Umm...

[hypancistrus]

I did my first water test today on the 5.5 gallon mini-marine live rock tank. Remember... added the liverock on Saturday. So it's been in there 5 days.
I've got nothing... except some barely readable nitrates. Maybe 5 ppm. All the rest are zero across the board, and it is a brand new test kit.
So what is wrong? I thought the liverock was supposed to jumpstart my cycle? It is what the store called "cured" liverock... but now I am wondering if it is really live rock at all, or just baserock that they threw into saltwater. The only living thing I have seen in the tank (short of the bubble algae growing on the one piece of "staghorn" looking rock) is that lone starfish. Nothing else... no 'pods... no worms... nothing.
Is this normal?? Or did I get seriously ripped off on crappy baserock that doesn't have enough living stuff to jumpstart a cycle?

 

[mcbdz]

It may have had enough bacteria already to keep you from cycling. I would feed it a couple of days, then check water and if you still don't get any amm. or nitrites, and expecially if you do get nitrates then you are ready to go. Do a water change and keep a close eye on your levels with that small of a tank. Remember only one fish at a time.

 

[hypancistrus]

Originally Posted by mcbdz
Remember only one fish at a time.

No fish in this tank. It's far too small. I may put a few hermits and a sally lightfoot in it, but I'm undecided on that. I have a friend who has forbade me to put crabs in my reef tank... of any sort. But I like hermits, so I figure I may as well have some in a "crab-only" tank.