How do I know when my cycling is done

[Myka]

If ammonia is zero and nitrate is present the cycle is over in the sense that it is now safe to add a small clean up crew if you have diatoms (brown algae) starting, a fish, maybe even a cheap tester frag. There's no reason to complicate it any more than that.

Your tank has a crap ton of brown algae already though, so I'd be adding a significant clean up crew and cut back lighting to just a few hours a day. I prefer to leave the lights off during cycling to prevent the large amount of algae that has cropped up in your tank. What lighting schedule are you using now? What lights do you have?

I'd suggest 4 Mexican Turbo snails, 6 Banded Trochus snails to start. In a couple weeks if they haven't cleaned up the algae I'd add 10 ring Cowries and 10 Scarlet hermits (yes the Scarlets cost more).

Try to scrub off and suck out as much of that algae as you can when you do the waterchange.

[joshkamay]

I've had a clean up crew for bout a week just a small one 5 snails the neterite ones and 3 Scarlett and 2 of the swirl shell snail they look like white poop emoji lol they've been doing a nice job so should I say get 2 or 3 chrommis and maybe a couple turbos? I was think8ng of getting an established torch that Some one else is selling in my area should I hold off or go ahead? As well I have a 6 light tek light 3 10k 2 blue and a purple and have them on at about 4-6hrs a day and just upgraded my power head from a wp25 to a wp 40 from jabeo

[Myka]

What would you buy Chromis for? You want to keep them in your tank forever?

Could you get a better/closer picture of that algae? I'm concerned it may be dinoflagellates, but I can't tell for sure in your pictures.

[joshkamay]

I just figured them to get a good judge of the tank if not what would I recommend and here are those closeups