tank cycling question

[Ohsofoineazn]

Hi all,

 

I started cycling my 30G nuvo and tossed in a raw shrimp but havent seen any ammonia, nitrate or nitrite. I did see a brown Algae start forming on my live rock and sand after 2 week. Does this mean my tank has started cycling? When the Brown algae is gone that basically means my tank has cycled right? I received cured live rock from a guy in the hobby and bought the sand from a LFS.

[Tstew32]

Yes sounds like you are getting a cycle. I have used liquid in the past with great successes. It will add the correct bacteria you need to get it going. 

[Ohsofoineazn]

Thanks!! I was using stuff in a bottle this guy recommended to me but I didn't think it was really working since I didn't see any trace of ammonia in the tank.

[Tstew32]

What stuff is it? I would recommend dosing it until the bottle is gone. Even if the cycle is complete it will still benefit the tank

[brandon429]

We don't recycle live rock it shows up ready because moving from a pet store to home never kills bacteria in typical move settings even if the rock isn't underwater when moved home. My personal setup was just piled on styrofoam in my trunk for the short ride home. 

 

 

can you post a pic

 

shrimp cycling is only for bone dry white rock cycling 

 

if your rock had coralline and animals in tow, this is stressing and killing some of them 

 

if its bone white dry rock, we are on track 

 

in no way can algae or diatoms coming and going be linked to cycle completion we must assess the invisible bacteria to know. Seeing coralline on true live rock is a heck of a great assessment, a simple ammonia test is the other way.

[Ohsofoineazn]

It was cured rock from a guy in the hobby. It looked more more bone white. He had it in a saltwater bucket with a lid on for afew weeks. I didn't see any coralline or dead animals on it. 

[brandon429]

the term cured literally means you can move it among tanks with zero cycle, this is how hundreds of tanks are setup at Marine aquarium conventions. if it was cured in the darkness it wont have life on it that's for sure, and bacteria will be plenty. you likely have used skip cycle rocks and the various growths of algae and diatoms are unrelated to the rock's ability to digest raw ammonia, its the response to being in light

 

    its unlikely your source wasn't honest, Id just buy some zoanthids and get started.

 

if a proof test is needed, its via salifert ammonia tester, raw ammonium chloride, a test 24 hours after 1 ppm was attained in the tank. Id skip that, cured means go

[Ohsofoineazn]

20 minutes ago, brandon429 said:

the term cured literally means you can move it among tanks with zero cycle, this is how hundreds of tanks are setup at Marine aquarium conventions. if it was cured in the darkness it wont have life on it that's for sure, and bacteria will be plenty. you likely have used skip cycle rocks and the various growths of algae and diatoms are unrelated to the rock's ability to digest raw ammonia, its the response to being in light

 

    its unlikely your source wasn't honest, Id just buy some zoanthids and get started.

 

if a proof test is needed, its via salifert ammonia tester, raw ammonium chloride, a test 24 hours after 1 ppm was attained in the tank. Id skip that, cured means go

 

 

You are the man!!! thanks so much for the info. I'm going to buy some frags and see how it does. This makes so much sense now why I didn't see any readings when I tested. I could have already been cycled in the day and I have been running a hydra 26 HD light for the past week.