Quick Question?

[bededog]

Tank set up for 7 weeks now. Tried to cycle with Damsels and two of them died. I left them in there and they are gone now. The other one has lived for 5 weeks. I put a cocktail shrimp in there last week for 36 hours and took it out when I put in 2 nice big pieces of uncured live rock. I have had a reading of 0.25 for ammonia since a couple of days after I put the damsels in the tank. I have 0 reading for nitrite and ammonia and pH is 8.2. I haven't done a water change yet because I have been waiting for a cycle. I have also fed my fish somewhat heavily a few times trying to get the cycle going. Can anyone offer suggestions on whether or not you think I have cycled (I doubt it since I don't have any nitrite or nitrate) and whether or not I should do a water change.
The uncured live rock has been in there for a week now. All of the little critter look healthy (many little things that pop out at night with clear tentacles and a coral and some plants that are growing very well).
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance and sorry this is so much to read.

 

[karajay]

Has your ammonia level ever been over .25? If not, then that's probably why you haven't seen a rise in trites or trates. If you have gone through damsels, shrimp AND uncured LR without an amm. spike, I'd say go ahead with a water change and call the cycle a done deal.

 

[bededog]

Thanks karajay. I was thinking that I better get a water change in soon but I wanted some more experienced opinions before I did it. Anyone else have an opinion?

 

[stryder]

This may be a dumb question, but do you have to do a water change when your tank has cycled? Or do you just start putting fish in when it has cycled?
Stryder

 

[cprdnick]

Stryder, it's probably a good idea to not put any fish in the tank for a couple of weeks after the cycle is over.
Bededog, you may have prolonged the cycle by continuously changing the bio load. I'm afraid if you just call the cycle done right now, then when you add a live bio load, such as your new prize fish that you will buy. Then you'll get an ammonia spike and start a cycle again or a mini cycle. You will get a small ammonia spike when you add a new fish anyway, but I fear that if you haven't yet cycled then you will cause the large ammonia spike that you have been waiting for for seven weeks.
Just my two pennies.