What's my best next step?

[mr11]

Hey everyone,
So here's where I stand:
-50-ish gallon tank and a 20-ish gallon sump filled with RODI water and mixed with salt to a specific gravity of 1.022-1.023. I'm starting FOWLR and moving to reef later, hence the slightly low salinity. 

-I have 35 lbs of marco dry rock and 10 lbs of pre-cured live rock growing purple coraline. I've added 40lbs of live sand. 

- Two Koralia 1150 power heads. 1 Eheim universal 3400 pump. Two Eheim 125 watt Jager heaters. Tank heated to 79 degrees. 

 

- Ammonia is reading .25-.5 ppm according to my API test kit. 

So my question is what is next? Since I apparently have an ammonia source (die off from transporting liverock through 495 traffic?) do I need to do the rotting shrimp or ghost feed techniques to kickstat a cycle? Anything else I'm missing. 

Sorry for the book, just a newbie looking to do things the right way. 

Thanks and here's a pic! Forgot to take out the thermometer... 

[YHSublime]

Hey there, and welcome. Sorry if you've introduced already.

 

So it looks like 3 of your rocks are coraline encrusted, but most of it is "dead" or new rock. When you say "pre cured" what do you mean?

 

If you have ammonia, you're having a cycle, so your best bet is wait. If your pre-cured rock is indeed live, then you should wait for your other rock and sand to catch up. Ammonia is the second stage in your cycle, which is good, because it means that you've had something kickstart the nitrogen cycling process. That ammonia will turn into nitrite. That nitrite will turn into nitrates. Once you get nitrates, and a "0" reading on ammonia and nitrites, then your cycle is done.

 

Remember, nothing good happens fast, so sit back and relax, test every couple of days, start keeping a log (good practice,) and most of all, have fun!

[zygote2k]

ammonia is first stage, nitrite second, nitrate third. It takes 4-6 weeks to completely cycle a tank if you do it the correct way. If you are like most of us lazy americans, then you'll attempt to speed it up by additives but IMHO it is best to let the cycle occur naturally as it produces the best results.

It's a myth that keeping salinity at 1.023 is for fish-only. Run it 1.025-7 and be done with it.

That arag-alive live sand is just bacteria in a bottle added to dry sand. If you want REAL live sand, you can find fresh gulf sand locally at some of the LFS's.

[mr11]

The "pre-cured" rock I bought from quantum reefs. That's the terminology that was used to describe the rock. What it specifically means I am not sure. I would assume the rock has been allowed to cure for some period of months and was no longer leeching phosphates or causing an ammonia spike. Although I believe I caused a die off from transporting the rock. 

 

Zygote, do I need "real" live sand to effectively run a tank? Won't the live rock eventually seed it? 

 

I tested nitrites just for curiosity's sake and they are reading 0 so I'm definitely in the ammonia stage. Patiently waiting and looking to aquire a skimmer and some lights. 

[zygote2k]

you can cycle a tank with sterile components but you'll need to add an ammonia source to start it. I recommend free ammonia: pee in the tank. 

if you want microfauna diversity in your tank, you will need to introduce it from somewhere. The freshest live rock with the most amount of organisms on it will give you the best results, and live base rock with nothing on it will offer very little diversity.

Marine Scene sells fresh gulf live sand and lots of critters come out of it.

If GARF is still in business, then "Garf Grunge" is very diverse.

IF you really want your tank to be kick-ass, then get the highest quality live rock available and run it with lights and skimmer for 2-3 months but do not add any fish or invertebrates until the algae cycle is complete.

This is hands down best way but only for patient reefers.

[s2nhle]

first, welcome to the wamas. second, cycling the tank take time so be patient.

[Jason Rhoads]

You already have some great advice from the above posters, so I will only add that your rock work looks great! Well done. I hope the cycle is going well!