cycling need help lfs may not be right

[jeremygblackg35]

ok so i hae a 26 gallon bowfront, i have 2x65pc 10k lighitng have a magnum hang on and a remora skimmer, have about 25lbs of ls and 50 of starter sand, 25lbs lr, and my tanks ph is 8.2 salinit 1.025 and temp stable at 77.....have two 100wat heaters only on in now and a seio 680 pump for ciculation, also have a n acquaclear 30 ph was a gift, i have not added any fish to jump start cycle because i was told by lfs i wouldnt need to w/ this much ls and lr, sand bed has settled tests are all normal, havent seen a dramatic spike its been about 5 days since i dorped rock and stuff, lfs said i wont see a dramatic spike but i dont wana put thing in and then get hit w/ a cycle burtst, is it safe nonw to start adding softies and/or a set of clowns let me know i appreciate your help ahead of time.....

[SW Fan]

You can only start adding corals once your tank has been running for 6 months. It sounds like your cycle hasn't even started so no fish until that starts. Once you are able to put fish in, get one at a time.

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Jeremy
[welcome]

It sounds to me as if the LR you purchased was well cured to begin with. Well cured rock = low ammonia levels. I'd wait another week or two, checking ammonia levels daily, and if the remain low the tank should be ready for stocking. Try The New Tank Thread (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=239848) for more on what to expect as your tank ages.

[bertoni]

I agree. I think your LFS has been doing well so far.

Six months for corals is a long wait, IMO. If you like some of the sturdier ones, like Xenia, zoanthids, and most soft corals, you should be able to start earlier.

[Raki04]

OK I never had a drastic cycle either...I had fish in my tank two days after I filled it and didn't lose any of them...If your LR was well curred and you added a product such as "Cycle" that introduces the bennifical bactera to the tank you may not see a big cycle.If you are really worried that you should cycle ,one small raw shrimp from the local market will cause a cycle.
And anytime you add fish you may experiance a small cycle untill the bactera levels ajust to the new bio-load.

[WaterKeeper]

Just a little bit more here gang. The main reason we see a cycle in a tank where LR is curing is that ammonia is the primary product of active decay. If the LR is cured before being placed in one's tank then there is little decay and hence little ammonia. Such rock has an active population of nitrifying bacteria present when you get it and they populate the tank in fairly short order. If you start with cured rock then only a week or two is needed from starting the tank up till the time you may add livestock. Just be sure to add things slowly as the nitrification process requires some lag time between additions and the time that bacteria can handle the increased loading. Enjoy.

P.S. You really don't need to waste money on bacteria additives in a tank with LR. It is somewhat overkill.

[woofyitalian]

I dunno, I put fully cured live rock into my tank and and my ammonia maxed within a day and was at zero a day later and then my nitrites spiked and a day later were at zero... It all happened within a couple of days, max... Did you test the water the day after adding in the rock? It may have already happened...

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Woofy,

That stands to reason. There is usually some damage to the rock's population during shipping. That produces a mild spike effect but as the rock has an ample supply of ammonia eating nitrifiers it only takes a short time for them to come up to the increased loading. Fully cured LR is alway great if you can afford the premium price.

[Spuds725]

my 2 cents:

There are alot of variables at work here-- the biggest being the amount of die off you get in shipping/moving the rock-- a spike can occur and pass quickly, slowly, and it is possible not to get a spike at all--

I just bought a 135 gallon tank with 150 pounds of live rock-- I had no detectable ammonia spike-- the rock was covered with tank water for the whole time except for the few minutes it took to weigh it.

It would be prudent to wait 10-14 days and keep checking.