How do I know when my tank is cycled?

K

kclauser

Registered Member
Mar 12, 2007
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Hello everyone,
I set up my first SW tank this week and was wondering how you can tell that your cycle is complete. I used water and live rock from an established tank, and added a few pieces of cured live rock from a LFS. I have been testing the water often and here are my latest results

pH- 8.0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 40
Ammonia- ~.25 (test liquid stays milky white)

I added a damsel because according to the guy I got the water/LR from, the tank supposedly needed very little, if any cycling but the little guy didnt make it :( he died about two days later. This was tuesday, fish died about thursday, I think on friday I added a small piece of mushroom coral which seems to be doing quite well, it opens up quite nicely when I turn on the lights.

So how can I tell if my tank is ready for fish or not? As I understand it my cycle seems ok since Nitrate is the only mildly high one and that is reduced through PWC. I dont wanna keep slaughtering poor fish, I wanna be sure this time.
 
Your cycle is mid swing. Wait untill your Ammonia and nitrate are gone and your nitrite has spiked then you will be done.
 
Your still showing some ammonia, this needs to be down to zero like the nitrITEs are..When the nitrATES have peaked, like JoJo says, they should then start to fall down..When they stay on constant >5 for a week, that is when you are safe to start stocking..

The Damsel you brought, possibly died from ammonia poisoning...

Please keep us all informed about how your test results are going..

Niko
 
Ok, how often should I be testing the water at this stage of the cycle? I dont wanna test redundantly and waste materials. Also, I have the Salifert ammonia test, I want to be sure I know what 0 ammonia looks like, I tested tap water and it stayed perfectly clear, is that what it should look like for my tank as well? Right now its just milky white.
 
When I first started in S/W I waited 8 weeks and 3 days before my first fish went in. I kept a diary of all my water tests which I did every 3rd day. As Niko says your Nitrates will peak before they come down again. It may take a while but it's worth it the end because of the hours of enjoyment you get from it.

All good things come to those who wait!!:clap:
 
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