Is my tank going to cycle???

[brandom]

Hello,
Im new to this amazing hobby, and I have a 55 gal corner tank with sump "bioballs" and it has been up and running for 2 wks now. I added 50 lbs. live rock from a fish only tank of 2 yrs. ... when i got the rock i put it directly into buckets and kept it submerged in water during transport. So it has never been out of the water for more than 30 seconds or so. the tank has been running a couple wks with no signs of any ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites... One lfs retailer said you can start adding all the fish you want because it will not need to cycle since the rock has not been able to dry out etc... another lfs retailer said do not add anything yet, it will still probably go thru a mini cycle. I added a peppermint shrimp, coral banded shrimp, and emrald crab a week ago and they are doing great. I am afraid to put anything else in if it runs the possiblity of hurting it... what do you think?
much appreciated,
Brandon

 

[jackri]

I honestly think you're alright as you have cured live rock with the bacteria needed for the de-nitrifying process.
Go slow in adding fish -- not all you want.
Going slow means one --- wait a couple weeks and slowly add another.
That's what I'd do but in the end it's your tank

 

[brandom]

Thank you very much for the reply... I will consider getting a fish! Yay... maybe a ocellaris pair. Hope 2 would not be overkill.

 

[florida joe]

Hold on to your wallet my friend first of all there is no guarantees that the live rock has NITRIFING BACTERA ON IT. And certainly no guarantee it has any denitrifying ability. Put a small piece of cocktail shrimp in and monitor for a few days

 

[king_neptune]

I used 50lbs of LR from an established tank and waited 3 weeks before adding my first fish and inverts. But I also ghost fed it heavy amounts of mysis shrimp for the first week. I never saw an ammonia spike, but i did see my trites and trates go down from .25 to 0
Its likely you never did anything since you didn't add shrimp in. Do it now, and wait a few more weeks. Have you gotten a diatom bloom yet? that is pretty much the sign that its all over.
Once you have the bloom, then add the basic CuC of basic snails and crabs. A nice mix, of 25 or so.
Then a bottom feeder/sand sifter fish or two. And work your way up from there.