Cycling question

[jrwoltman]

I have been out of the game for awhile, so I need some advice, please. My 29 gallon Biocube, with 50lbs of live sand and 7 lbs of seed live rock has been cycling since last Thursday for 1 week today. On Monday, I had Ammonia between .25-.5. I tested today and Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates are all at 0. I find it hard to believe that my tank is cycled already. Anyone? Also, my salinity is at 1.030. I will bring it down with some RO, but could this have affected the cycle? Thanks in advance.
Jim

 

[goatous]

If the 50 lbs of live sand and 7 lbs of live rock came from an established tank, they probably brought a lot of the needed bacteria to boost the cycling of your tank.
How much food are you adding before you test for Ammonia and nitrites/nitrates?

 

[jrwoltman]

If the 50 lbs of live sand and 7 lbs of live rock came from an established tank, they probably brought a lot of the needed bacteria to boost the cycling of your tank.
How much food are you adding before you test for Ammonia and nitrites/nitrates?

I have not added any additional food or bacterial additives.

 

[goatous]

Do a phantom feeding for a week and watch your Ammonia and nitrites/nitrates numbers to get an idea if you are cycled.

 

[jrwoltman]

I appreciate goatous' response, but would anybody else like to chime in?

 

[#theMatrix]

His advice would just be echoed. Did you test just once? Diff tests are better than others. If there wasnt anything used to seed theres pretty much no way your cycle is done.

You may have no amonia but. Once your fish poop...the amonia will spike and with out bacteria your fish will suffer or die. So as said. Ghost feed and see if amonia rises and then drops.

Where did the rock and sand come from? Was it live? Did you buy it live?

Saying you put xamount of rock and sand and a week later your cycle is done is vague in detail.

Even so. You will still get some die off and start blooms.

 

[trackfast]

i would throw in a little food and check the ammonia level everyday for a few days. If you see the ammonia bump up and then go to zero I think you're ready for livestock. I think you had enough LR and LS in the beginning so that only a mini cycle would probably happen.

 

[#theMatrix]

Oh. After reading it. Not half asleep.
It was live.
Well. Ive gone from a 40 to a 75 to a 125g with one day cycles.