Cycle Question

[Nikkoli110]

I've had my 24 gallon nano running for 3 1/2 weeks. I started with dry rock and bagged 'live' sand. This past Monday a very kind fellow reefer gave me some live rock and a bag of sand that we put into a 5 gallon bucket with some water. Will I still see a cycle without doing anything else? Should I feed the tank to produce some waste?

 

[Moe_K]

Did you test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate before adding the new stuff?
Did you test after adding?

What were your results?

 

[Nikkoli110]

Yes, 0 on all 3, and tested ammonia today, still 0.

 

[Moe_K]

Interesting.

In the earlier 3 weeks, did you ever see an ammonia spike? Nitrite spike?

 

[Nikkoli110]

Nothing :-/

 

[Moe_K]

Then I would put a small piece of raw shrimp in there and kick off an ammonia spike. Then I'd watch the nitrites and nitrates spike.

 

[new2saltyfish]

when i've used live rock before i've had times where i never saw any spikes...using dry rock you should probably see something though. Give it a few more days and if nothing get a few small hermit crabs or a damsel and see what happens

 

[reefstarter]

My 90 did the same thing , never saw a spike . definately do as they say above , and be patient most importantly . even if the tank sits for more than a month with nothing in it but a raw shrimp lol

 

[stingythingy45]

Yup,you have to get something organic in there to decompose to start the cycle.
Dry rock probably didn't have anything in it to kick start the cycle.
I always did the cocktail shrimp method.

 

[Moe_K]

My 90 did the same thing , never saw a spike . definately do as they say above , and be patient most importantly . even if the tank sits for more than a month with nothing in it but a raw shrimp lol

Note that it can get a little stinky. No need to use a whole shrimp.

 

[Marshall O]

Any other fish food also works. Even flake food.