cycling question

[symphony]

I have a 28g nano cube set up for one week now, 39lbs live rock, stock filter removed and live rock rubble in place of it. 20lbs of live sand. I also have one flame tail blenny who hitchhiked in my live rock and is now in my tank. I also have seen one tiny snail, some zoos, and mushroom corals, all open and doing fine. after one week my ph remains at 7.7, ammonia remains at 0, as well as nitrites, nitrate <12.5. I did one water change today of 5 gallons because of slightly cloudy water. my only problem is getting a stable temp. that I plan to solve with a jbj mini artica chiller. So when should I see the tank begin to cycle. is it always necessary to see the ammonia and nitrites rise and fall for the tank to cycle?

 

[keith burn]

Originally Posted by symphony
http:///forum/post/2948256
I also have one flame tail blenny who hitchhiked in my live rock and is now in my tank.
can you find a temp home for the fish not going to be good for it in the tank with a cycle going on?

 

[saltymarine]

I love the rock you have. It looks really good!

 

[florida joe]

NO you do not ALWAYS need to see ammonia and nitrites spikes to have a cycled tank. Cycled only means that your tank has sufficient nitrification colonies to handle the degrading of organics. You can take live rock from an established tank and put it in another tank and If you do not have any major die off from the rock and the bio load from feeding your live stock does not exceed the nitrification capacity of the rock you will not see any spike and your hitcher is about a $15 to $20 dollar find

 

[9supratt4]

Awesome hitchhiker!!

 

[symphony]

thanks. I have been monitoring the waterlevels very carefully, I really don't have anywhere to take Rocky (the hitchhiking blenny) while the tank cycles, I have water on standby to do changes when necessary. however I did one yesterday for some cloudy water and now this morning I have brown stuff on my sand and rock, don't know if it's hair algae or not, when I get home from work I will try and post a photo, but I turned my lights off with just the moon light going. until I can get back home. This stuff just sprang up over night it's wild, all levels are fine except ph dropped from 7.7 to 7.4.

 

[symphony]

Originally Posted by SaltyMarine
http:///forum/post/2948533
I love the rock you have. It looks really good!
Thank you

 

[lauremf2002]

The brown stuff is diatoms aka algae. I think just about every new tank gets it. It feeds on phosphates and silica in the water, when ever those run out it will go away. I wouldnt worry about it, it will subside naturally. Its just a part of your "cycle"

 

[keith burn]

]
Is no one going to ask about the flame tail blenny in a tank that is in a cycle?
i will is he ok?

 

[oceansidefish]

The blenny should be just fine...Since the rock was obviously already cured somewhere else (I am assuming the blenny didn't get there by osmosis) He isn't going to eat much so just keep an eye on the water and don't add anything else to the tank.... it will still need to mature

 

[symphony]

Rocky the blenny is fine, he comes out every day and is very active, he is munching on the algae and my husband was over feeding him pellets, thats why I thought the algae started to form. ammonia and nitrites remain at 0.