tank cycle

[iggyframe]

I was given LS/LR out of a tank that is 5 years old. The water and filter has only been in for a week I have 3 damsels and 2 hermit crabs When and how will I know when it is ready for Coral,Critters and other fish types? It is a 10 Gallon tank? Thanks for the help

 

[wrassecal]

You have to test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Your ammonia will spike and begin to go down, then nitrites will spike and begin to go down, then nitrates will spike. Your tank is cycled when ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0 and nitrates are 40 or below. They need to read 0's for about a week to ensure it is cycled.
Keep testing and add very slowly starting with the most hearty corals. Some things need a tank that has been stable for 6 months or longer. Lot more to corals but, that's the basics for cycling.
Word of advice. The damsels are aggressive and if you are not sure that you want to keep them, you might want to take them back to the lfs and cycle with a raw table shrimp or some flake food.

 

[007]

Read this thread here
There are other threads which may be of interest to you found here

 

[snipe]

Your amonia should be 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0. If you already have stuff in there and it isnt then they can and may die. For corals you will need other stuff to be right.

 

[scubadoo]

Did you keep the bacrteria alive when you transferred the rock & sand? If so, risk of loss is dimiinised. If not, your tank will cycle.