Can I cycle this fast?

[justinx]

Well, I have done some searches on here about fast cycles, but my question still goes unanswered. i set up a 20g tank with 16lbs LR and 5lbs LS from a LFS. I have no idea if the rock was fully cured or not, but when i put it in (5 days ago) it smelled horrible for the first day then the stench went away. This was all before i got any test kits so i dont know if it spiked or not. Well, now i have a fastest master kit (ammonia, trites, trates, and pH), and for the last three days, the levels have been stable as follows:
ammonia 0
nitrites 0
nitrates around 5
pH at 8.0
is this normal and could i have cycled that fast? The only inhabitants in the tank are 10 microhermits, 10 astreas which i bought today and two clams and a mystery snail without a shell that came with the LR
what do i do next?

 

[iechy]

I would wait it out and keep testing alittle longer if I were you and maybe get something hardy like a false percula or damsels to help cycle. If it is only five days old the ammonia may not have spiked yet and thus never began a cycle. Especially if the rock was fully cure and ther would be not much die off then you may not have even started yet......I guess

 

[jake22]

i have good luck with cycling all my tanks. My longest cycle took a week. I used 1 pound of rock per gallon a dsb and water from my lfs. I also have a 20 gallon set up. It took allitle less then a week to cycle. Depending on what type of tank you want you might want to try a clown or damsel. if you were to get a clown i would suggest getting a pair. I wish i would have instead of going with just one. Once the clown is in it is rare that anyother clown will follow and not be killed. Some lady i met at my lfs told me that she had one small maroon clown in her 75 gallon tank and decided to add some bigger clown of varied types into the tank and they were all killed. Good luck hope it goes good and keep doing water tests.

 

[justinx]

Jake22
what lights do you have on your 20?
I am yet to decide on mine. The debate is between PC or VHO

 

[jake22]

Not sur which lights i have i dont have any coral so it was not an issue. I just bought what ever light came with the tank.

 

[donkeykong]

junstinx I have a 20gl with 2x36watt pc lights. the coriline and my polyps are doing great. just my 2 cents