so cycle?

[QuickSilver525]

ok so my tank has been up and running for about a week... my little damsel died like 3 days ago. i think it was from the ammonia spike because she was breathing really heavy and just kinda rolled over :( but anyways, could my tank be cycled already? i ran tests on it everything is at zero besides nitrates, its at 10. so i am not sure if its cycled or not. i dont have any algea growth though :confused: i have aiptasia spots... i am just not sure at all of whats going on? in my other tanks that i have done the cycle you could actually watch, i had the brown and hair algea phases. but this one... nothing. i dont know whats going on... any ideas?

[dmweise]

I'd give it a few more days and test daily. Fish are expensive, don't rush it.

[txav8r]

I would wait a while. A week is a pretty short period of time.
Did you use sand from another tank or new sand?

[msmith619]

A 'normal' cycle may take up to 6 weeks. Me, I am impatient. I hate to wait. I cycled my tank in about 9 days doing the following:
1. Established live rock, a little over 1 pound per gallon, from an established tank. The rock was in an aquarium with livestock for over 1 year.
2. 'Live Sand'- not really live, 1 pound of commercial bagged live sand per gallon, probably very little benefit here as the bacteria are thrown into the bag before sealing.
3. Live sand from another etsablished tank. 25% of my live sand was from another established tank.
4. I added a liquid product, can't recall the name, that is supposed to cycle the tank immediately. Prolly full of the good bacteria.
The tank cycled in 9 days and has been stable since. 2 weeks after set up I had fish in it and no amonia, nitrite, nitrate spikes.
Mike

[QuickSilver525]

so should i go get a dead shrimp from heb to help start the cycle???

[reddrum]

If you add a product like biozyme as a bacterial seed it will speed up the process, but I doubt your tank is cycled in a week unless live rock and sand was added from a previously established tank. I would not add any other fish until you monitor your levels for a week or so at least. That still would be pushing it. Let us know how it goes.

[dansworth]

Get yourself a bottle of Stability by Seachem. It will help your tank to cycle in one week.

[utreef]

One week's very short for a cycle. If you're using rock and sand from another aquarium or vendor that's been "cured" then it may take a couple of weeks. Otherwise, you're more likely looking at 4-6 weeks. I've never used a jump starter or whatnot and had great success - just be patient (I know, it's hard!), keep running your tests, and when your levels reach 0 you should be good to go to start slowly adding livestock.

[dpotts]

Poor damsel...horrible way to die!:mad: I've had my 90g "cycling" for 5 weeks now. I've used mostly cured live rock and sand from an functioning tank. I'm just being patient and letting the cycle happen. I see no sense in killing a fish just to get it to cycle faster. Just my 2 cents....

[Bill S]

Folks, please remember - take a look at the number of posts a poster has made, before taking advice as gospel. This is NOT a shot at ALL posters with a limited number of posts - it's just that one does need to be aware that not all advice is good advice. If you are an experienced reefkeeper and have less than 100 posts, you have my apology.

Now, here's the advice you will get from the long time reefers here:

In this hobby, only 2 things work: 1) patience and 2) money. If you don't mind throwing money at your tank and killing fish and corals, you can ignore #1.

Bad, bad things happen to those who rush. Give yourself at least 6 weeks - 8 is better. Unless you just like killing things.

[JKLUSAF]

agree with Bill,

I made the same mistakes, rushing, but you can put your money on the fact: your tank will not be cycled in a week. my mistake was i rushed at 6 weeks and i still wasn't ready. at 9 weeks my tank was ready for live stock.

also, how many gallons is your tank?

Justin

[dansworth]

Picture of my tank at 5 weeks old. I got it cycled in one week. I used Stability as recommended by another reefer. I started adding live stocks after one week. I have not lost anything.

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv295/dansworth/solana-041.jpg

[MKCindy]

I am not familiar with this product, but Bill is right, there are major cycles first and mini-cycles follow for months. Cycling is not just a curing process, it is the process of actively transforming your tank into a mini ocean. Every new piece of live rock has to go through a mini cycle too. Some fish and corals can survive the cycles, but most will not.
Sorry to tell you but, "It ain't over yet!"