Live Rock Cycle Question

[Raidedxelite]

Hello, 

 

New to the site but there’s a lot of great info. I’ve been doing saltwater for years but this is my first time cycling with Live Rock. 
 

Fluvak Evo 13.5G

all stock equipment 

 

added live rock yesterday and saw AMM .5 today amm and Nitrites are reading 0 and Nitrates are 20.

 

I’m gonna to wait a few more days to make sure everything is stable (salinity, temp etc). 
 

my question is, 

 

- can my live rock die without an AMM source? If so, how long? 
 

- should I start by adding fish, CUC or Corals?

 

i usually start with a CUC but that’s after months of dry rock cycle when there diatoms and algae forming. This is a clean tank but the live rock already had the cycle established.

 

any recommendations of what I should start with stocking wise?

 

thanks!

[Tamberav]

It won't die. There is still an ammonia source from the little life processes happening. Worms poop too.

 

I left rock with a powerhead in a bin for a year and took it out and used it no problem. It still had living worms and starfish going about their lives in the dark probably feeding on bacteria and sponges and things that don't need light.

 

Add an appropriate # of cuc (for the algae you have) when the rock finishes cycling as long as there is something too eat. I generally still get a small algae bloom on live rock at the end of a cycle but not always. 

 

Since this is live rock there should be film algae but perhaps not yet if it was kept in a dark tub.

 

It's okay to add a fish at the end of the cycle instead of cuc if you have no algae but you will want to be ready to add a cuc as soon as there is something to eat.