When is cycle complete?

Hi all, I am new to the SW hobby and have been posting the last month about tips/equipment to get started.

I just started my cycle last week, and i know the cycle takes 4-5 weeks but was wondering how to determine when it is actually complete.

Thanks

 

Are you cycling with fish or fishless cycling?

Basically, when you can add ammonia and within 24 hours there is no ammonia or nitrite your cycle is complete but only to the point of handling that amount of ammonia.

If you are using fish - when the ammonia and nitrite disappear and you can feed and they do not reappear with 24 hours the cycle is complete. But again only for that many fish - if you go and add a lot more fish expect to see some ammonia and nitrite.

make sense?

 

The best/easiest/safest way is to get a basic saltwater test kit and test every day or every other day and record your results. API sells a kit that runs about 25 bucks and has everything you need. You should see ammonia go up, then nitrite start going up and ammonia going down, then nitrate go up then down. When all your results read 0 your cycle is done. Takes as little as 3 weeks and as long as 8 sometimes, but the average is 4-5 weeks.

 

thanks for the advice!

the only thing i've added is the salt, is there anything else?

 

you need to add something to start the ammonia spike. I used a shrimp from the supermarket. There's a couple different ways to do it though

Whats your salinity/temp at?

 

77 degrees and 1.025 salinity (measured by my refractometer)

 

i agree with everything coastie reefer said above. get the test kits, put something in to spike ammonia, and wait it out

 

Heres an article I googled that will help you understand the process.

The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

 

great article, really "dumbs down" the whole process, as it can be confusing.

a simple question I pose, my tank (90g) already has 75 lbs of live rock in it. does this mean it is providing the right amount of bacteria (nitrates/ites, ammonia, ammonium) and i dont have to do anything else? or should i still add in food every 12 hrs like suggestion 1 states.

also have a filtration system with an RO/DI unit that I make my own water with (if that helps the process)

 

I cycled my tank just with live rock and live sand. I did not have a test kit right away but it cycled just with that. People often notice diatoms at the end of the cycle. It looks like a brownish algae that is very noticeable on the sand and glass. I had diatoms at the end of my cycle. Did you add sand?

The RO/DI probably won't affect your cycle, but it definitely beneficial to use RO/DI. Good job!! Most people overlook the benefits of this at first!