Cycling 14 gallon

[clancaster23]

I have started cycling a small 14 gallon tank just so I can have basically one fish and a buttload of corals in it. I started it jsut four days ago and for whatever reason, I am showing .5 for ammonia. I shouldn't have to put anything (shrimp or something) in the tank now to start the cycle since I am showing ammonia correct? I'm thinking now is just the waiting period for the ammonia to disappear then a little longer when nitrates/nitrites are gone? I'm not even sure how ammonia got in there. I started with a decent sized piece of live rock, 15 pounds of live sand and good water. I did take a cup of the sand from the 75 gallon and put it in there. The numbers for that tank are good so I don't think it came from there.

 

[ErinCahir]

You do not need to put anything in there. Correct.

 

[AmberSunrise]

Sounds like you are on the right track already. You will probably just have a mini cycle mine was all over in about 2 weeks

 

[clancaster23]

Hope so. I'm not the most patient person in the world lol.

 

[AmberSunrise]

Hope so. I'm not the most patient person in the world lol.

HA me too!! I added my diamond goby first after 3 weeks and it was pure torture to look at the empty tank. I still have him he is great.

 

[Dana42078]

Did u use cured LR or dead LR?

 

[clancaster23]

Cured I believe. It's even got a lot of coraline on it.

 

[Dana42078]

That's the reason behind your low ammonia levels IMO. When I started my reef I used only cured LR and only seen a very small ammonia spike... I had fish/corals in my tank within 2 and a half to 3 weeks....try a piece of raw shrimp 12-24 hrs later remove and test your params....I had my mantis in a new tank within a week an a half because I had NO ammonia spike using cured LR...not saying I did stuff the right way but both my tanks are fine.