rapid cycle....such a thing????

i have a 55gal with a shallow sand bed (40lbs base sand and 20lbs of very fine live sand on top). I added about 30lbs of live rock when i set it up about 17 days ago and added a javanese damsel about 6 days ago. I'm running a penguin 350 and keeping my tank at 78 degrees. about 7 days ago my nitrates spiked at 80ppm and are now between 5-10ppm, i have been monitoring them every 1-2 days since start-up....is it possible my first cycle is nearly complete?

 

its getting there, your bacteria colonies have bloomed, but it doesnt mean there cant be fluctuations down the road. so just keep that in mind

 

Not yet. So much more to the cycling than just ups and downs of the numbers. Minimal maturity is what it should be called. You can get to a point where the numbers will look good, but your tank will stress hard if pushed. I would go Uber-slow for two or three months, no matter what the numbers say. You will go slow anyway, but there will be more 'give' later on in the tank's developement. Remember, it's an ecosystem. They take time to cook.

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/tropical-fish/pair-clowns-64697.html

Hi Brian - cross referencing to make sure information you got on 1 thread is a great idea
Karma to you for that


I hope the guys above have said enough to convince you to be patient and wait some more before further stocking

patience is a godsend in this hobby - but after week 12 - every other week you can be at the LFS purchasing new things for your reef

Steve

 

Every other week? Jeez, if I could go every other day, I would. Just to look. I love the smell of a fish store in the morning.......

 

editted my post - because PharmrJohn is right, you can go everyday, now and in the future, its buying things other than dry goods you need to avoid early days

Steve Wright at night