How to know when cycling is done?

[jialuvqr]

I just got my tank setup a few days ago. I am super newbie any experts ard pls help in the following thanks alot!

1) I just put in my live rocks into my 1 day old self made salt water ( will the live rock 'die' if my initial salt water was not cycled?)

2) When can i safetly put in fishes? is it when i know that the nitrite nitrate and ammonia is 0 ?

3) can i get some reef too?

4) I just tested my water and it actually have 0.5 ammonia and 0.5 nitrite after i put in my live rock. is it because my live rock got some decaying substance already? should i worry? if i wait a few days days will my tank cycle continue?

5) infuture after everything has been settled down can I buy more live rock to add in?

thanks alot!! :

thanks:

[terryansimon]

please do yourself a favour and get test kits to test for pH, NH4, NO2 and NO3. then you will well and truely know whether your cycling is over. at the same time, maybe you can read up on the stickies regarding the setup of a marine tank.

by the way, do not add any fish/reef/living things apart from liverocks and whatever hitch hikers that came along with it to a tank with NH4/NO2 present!

[blacknails]

K K.... Firstly, don't worry... everything seems normal so far...

Ermm... Your tank is finished cycling when ammonia and NO2 reaches ZERO and you can detect some NO3....

Only add corals, fishes and other inverts after you have FINISHED cycling your tank and add them slowly like one livestock every week depending on the size of your LS (larger ones need even longer)...

And as for liverock yes you can add in more after cycling but only a little at a time cause adding too many at one time would certainly cause water problems....

For now just be patient.... Everyone of us goes through this stage.... But must be patient....

[Razo]

How to know when cycling is done?

Testkits

[anakjoh]

Cycling is done when ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is zero in that sequence. Most times nitrate will not be zero but should be minimal. Nitrate is the last product and there's no way it gets out of the system by itself except thru some of the means below:-

1. water changes - replace nitrate enriched tank water with fresh saltwater

2. top-up only serve to dilute

3. refugium with macroalgae that uses the nitrate

4. denitrator with DSB or eqp to break up nitrate

5. skimming, perhaps

6. if there's any other way, please let me know

[jialuvqr]

thanks alot guys! now my tank is with sand and live rock waiting for cycling to finish

thanks!

[KapoKidd]

Hey,

How come my tank is smelly and cloudy when i put in a piece of fish inside and it really stinks badly HELP what should i do?

[alanyeo]

wanna try a no testkits method? go buy a cheap damsel or clownfish. If it survives then your tank is cycled.

Don't quote me or SPCA might come after me.

[jas_soh]

wanna try a no testkits method? go buy a cheap damsel or clownfish. If it survives then your tank is cycled.

Don't quote me or SPCA might come after me.

useless one.. damsels and clowns still survive even when the cycling is yet done. they are THAT hardy.

[bwilly]

wanna try a no testkits method? go buy a cheap damsel or clownfish. If it survives then your tank is cycled.

Don't quote me or SPCA might come after me.

u going to get alot of reefers going after u with this comment.

imagine someone do that to u to test the toxic level in a room.

damsel n clown are slightly more hardy. but its still cruel.

having just a single fish in a tank to complete the cycle won't harm

the fish though, but its suffering I reckon.. imagine staying in a poo

smell room, can take it, but damn smelly..

hope u guys understand, use a prawn + testkits. also no problem

with "unwanted" fishes later after cycling stage is completed.

[alanyeo]

Perhaps I word it wrongly and you misunderstood my intent.

Somehow we need to start somewhere, or rather start introducing LS. So the best approach is to put a fish or two in there to see if it works. Not recommending everyone to do this unless you are almost sure your tank is over with cycling. Yes testkits are still best bet!

[lightningstrike]

dun fret too much get the best testkits u can find and patience go a long way!!!

[terryansimon]

...please do not recommend such a method to people. it is very VERY unethical.