Cycled Already?

[greg4163]

Its been about 2 weeks since I began my 38 gallon FOWLR tank and already My ammonia & nitite levels have dropped to "0" and my nitrates are about 10 ppm SG is about 1.022 and PH 8.2. I started it w/ 60 lbs live sand and about 30 lbs. cured live Tonga rock and threw in the cocktail shrimp, is it possible it cycled already or should I wait longer to add any fish? I was thinking to start with I would add 2 or 3 Blue Green Chromis's

[kreblak]

Make sure that your ammonia and nitrite readings remain at zero for at least a couple of days. Sixty pounds of live sand along with the live rock provided you a huge bacterial bed from the sound of things. A two week cycle is lightning speed in the world of SW aquaria. Anyway, as long as your readings are accurate, and you aren't getting any spikes, you should be fine to add fish.

[OrionGirl]

To be on the safe side, have your tests double checked by the LFS.

[latazyo]

yeah, and give it a little test, put another piece of shrimp in there and see what happens, see how the tank handles the new spike of ammonia

[BrianH]

IMHO yes, in a sense, your tank has cycled. As kreblak stated, the addition of cured live rock and live sand provided you with the neceaary bacteria population to handle the nitrate cycle. "Cycling" a tank means cultivating/growing the necessary aerobic bacteria to process the biological wastes into nitrates. Since you immediately added this bacteria with the LR & LS, you in essence have "cycled" the tank.

Brian