Unusually fast cycle?

[Deep Blue Sea]

Saturday(last week): Set up my saltwater fish tank. Added salt, live sand, and 23lbs of cured live rock.

Monday: Went to the pet store again, picked up 50lbs of cured live rock, 10lbs of un-cured live rock, and 20lbs of live rock that had already been in my friends fish tank for quite a while.

Wednesday: Nitrites, Nitrates, and Amonia started to spike.

Thursday-Saturday I was at my dads house.

Sunday night: Amonia is at 0, Nitrites are at 0, and Nitrates are at 0.

My question is, did my tank cycle unusually fast for some reason? Because the parameters are ideal right now and they have already spiked so am I in the clear to start adding some tester fish?

 

[Pazzoman]

I would give another week...just to see if nitrates rise...also i think nitrates usually stay with in 10ppm...i ehard somewhere where thier will always be nitrates in your tank, just maintain it at 10 ppm....then again i could be wrong lol

 

[Bazinga]

i would wait it out a few more days u usually wait 2 weeks before any livestock is added your call though, if you want add a damsel

 

[FLESHY]

You could add a cleaner crew...really strange that your nitrates would be zero...because really the only way to remove it from your tank is an h2o change. Do you have macros in your tank? I suppose if the number was small enough it could have been taken up by algaes or chemical media...who knows.

I would wait a week before adding a fish. Also do a h2o change first.

 

[thisissimple]

x2 on the water change. These aren't unbelievable numbers as most of the rock you added was cured. You will probably still get some diatom (brown hairy crud) blooms but its possible your nitrate cycle could be done. I had a tank "cycle" in 3 days once, but it was basically moving a setup.

With no bio load, its possible that much rock could eliminate your nitrate. Continue with caution. What great luck for you.

 

[nonstophoops]

Sounds like quite a bit of rock depending on your tank. The rock has most likely cycled the tank quickly because it was from established tanks. I would wait as well though, just to leave a little time for everything to stabilize. The other consideration is to very slowly stocked your tank. The rock can handle cycling the water in the tank, but you haven't been feeding anything and having fish defecating. When this takes place the rock may not be fully ready to handle it. So one fish at a time with at least a few weeks in between should be fine.

 

[we4wieners]

I understand. I kinda went thru the same experience. My parameters are nearly perfect other than my pH is abit high. I am gonna wait awhile for the water and rock to establish.

 

[LD50]

I would give another week...just to see if nitrates rise...also i think nitrates usually stay with in 10ppm...i ehard somewhere where thier will always be nitrates in your tank, just maintain it at 10 ppm....then again i could be wrong lol

Nah man, depending on bio load if you have some fast growing caulerpa macro in your fuge or even in a couple AC110's you can keep your NO3 from registering. I do a 20% WC every other week and never show any NO3 or PO4. Light stock + macro in proper perportions + good skimmer = excellent water quality.

i would wait it out a few more days u usually wait 2 weeks before any livestock is added your call though, if you want add a damsel

I would deff wait just a bit longer, but with all the cured LR you added I would bet that it would be safe to add a fish. If you want to test just to be sure put some krill (2-4 would work fine) in a nylon and check the readings in 24 hrs. If in 24 hrs it still looks good you are prob safe. I would however advise against a damsel unless you really want one. They tend to be a PITA fish and unless you pull all your LR out you will never get the little bugger out of your tank.

 

[FLESHY]

Light stock + macro in proper perportions + good skimmer = excellent water quality.

Exactly.

 

[Pazzoman]

Hey speaking of live rock....I'm thinking about spending $180 to purchase cured live rock from divers den on live aquaria...only 25 pounds. I know it's way over priced, but will it be able to seed my 40 pounds of rock with purple and help with water parameters....I decided to place this question here because didn't want to waste a thread lol