A question about cycling with live rock and live sand.

S

scotto214

Guest
I set up my first marine tank about a month ago and decided to cycle it with live rock and live sand. The live rock came from a reputable pet store and was being stored in their aquariums. First i set up my 20 gallon tank with live carribean sand and let it run for about a week. All my readings were perfect. Then i dedided to cycle it with the live rock (only 15 lbs so far) and realized after a week or two that i had no spikes in ammonia, nitrtites or nitrates. Does this mean i haven't even started the cycling process or did the live rock and sand have the proper bacteria needed.
If any one can answer this it would be appreciated!
Thanks!!!
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Chances are your tank will not undergo a "cycle". If the rock was well cared for in the store, and you introduced it immediately into your tank, then you probably have all of the bacteria you need.
Feed the tank a bit of fish food for the next few days and test for ammonia. If you still don't see any you are ready to go.
 
codyjp

codyjp

Member
I did the same thing as you except my rock was strait out of the box form the shipper at my LFS. I also did a very poor job of cleaning the LR before putting it in the tank. After a month I only saw a very minimal spike in my readings. I guess things just worked out ok for me.
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
Scotto, based on what you told us you bought cycled live rock and live sand and should not expect to see any ammonia. You can start slow and buy a fish and begin stocking.
 
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