Did I blink and miss my cycle?

[bamf25]

I started cycling my tank 15 days ago. It is a 120g with 40g sump, 30 lbs live rock, 40 lbs live sand. I placed 1 large shrimp in it. I felt I was obsessing about my numbers too much so I let it ride a few days without testing. On 4/8 (4 days ago) my ammonia was just north of 0.5 on the card, this was as high as I had seen it. Last night I put a very small amount of fish food in just for the hell of it. Today I decided to run full tests (I had done this once before on 4/6 ammonia was 0.5, nitrite was 0.25, nitrate was 0). So today my ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, and nitrate is between 5 and 10 ppm. Thes are API tests for what it matters.

Does this mean i am good to go after only twoish weeks? What do I do now?

[duncantse]

I think you have cycled your tank. Put some fish food into your tank and then after a few days, if your ammonia reads 0, then your good to go.

[davocean]

Sometimes we get a false reading or what looks ok before a cycle is complete.
The fastest cycles I've seen were w/ established rock(which BTW I would advise more than what you have) dry sand w/ a scoop of established sand from another tank, and that was about 2 weeks.
Unless you set up similar I would "guess" you may not be there just yet, but that would be just a guess since I don't know all specs or your setup.
Me, I'd wait at least another week and check again.

[briankmarsh1980]

+1 on waiting another 2 weeks to be sure

[bamf25]

The live rock was well cured from a LFS, and only spent about 30 minutes out of the water then right into my tank. I also have about 100 lbs of base rock in the tank. I have a total of 90 lbs of sand. 50 lbs in the dt, and 40 lbs in a refuge area of my sump to establish a DSB. My fear about adding a cuc or anything even if it is cycled is they would have very little to eat. There is no algae growth in the tank, except for some nice stuff on the live rock.

I think i should add some flake fish food and see what it does. Any fish food will do correct?

[duncantse]

No need to get more rocks if your going for a minimalist look. If you think your test kits expired/turned bad, you can ask your LFS to test your water.

[bamf25]

No need to get more rocks if your going for a minimalist look. If you think your test kits expired/turned bad, you can ask your LFS to test your water.

It is not really minimalist, the dry rock I got is VERY holey and light, it actually takes up alot more room than I expected. I have 130 lbs total rock, I should be good.

[davocean]

Well, the amount of LR and whether established or not would make a difference for one, and two LR is a big part of your filtration system, but alot of the minimalist peeps lately like to debate that.
I like minimalist look, but have rock in sump to make up for it.
W/ what you just commented on is better than what I saw in first comment, and doable.
A false cycle reading does not mean bad test kits, just not reading before the cycle has really completed.
I see alot of folks lately scared to add CUC for fear of starving, but it's not a big deal to give them food if concerned, and if you have established LR most likely there is plenty to eat.
But I lean on the cautious side, I know that is tough at start up, but that is safest.
I'd wait another week and test, but would not fear adding a couple snails.

[Lynnmw1208]

Same thing happened to me with my tank. my ammonia only got as high at .75ppm. I had 60lbs of dry rock and 6 lbs of fully cured live rock. my tank cycled in 18 days. I was so confused! I added a small clean up crew at 3 astrea snails and 5 hermits and everything went well! I still have some phosphate coming out of the dry rock a little causing hair algae, but nitrates are barely readable and everything is 0. Just go slow and cautious! HTH!

[bamf25]

And the small aptasia hich hicker (at least I think that is what it is, it is very small) seems very happy!!! lol Only one thing took a ride in on LR, yeah lucky me. :(

[davocean]

Yeah, those seem to live and hitch just fine, hit that while new/fresh w/ some lemon juice or apt X or something, don't need more of em, they multiply fast.

[bamf25]

I put some flake fish food in the tank this AM. I am going to wait 24 hrs or so and see if that gives me any kind of ammonia spike. If not guess it is time to order a cuc, so should I get hermits or just snails? lol

[davocean]

I'd start w/ just a couple/handfull of snails myself(I'm not a hermit fan)
Maybe a cleaner shrimp would be next if all is still cool, and then maybe a hardy small fish later.
I'm fond of chromis but I know not all like those or have success w/ them, but that is a typical start for me on a new tank.

[bamf25]

I just did the lemon juice on the 2 aptasia. They turned white and shriveled up into little balls right away. Do not see any others in the tank. I hope little white shriveled ball means dead. i was easily able to pluck one out of its whole afterwards. I also found the bloated remains of my 2 weeks old shrimp, not pretty.