Pronounce this tank cycled.......

[dakota9]

I set up my old 30 long in my son's room, as he's getting a small puffer to go in it.

About a month ago, I put about 20 lbs of cycled rock in it, and 30 lbs of fresh new coral sand. It currently has my HOT Magnum, an Aqua C Skimmer and a nano powerhead powering the tank. The light is Linda's old 192watt Coralife.

I've fed the tank lightly about once a week, frozen Mysis and flake..... lightly!</em>


Being that I lack a reliable test kit, do you think this tank is ready for the small puffer?

I'm old school, I started my last tank with 5lbs. of live rock and 2 damsels (they lived though it and are still alive in the "Display Only" tank at Petco). I never put much faith in "instant reefs" (Saturday, buy 55g tank, 50lbs live rock 50lbs live sand, Sunday, add SPS and anemones). I think I need to at least throw something alive in there and get an ammonia test and test it after a week or two.

I cant believe after 20 years in this hobby I'm askin such a newb question, its just been years since I've cycled a tank, and never this way.

 

[stroid]

id throw a couple damsels in there and then a week later throw the puffer in there. odds are your tank is cycled already but if you wanna be extra sure thats what i would do.

 

[victor626nj]

yeah but get some cool damsils tim had some yellow bellly ones very cool looking i threw away my test kit cause i dont use it all i test is cal alk and mag ...go to petco and get the test strips

 

[dakota9]

Test strips suck IMO, ammonia has to be deadly to inverts before it will even register on the strips.

The damsel problem is my kid will get attached to them if they are in the tank and want to keep them AND the puffer which is too big a bio load for that small a tank with a messy fish like a puffer. I'm thinking I could put some of my crabs in there, or maybe just a frozen silverside and then check the ammonia level.

I'm thinking with good maintance and water testing, it will be fine, but nothing beats cycling with Damsels.

 

[victor626nj]

how about this stick a couple snails in there if they live than your cycled

 

[mvm]

Why not grab a couple of hermits, snails or shrimp (cheap inverts) and see how they do? I bet it's cycled, but throw in some cheap inverts first.

 

[victor626nj]

beat you to it

 

[xyzpdq0121]

NOOB!!!!! GET A TEST KIT!!!!

Naw you should be fine... I might have to be down in your area this weekend if you want me to swing by with my testing suitcase.

 

[corigan]

Get a test kit and just dose the tank with straight ammonia. I have kept hospital tanks cycled this way and have cycled the tanks this way with no issues.

Matt