 

We know your bacteria are 100% live it's just that death phase arrest to verify

 

Real reefing is your rock scape falls over sometimes while cleaning, that's like a swish in the test bucket. We know some accidents won't generate ammonia again. So there is no hurry to begin but that whole thread is about finite repeatable start dates. Once your rock holds zero, then doesn't produce any with a minor swish test, it smells normal in the air (indicates no rot human noses wonderful at detecting ammonia) you can literally begin. Lightly

 

Test clean up crew etc.

 

If in two weeks they are all alive you can stock your reef as if the rocks are hundreds of years old, because they surely are.

[OnePsychLynne]

Brandon429-thank you! I planned on starting with one peppermint shrimp when I knew the tank was stable because I can see some small aiptasia. I will definitely follow the process you outlined to make sure the rocks have actually cured. I have been adding Stability bacteria with every major water change.

[OnePsychLynne]

Pickle010-my live rock die off produced more ammonia than any of the filters could manage. The ammonia was so bad you couldn't see the live rocks in the back of the tank. I had to arrest the overwhelming production of ammonia to get it to a level where the biological filters could take over managing it. I rinsed the rock in warm salt water to cleanse it of the white slime and blew out the holes and crevices with water to dislodge anything else that was rotting that I couldn't see. This is the first time I've actually seen anything resembling a true cycle since I started. I have experience with a large sw aquarium but not a nano tank and I didn't understand what using aquacultured live rock, instead of cured or partially cured, meant. I have certainly learned a valuable lesson. I have no plans to add livestock until I know the cycle is complete and the tank is stable.

[Pickle010]

It seems like you are taking a different road to the same place.

 

In the end, a tanks ability to sustain a bio-load is contingent on the beneficial bacteria it builds and it's ability to correct itself. It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on what's going on with the tank. I didn't realize or read how heavy the debris and die off actually was.

It sounds like you are doing the best thing you can possibly do and that is being patient while giving it some time to see what it does. Best case - your cycle is done and in a week or so you can start adding to your tank. Worst case you see a spike and you let nature take it's course. Either way, you are well on your way.

 

Good Luck!