Did my tank cycle?

So I'm in the same boat. I have a 58 reef with about 55# of cured LR and a 20# bag of live sand mixed into CC and argonite sand. 2" sand bed. plus a small refugium with a 6" sand bed, some LR and cheato and one medium red leg hermit, because he was picking on the little ones.

No lights yet. I have my 2x150's on order. I use a 2x40w HO 6500 shop light to see by, but just that. I suspect that's why I didn't see a major algae bloom earlier on. I do have one edge of the tank that gets about an hour of late afternoon sun.

LFS got me started with Stability. They said let it go for a week, then add a light CUC (clean up crew). About 4 days into the Stability dosing I had a noticeable nitrate/nitrite spike, I didn't see any ammonia, but I was out of the shop for a few days so I figured I missed it.

After 10 days I started with 4 red leg hermits, a zebra turbo, and a peppermint shrimp. All seem to be quite active and the hermits make a mess picking stuff off the rock. I still haven't seen my test register a spike in A/N/N. without a GC test or similar I can't be certain of 0 levels, but my kit says levels are whatever their accuracy detects as 0.

at 14 days I put in 3 small green chromis. They're taking food, exploring the tank, very active and showing no signs of distress.

..so now to opine.

re: LFS just wants your money. That's often true to an extent. I own and run a retail store (non-fish related). I'm in it to make money. I'm also in it to build a good reputation, satisfy my customers, make them want to come back rather than need to, and offer advice and suggestions as best I can short of telling them to buy from my competitors. I asked around about my LFS of choice and didn't hear anything too negative, and have been happy with them. They know that whatever I get will most likely be from them. They know my tank, they have come over and checked it out, and they know I'm just starting. They're sensitive to the balance between me wanting it all on day one, and taking it slow and easy. Had they JUST wanted my money, and figured me for a sap, they would have sold me a tank and a bunch of livestock the first day.... but they didn't, and it says something. While I certainly can't say anything about other LFS's out there, I trust mine and they haven't steered me wrong in my eyes yet.

re: Stability. The maker claims you can add livestock right away. I wouldn't and I don't think anyone but Seachem would tell you to anyways.... but they're also a popular brand, and product liability insurance isn't cheap. I doubt their legal department would let them make false claims like that. The basic idea behind Stability and other bacteria dosing regiments is to kick-start a cycle. You're adding bacteria grown out in labs and studied by biologist that say they're the best of the naturally occurring gunk. The theory and science of inoculation is well observed and practiced frequently in many fields of biology. I see no reason it can't work in marine biology. I agree it takes months for a tank to become entirely self sufficient without inoculation. I don't see adding a dead shrimp as being any more "natural" than using Stability, as it's bacteria are all natural anyways. Also, I think most people would agree that a tank never truly stops changing. Years down the road you'll still have new bacteria forming and replacing ones that have died off. Some bacteria grow very slowly and may not appear until well after most hobbyists would consider a tank cycled. Live sand and rock is already full of bacteria as well, which helps a great deal. Also, just using Stability alone doesn't feed the bacteria, but if they're in place then a small bio-load WILL sustain them, and if the bioload doesn't outweigh the processing ability of the bacteria then you're tank is at equilibrium, which IMHO is far more important than any concept of time-to-cycle.

re: Internet/forums opinion. I'm new here, but what I'm not new to is the Internet. I've been online for over 18 years now. I remember the days before the WWW. This community has extended itself to me many times. There are people here who really know their stuff when it comes to marine fish keeping. But like anything else online there's always the blissfully ignorant, the misinformed, the egotists, and the willful doubters. It's hard to tell by post-count or even Karma if the info someone provides is accurate. You have to provide your own filter, and accept most of what you'll find on the Internet is opinion.

I make no false presumptions that I am getting my first reef tank right, but I feel confident that between the advice of several members here, the books I have, my past FW experience, and the help of the LFS, that I am on the right path. I am also excited and happy to share my observations - but I am not going to claim to be an expert and try to publish a book. I am a beginner with a contemporary and novice take on things. I may be wrong in some of my assumptions and will be corrected, but I also feel that a lot of "old timers" get set in their ways and will only advise on what they know, which is good and generally responsible - but it's not the ONLY way, and in some cases may not be the best way for you.

Anyways, my soap box is needed elsewhere, so to end I'll say from one noob to another: welcome to 3reef, this is a great place to be. Just take all advice with a grain of salt, don't dismiss good advice from a LFS because one person here is jaded and feels all LFS's are out to get your money and nothing else. Likewise, don't rely solely on the LFS for advise. If you have any local reef clubs check them out as well. It's rare there's such a thing as too much information.

-Doug

 

I understand. But I also know the gentlemen at the LFS and he has always been straight up with me. He has never tried to steer me wrong for a quick buck.

Anyways, my tank is for sure cycling now so I am just going to leave it alone. It is starting to grow green hair algae. IDK if that is good or not.