how big of a cycle am i really gonna see?

ok i just setup my 55 gallon tank today and im wondering how big of a cycle am i really gonna see? i used

5 lbs live rock
18 lbs sand from 10 gal (setup since october 09)
20 lbs live sand (from bag)
30 lbs dry sand.
10 gals water from ten gallon.

so how big of a cycle am i really gonna see? when can i add my first fish?

also, how can i get the tank to clear up faster? leave the power heads on? or off? thanks.

 

Was that a typo on the 5lbs of rock? If so I would say you will want more then that for a 55. And the answer to your question is you are going to see a cycle. If you use the old sand I would rinse it really good along with the dry sand.

 

yea im getting the 50 other lbs shortly. didnt rinse the sand much. how much of a cycle am i going to see, and do i need to put a shrimp in there to start it? i left the rocks out of water for about an hour to get some die off, the sand would help too right?

 

Yeah, you'll see a cycle for sure. Live sand/rock will help, go ahead n throw that shrimp in there I say, will only spike those params faster and help the tank catch up quicker.

I mean really, no one can nail it down exactly how long the cycle will take.. You tell us how long it takes. Test up 'n let us know

Edit: If you let the tank cycle and then add another 50# LR later expect another mini cycle. It comes with LR addition, especially that amount. Add it as soon as you can...

I would go dead dry macro rock personally. The bit of LR and Live sand you mentioned earlier will be plenty to seed and you will finish up cycle quicker IMO. Plus it's cheaper and you dont have to worry about hitchhikers..

Add live stock when ammonia and nitrite reach 0..

 

it depends on how efficient your bacteria from your old tank are at reproducing but most importantly, their rate of metabolism. You cant put a time on this because truthfully, your tank is still cycling in a very small way after a year or two

 

i added a sponge and filter media that was in the 30 gal. now i have bacteria from both tank in there. the 50 lbs is base rock.