11 week cycle, Please help

Ok so I have got so many different opinions from people and the internet, here I am at 11weeks exactly and I don't think Ive cycled.

Heres my set up (all new) and readings :

55gal tank
lighting = 12k daylight actinic and LEDs
Actinic - on 6am-8pm
12k - on 7am-7pm
LED's 8pm-Midnight

Fluval canister 406 filter system
30 lbs dead bowl rock
20 lbs live sand
10 lbs regular sand

3 damsel fish (I know I know....) fed twice daily

Temp = 80
Salt Stable at 1.025
PH = 8.0
Ammonia = .25
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0

These readings haven't changed for 11 weeks. Test every few days. I have seen a big bloom come and go and now maybe a smaller bloom. Doesn't seem like Im cycled, what do I do? I would like to add fish and coral someday....hermits something, just afraid to at this point.

 

Your test kit could be bad they do go bad

 

+1

I would get your water tested at your LFS.

Also, you may have to remove the Damsels if you plan on adding any more fish. They can be very aggressive sometimes

 

Welcome to 3reef,

Yes your kit must be bad, definitely get another test kit or double check results at the local fish store.

 

Just went and got the water tested and all he said was its all good and I have to be cycled, sold me some live rock and live rubble to put inside the canister in place of the bio balls? also got 5 snails and 5 hermits. oh and a feather coral..... he said its all good, I hope Im not getting taken here.
Gonna leave it for a while and see how it goes... Ill probably have to get a ten gallon going, Fishless of course to make a home for the damsels in a month.

 

Bio-balls vs rubble, the rubble has beneficial bacteria but so do your bio-balls now. Both will collect detritus eventually, I do not think one is better than the other.

Have you considered switching the canister out for a skimmer?

 

FYI - if you are using an API test kit for ammonia, it is very difficult to see the difference between .00 and .25. I had the same issue myself. I went ahead and got some Seachem ammonia checkers that constantly monitor ammonia and will show as low as .02. This confirmed that I was in fact seeing 0 ammonia. And the checkers are good for a year in your tank, so well worth the investment.

 

Congrats on your cycle completing. I think you're ready for a group buy at BRS LOL

 

Guess Im cycled, thanks for all your input. I wanna keep my current setup, canister as well, since I just purchased everything recently. Going to start a ten gallon for those Damsels to go in after it cycles , fish less of course!

 

I made the mistake of buying my first test kit off of Amazon.com, only to find out that it was expired

always check the date on your test kits and make sure they are good otherwise you could get some false readings, this time you were lucky and getting "bad" false readings (showing ammonia but actually had 0), I'd hate to think what you would have lost had you been getting "good" false readings and actually had ammonia in your tank

good for you for being patient