first tank - cycled in 1 week?

Penguin · 05-09-2001, 06:43 PM

I set up my first saltwater tank about 1 week ago. After a week, my ammonia and nitrite are undetectable, nitrate is 20. Tank is 20g, cycled with 1 cocktail shrimp and 1 small (3lb) chunk of cured LR. I'm running a Emperor 400, and I also used crushed coral from an established system as my substrate. Am I cycled? Sure seems like it, it just happened a lot faster than I expected. The CC must have really helped boost my nitrifier population. Maybe I can pick up my first fish this weekend.[img]/ubb/cool.gif[/img]

tendar · 05-09-2001, 08:58 PM

Any thing is possible even though a week is pretty fast. Are you planning on putting any morelive rock in? If so it may very well go through another cycle depending on how much you put in.
Test your tank again the day before you go out to get a fish this weekend and be sure to get a hardy fish and just one to start then give it a few weeks before getting another fish just in case.

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Buy propigated corals
Its never big enough

Penguin · 05-10-2001, 04:27 AM

Ah, yes. The cardinal rule of stocking a tank - Bioload low, go slow.

I've got my eye on a royal gramma at the LFS.

Biomanjcs72 · 05-10-2001, 05:39 AM

As long as your cycled, the gramma will be happy, they are generally pretty hardy (except maybe really small ones) But yes, I'd recommend testing your h2o before you go pick him up. [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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JCS
"Take one and pass it back, just like your IQ's were normal."
-Professor Hathaway in the movie"Real Genius"

05-09-2001, 06:43 PM	#1
Penguin Polymath Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 526	first tank - cycled in 1 week? I set up my first saltwater tank about 1 week ago. After a week, my ammonia and nitrite are undetectable, nitrate is 20. Tank is 20g, cycled with 1 cocktail shrimp and 1 small (3lb) chunk of cured LR. I'm running a Emperor 400, and I also used crushed coral from an established system as my substrate. Am I cycled? Sure seems like it, it just happened a lot faster than I expected. The CC must have really helped boost my nitrifier population. Maybe I can pick up my first fish this weekend.[img]/ubb/cool.gif[/img]

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05-09-2001, 08:58 PM	#2
tendar Governor Join Date: May 2000 Location: tempe,AZ Posts: 1,114	Any thing is possible even though a week is pretty fast. Are you planning on putting any morelive rock in? If so it may very well go through another cycle depending on how much you put in. Test your tank again the day before you go out to get a fish this weekend and be sure to get a hardy fish and just one to start then give it a few weeks before getting another fish just in case. ------------------ Buy propigated corals Its never big enough

05-10-2001, 04:27 AM	#3
Penguin Polymath Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 526	Ah, yes. The cardinal rule of stocking a tank - Bioload low, go slow. I've got my eye on a royal gramma at the LFS.

05-10-2001, 05:39 AM	#4
Biomanjcs72 Mayor Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Birmingham, Al, USA Posts: 815	As long as your cycled, the gramma will be happy, they are generally pretty hardy (except maybe really small ones) But yes, I'd recommend testing your h2o before you go pick him up. [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img] ------------------ JCS "Take one and pass it back, just like your IQ's were normal." -Professor Hathaway in the movie"Real Genius"

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