How Is My Cycle Doing?

[LorenzoE]

This is my first saltwater tank so I'm not really sure how my cycle is doing.
Here's some water perameters

1-23-14 (day one)
no3(20) no2(.5) ph(7.7) ammonia (.50)

1-26-14
no3(0) non2(0) ph(7.7) ammonia (.25)

1-28-14
no3(0) no2(0) ph(7.7) ammonia (0)

today
no3(0) no2(0) ph(7.9) ammonia(0)

My tank is a 29 gal biocube with 30 pounds liverock and live sand. The liverock was in flowing water under lights at the fishstore, and I moved it straight in my tank the first day, so I think there wasn't enough or any die-off to really get the cycle going. Also, my ph levels have been low, but I moved my powerheads to agitate the surface of the water more and it went up. I'm using some [profanity] strip test kit right now for everything other than ammonia but I'm going to buy a good one soon. Are things going well or do I need to change something?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks.

[Sugar Magnolia]

[welcome]

If your live rock was fully cured, it's possible to see little to no cycle which seems to be what you are seeing. I'd wait another week, testing every couple of days, before adding any clean up critters.

[LorenzoE]

Ok, I figured that was probably the case. So you think I should leave it as it is, or should I add a dead shrimp or something to really introduce ammonia and get a strong cycle?

[suzig]

if it were my tank, id add a small fish and see what happens. id bet money on your tank not cycling again due to 1 fish. :fish2:

[LorenzoE]

What about my ph levels? Would something like a clown be okay in that low ph? I don't want to get a damsel for obvious aggression reasons.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Do NOT add a fish until you are 100% sure your tank is fully cycled. Any amount of ammonia is toxic to fish. As I said, wait another week and test to be sure, then add some clean up crew.

[snorvich]

Do NOT add a fish until you are 100% sure your tank is fully cycled. Any amount of ammonia is toxic to fish. As I said, wait another week and test to be sure, then add some clean up crew.

Excellent advice. Using a fish to test whether a tank is cycled is not a good idea.

[LorenzoE]

Do NOT add a fish until you are 100% sure your tank is fully cycled. Any amount of ammonia is toxic to fish. As I said, wait another week and test to be sure, then add some clean up crew.
Ok, I posted this question on another forum and this seems to be the general census, so I'll add the clean up crew in a week or so. Thanks everyone.

[NJAB]

if you have a protein skimmer and worried that your ph is low due to their being low oxygen in the water try running the protein skimmers air tubing to a cracked open window for a day and the test the ph again if it went up then its due to the low dissolved oxygen level

[Zacharoo]

I was just at the lfs and had the same problem. He recommended snails and hermit crabs to start with. Getting mine this Sunday.