Is my tank cycled?

Okay, this may be a stupid question, but I want to know if my tank is cycled or not.

Here's the story. I had a tank set up in Indiana. I moved to Texas about 3 months ago. I kept about 20 lbs of live rock and about 1 lbs of sand. these rocks and sand have been in a temporary holding tank since that time. I got my final tank set up last week and put the rock and sand in this tank. there are som mushrooms, algea and a few polyps living on the rock as well as the occassional feather duster. There are also 3 snails and 1 red leg hermit crab.

This tank has been up for a week and I'm anxious to add a few small fish (did I mention its 55 gallon)

Last night, I checked nitrates and nitrites and they came out 0 and 0. I would read this to mean that the tank is either completely cycled and the nitrates are being eaten by the rock, or else, there is no bioload in the tank to cycle it.

So, is it cycled and can I add fish, or is it not cycled and I should add ammonia to get it to cycle?

 

Sure sounds cycled to me...add fish slowly and keep close eye on.

 

I'm almost afraid to add fish. I've had a reef tank off and on for several years. I can't remember a time that I had 0 nitrates. Maybe I should just skip the fish.

 

Add a couple small ones anyway. Will make tank look so much more "alive."

Maybe a couple small gobies, or blenny and a fire/blood or skunk cleaner shrimp. If your LR is fairly mature, it will certainly handle the bio-load.

One little "nemo" (or pair) would love it...

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Of course then you would have to get a small bta to go with it...

 

IMO, you don't want your nitrates to be at ZERO!!!! Nitrates are consumed as food by Tridacna clams, corals, Tunicates, sponges and other filter feeders!!!! MY nitrates are at 10ppm or so continuously as this way I know my filter feeders are getting fed during the time periods I don't feed zoo and phytoplankton!

 

Get one Yellow Tail Damsel and let him swim in there for a while and get the bacterial load up before you go adding a bunch of fish. You don't have the light on yet do you??? If so then shut them off for a while so you are not adding fuel to the fire for algae.
So how is Texas, you using a boat to get to work..?
Tangster no algae cycle worked for me, took a while but now it's been 6 months and I have had no algae what so ever.

 

My guess is that your tank didn't start the cycle yet as you have no bioload! When you add some hardy fish such as Chromis' and Demoiselle damsels.

 

My guess is that your tank didn't start the cycle yet as you have no bioload! When you add some hardy fish such as Chromis' and Demoiselle damsels. Besides, a tank won't cycle through in just a week, IMO!