I am cycled,need some advice

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by saltfreak4
I had to bring the rock home, that's what I meant by not being cured. I was thinking it would have die off from the trip.
How long was the trip home? Just because the rock was out of water per say, I'm pretty sure the LFS wrapped or covered the rock to keep it damp for the ride home.....Should have been very minimal die off.

 

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by saltfreak4
Ok, I think I am completely cycled.
Ammonia at 0
nitrites at 0
trates at 40
alk 300 ppm
ph 8.0
First, this tank has been up since friday, so should I wait to add anything?
Second, is it important to get something in there to continue the cycle as quickly as possible?
The reason why this tank cycled so fast is because I used rock from a store that was already in a tank, I don't want to say cured because it really wasn't. My ammonia spike pretty hard on monday. But everything looks ok now, but I don't want to lose anything or put a bioload on the system it can't handle.
Thanks everybody
The reason it's so confusing, is because of how you posted.....Even in your original post you say it wasn't cured....If they had been using it to run their tanks, then yes the rock was cured......and therefore that's why you say very little or a quick spike........You made it more confusing, by giving conflicting info...........you would have seen very little if any die off from the move.

 

[saltfreak4]

OK.......GREAT, but you are missing the point. Here is the issue. I know that if I leave the tank this way the bacteria will not "mature" because they don't have a food supply, no ammonia. NOW, I don't want to kill ANYTHING so HOW do I test this to see if I am safe to add something like say 10 hermits? Without killing the herms.
BTW, I stated the rock was in their tanks, so sorry that I am confused about curing. It's really irrelevent for the problem at hand, which is, again, not to kill anything, and not to stall the process at the same time.
Also, checked everything this morning and still at zero. I added the caulerpa and chaeto yesterday. Nothing looks bad. No white stuff or any of that. The trates came down a bit, not much, from last night. So, here's the other question that I have, too, my LFS guy said to add iron for the caulerpa. I don't want to dose without someone's advice. So, does anyone else do this? Please only answer this question if you have some plants in your fuge.
Thanks so much

 

[acrylic51]

You had very little die off.......add your inverts.....i'm pretty sure you won't be doing any harm and they won't die.....If you want to boost or help things along pretend feed your tank and monitor along the way......

 

[acrylic51]

You had very little die off.......add your inverts.....i'm pretty sure you won't be doing any harm and they won't die.....If you want to boost or help things along pretend feed your tank and monitor along the way...... Your LFS should explain the dosing and why other than saying you should....Press them for the reasoning behind their words......
Bottom line and what I stick to and advise others is you don't dose for crap unless you've tested and it needs to be added.....Honestly how can you LFS advise to dose when they haven't pulled a complete water analysis on your water and advised where your levels are at??????? :thinking: Do you own a Iron test kit? If you don't possibly buy one and see where your levels are and if you don't own one take it to the store and have them test your Iron level for you.....

 

[saltfreak4]

I guess it really helps the plants grow. That is what the guy said, not sure past that. I am really scared to add, I love crabs don't want to kill them, but then don't want to stall. I feel like I am on a fence and one side is sharp glass and the other is barbed wire. This shouldn't be so stressful, I just don't want to lose anything.
Sorry for the edit, but I think that the iron breaks that rule, because the plants need it to stay healthy, but I could be mistaken.
BTW, your six year old is cute.